On Tuesday on French television -- tres chic -- President Barack Hussein Obama put on a veritable tour de force of mathematical prowess. . . or was it linguistic legerdemain Indeed, with one single rhetorical flourish, he eloquently swept aside generations of meaning belonging to the word “largest” and subjugated this formerly lofty concept to a mediocre status.
Thus spoke President Hopey:
“I think that the United States and the West generally, we have to educate ourselves more effectively on [uh] Islam. [uh] And [uh] one of the points I want to make is, [uh] is that if you actually took the number of Muslim Americans, [uh] we'd be one of the largest Muslim countries in the world.”
Did he really say that? Oui, he did. . . oui, he did.
The Muslim population in the United States is estimated to be between three and eight million people, with most estimates placing the number around six million. If there are indeed six million Muslims in the United States, then 34 other countries have larger Muslim populations than the United States:
Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, Nigeria, China, Ethiopia, Algeria, Morocco, Afghanistan, Sudan, Iraq, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Tanzania, Syria, Malaysia, Niger, Senegal, Ghana, Tunisia, Somalia, Guinea, Kenya, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Burkina Faso and Tajikistan.
That hardly makes us one of the largest Muslim countries in the world.
And if the Muslim population is only 1.8 million, as Pew Center suggests, then 48 other countries have larger Muslim populations than the United States. This includes France, Germany, evil (ethnically-cleansed) Serbia and Israel, though not Britain.
Perhaps, Mr. President, you should have educated yourself about Islam before accusing the rest of us of needing an education?
Perhaps, Mr. President, you should educate yourself about the United States before you open your mouth again?
Perhaps, this was why King Saud was heard to say, in response to your strange assertion, "Inconceivable.”
39 comments:
I thought words were supposed to matter? Maybe President Obama should try the new mantra: facts matter, too.
I think an eighth grader delivering a speech in social studies class would know the US is not one of the largest Muslim countries in the world.
Maybe he means..."we are a muslim nation and we're pretty big too"...
What's intersting is that we are the second largest jewish nation (in population, no size)
Writer X,
I would agree. Think about what this says about Obama's grasp of the world and its people, or even the country and its people, and the distorted way in which he sees us.
freedom21, I see that you are indeed an attorney! LOL! Though I suspect that Obama is too arrogant to grasp the way out you offer.
No doubt, by the end of the week we will have become "the largest" Muslim country, and by the end of the month, we'll be "the only" Muslim country.
Was this a straight out lie? And for what purpose?
StlDan,
I think he said it because he wanted to butter up Muslims as part of his "opening up the Muslim world" tour. It's like when some schmoozer salesman tells you, "I have an uncle who does exactly what you do."
That's also why he's suddenly playing up his "Muslim background." He think that if he can sway these people personally, then he can get their leaders to do things prior President's couldn't. Sadly for him, international politics doesn't work that way.
God Bless Al'merica
I'm just waiting for the press to start mocking his mis-statements like they did when Bush was in office.
Bwahahahhahahhahahahahah!
I crack myself up.
sqt, I have to admit that I laughed out loud at that. :-)
Freedom21, your mouth to Allah! Oh wait, are women allowed to speak to Allah?
America, a Muslim country? Inconceivable!
As long as my mouth is covered by my burqua.... :)
Growing up in and living in London as a young adult, I have had my fair share of exposure to Islam (my dad and I use to joke when we would go to my soccer/football games that we would have to walk through little Fallujah). What's most unsettlling about the entire religion/culture is the "we're right, and there is no way in hell that you you could ever be right". Liberals and "talk to acheive peace" peoplefail to understand this. Cultural Relativism is not a two way street.
Interesting fact about the London city planners.... They put the central mosque less than a mile from the Jewish center and two miles away from the biggest Hassidic jewish population in Europe. Let's just say Fridays were always very interesting in that area.
To steal a phrase from The Garafoulo - "He's an idiot, straight up! Peace Out."
And I am oh so comforted by the fact that now Israel has no real allies. I was wondering how long it would take for Obama to throw Israel under the bus.
Bev,
Don't say that name! You're going to send Lawhawk over the cliff!! (Between you and me though, that is an appropriate quote.)
Seriously though, while Obama seems more than happy to abandon our only real friends in the Middle East, I can't see the American people (or the Congress) allowing that to happen.
Freedom21,
I hear a lot of bad things about Muslims in Britain, and it sounds like they are/are going to become a huge problem. Are they concentrated in Londonistan or are they spread out around the country?
I think you're forgetting to count all the states. Remember, Obama promised to be president to all 57 states. Perhaps those missing 7 have a few million more Muslims.
In Britain, the Muslim population is highly concentrated in London and Manchester (and the surrounding burbs). There are hamlets everywhere where there are religious growth poles too (depending on incomes). It’s estimated that they are only 3-5% of the population but the population is growing and the influx is happening at a shocking rate. One of the key things to remember about the growth of the Muslim population in Europe is that Muslims reproduce at nearly ten times the rate of Western Europeans. The gap is narrowing, and it's narrowing quickly.
(http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/article5621482.ece )
And the increase in the muslim population is noticeable (and I would like to contend aggressive). One particular out-of-my-comfort zone experience I had was when I was at an Anti-War in Iraq protest and over a million people showed up in Trafalgar Square. It was estimated (and boy did it feel like it) that over 70% of the crowd was of Islam. The crowd was vicious and vocal.
Two things need justification here: I was at the protest because my uni was down the street and was at lunch. And two, if all Muslims did wonderful things like Harrods, I wouldn’t have such a problem with the influx.
