The Ithaca Journal (New York), March 28, 2008, Friday
Copyright 2008 The Ithaca Journal (Ithaca, NY)
All Rights Reserved
The Ithaca Journal (New York)
March 28, 2008, Friday
1 Edition
SECTION: LOCAL; Pg. 1A
BYLINE: Topher Sanders
BODY:
{}Muslim chaplain chides Obama as 'sloppy'
Journal Staff
ITHACA While widespread praise for Sen. Barack Obama's speech on race continued Thursday during a Cornell University panel discussion about the talk, the university's Muslim chaplain said Obama's reference to Islam was "sloppy" and exploitative of stereotypes directed at the religion.
The panel consisted of the Rev. Kenneth Clarke, director of Cornell United Religious Work; James Turner, professor at Cornell's Africana Studies and Research Center; Nick Salvatore, professor of Industrial and Labor Relations; Omer Bajwa, interim Muslim chaplain at Cornell; and Margaret Washington, professor of history.
Cornell officials estimated that 150 people were present at the panel discussion, which took place at the school's Sage Chapel.
Clarke, Turner, Salvatore and Washington spoke highly of Obama's speech for its candor and thoughtfulness on America's racial struggles. But Bajwa took exception to the portion of the speech that mentioned Islam.
During the March 18 speech, Obama spoke of Islam when he said controversial comments by his former pastor the Rev. Jeremiah Wright expressed a distorted view of America.
"A view that sees the conflicts in the Middle East as rooted primarily in the actions of stalwart allies like Israel, instead of emanating from the perverse and hateful ideologies of radical Islam," Obama said during the speech.
Obama's language was "sloppy," Bajwa said.
"His language exploits dubious stereotypes that sadly resonate with segments of our misinformed population given today's geo-politics," he said.
Obama should have been more specific in his comments about Islam, Bajwa said.
"Ironically Obama seems to be making the same mistake that he criticized Reverend Jeremiah Wright for making," Bajwa said. "The problem is he's simplifying and stereotyping and amplifying the negative to the point that it distorts reality."
Bajwa also expressed disappointment that none of the remaining frontrunners to become president is campaigning for Muslim support.
"For many reasons, Muslims are one constituency Senator Obama does not want to court," he said. "At a time when endorsements are worn like badges of honor, no major candidate is looking for the Muslim vote."
Bajwa said many Muslims are excited about Obama's candidacy, but those same Muslims are also asking themselves an important question about Obama.
"How do you support a candidate that doesn't want your support?" he said.
Still, because Obama is not the "typical, white establishment candidate" there is hope domestically and abroad for what America can be, Bawja said.
"Nevertheless, I am inspired by Obama's message that we need to keep working toward a more perfect union," he said.
Clarke, director of Cornell United Religious Work, defended sermons by Wright that caused the controversy leading to Obama's speech.
Clarke challenged the audience to go beyond the sound bites and listen to Wright's entire sermon from Sept. 16, 2001 where he criticizes America. Clarke compared Wright's criticism of America to commentary found in speeches by Fredrick Douglas and Martin Luther King Jr.
The critiques are not unpatriotic, Clarke said.
The statements "reflect a different style of patriotism to which the larger society is often accustomed," he said. "It is a willingness to criticize the nation and its practices to help the nation, as Dr. King once said, 'to be true to what it has put on paper' in relation to the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution."
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