I Was Shocked by Ignorance about Muslims and Obama

I was at a meeting today when a woman who said she would vote for Obama but that she was worried that he might be a secret Muslim. I said that Obama is a Christian but if he was Muslim what was wrong with that. Her answer was Muslims caused 9/11. And she also said Obama's Dad was a Muslim. I said it was not Muslims but a small group of a radical sect of Muslims who could be described as "terrorists" and who were involved one way or another in 9/11. I compared this group to a small sect of" born agains" who let us say believed the earth was flat. Does that mean that all Christians believe the earth is flat? Her answer was still he could be Muslim and that worried her.

I think too many people in this country are ignorant about the most basic ideas within the great religions. I blame this ignorance on the poor education in our public schools and also institutions of higher learning. There should be more information about the differences and commonalities among the major and also minor religions and regional aspects that play into religious and ethnic differences. As a Jew, I am astounded about how many of my Jewish sisters and brothers also know so little about the similarities between the Islamic Faith (particularly the rituals) and Judaisim. If Obama is to win this important election, his strategists need to keep responding to the jackass comments people are making about Obama and take them to task for making them. I think it was Rachel Maddow, the Radio and TV commentator, who said most recently "Embarass them".

Sharon Raphael