Still, It's nothing like Denmark where the call to prayer occurs in 1/3 of the schools and over public loud speakers.
Put on your tin foil hats boys and girls, as I pointed out to my friends and colleagues at the time he made the "57 States Blunder" there are 57 "states" in the Organization of the Islamic Conference. So maybe it wasn't a slip of the tongue after all? Am I serious? Well yes there are really 57 countries in it, as for it not being a slip but showing some nefarious master plan, well that I'm not even sure if I'm serious about that or not. The fact that I'm not sure, is disconcerting to me though.
Him talking about Settlements in Cairo while not stopping by in Israel at all, was pretty rude if you ask me. Well rude and stupid to be honest, especially when he mentioned Palestine like it was an actual country. Not very helpful. A Labor MK said it was,"One of the most important speeches ever." according to the AP, which shows again why Labor only got 13 seats in the last election.
Oh Freedom21 and SQT, thanks for making me crack up repeatedly, I needed that. LOL
CrispyRice -- that's worrying, the idea that we have seven "sleeper states" hidden somewhere in our union. Yikes.
Freedom21,
I read the book While Europe Slept about a year ago, and I highly recommend it. The author is a homosexual American who details his experiences living in several countries in Europe and how (1) the Muslims are just piling into Europe, (2) how they have no tolerance for free speech, Christians, or gays, and (3) how the European establishment tries to ignore this problem and crush anyone who raises these concerns.
He had a particularly amazing chapter dealing with arranged marriages, where he describes how Muslims bring in multiple wives from the hinterlands of Pakistan (many in their teens) so that they can all collect welfare benefits and send them home to Pakistan. Stunning.
AP: I'll definitely want to read that. Thanks!
I think once we exchanged posts at BH on racism in Europe. Having grown up in both places, I can safely say that it was much worse over there and the diversity of hatred was much more than we see stateside. The state is constantly crushing concerns of the individual(See Jacqui Smith). The establishment of the BNP is evidence of the backlash by those who feel the new PC oppression.
One of the most startling thing to me was the anti-semmitism over there. Even the members of Parliament are vocal about there Anti-Zionist leanings. Indeed, the Irish are strange bedfellows with the Palestinians.
OMG! I just got an email from David Axelrod and the White House and here is what it says :
Majority-Muslim countries around the world are filled with extraordinary people who simply want to live their lives and see their children live better lives, just as in America. Indeed, part of what makes America great is having nearly seven million Muslim Americans living here today and enriching our culture and communities.
We can extend that kind of relationship abroad. It won't always be easy, but if we make an effort to bridge our differences rather than resigning ourselves to animosity, we can move toward a more peaceful world over time.
Thank you,
David Axelrod
SEVEN MILLION--->WHAT TYPE OF CRACKPOT CENSUS BUREAU IS RAHM RUNNING?!?!?!?!
I remember that, CaptSoapbox, and find it disturbing, too.
I also read that book, Andrew, and can recommend it, too. What really resonated with me was that the author left the USA because he felt oppressed here as a homosexual. And he found that Europe isn't what he thought it was. I feel like buying that book and passing it out to all my liberal and gay friends.
freedom, I've got family in Germany, and it amazes me how they just don't seem to care what is happening to their country. It makes me sad and it scares me.
Freedom21, I know what you mean about the Antisemitism in Europe, without getting too specific I know a couple of girls that were harassed in Europe just for being Jewish by a small gang of Muslim immigrant teens. Fortunately for the girls they knew Krav Maga (IDF combat martial arts)so defused the situation fairly quickly.
But it makes you wonder what happens on a daily basis to women in Europe that don't have those particular skills when harassed by Muslim immigrants for anything from showing a Star of David to simply being in the wrong neighborhood with their head not covered.
As for the Irish thing, it's not so strange. In the '70s the IRA and PIRA had quite a few people go through PLO training camps in North Africa, so there is a bit of "fellow traveler" in some of the older Irish's psyche. Now that's just a smallish segment of the Irish population in my experience, but there is a historical reason that some are like that due to working with them back in the day.
Seven Million American Muslims? Well I guess that's what happens when you let Acorn "advise" on the census, it isn't even done yet but they're already giving us some figures out of the blue on how many Muslims are here. I tend to believe the 1.5 million figure myself.
Also a few less than honest pollsters also count all Arabs in the US as Muslims which is faulty logic too. The fact is that the majority of Arab-Americans are Arab Christians which left places like Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, etc. to escape religious prosecution. We do have quite a few legitimately Muslim Arabs, but the ones that are here on visas outnumber the ones that have citizenship.
I love this. I didn't watch the speech (he's easier to read) but wow. Seriously, what's the point of saying this? Can't you just seem OBL sitting in some cave and saying, "Oh, wait, America is a Muslim nation? I guess I'll just retire in sunny Guam."
And, not to nitpick, bit it's Inigo, not indigo, like the color ;)
JG, thanks for catching the typo. Although we strive for infallability at Commentarama, we do sometimes fall short. . . unlike our dear leader BHO.
Freedom21/Soapbox. I've been shocked to hear the anti-Semitism coming out of the mouths of European politicians. They've said things that would stun an American audience.
As for the 7 million figure, apparently, no one is entirely sure, but Rham is full of Pelosi when he claims seven million. As you saw, Lawhawk found a 1.4 million figure from the CIA. Pew estimates the number at 1.8 million. Only the Muslim lobby claims 6+ million, and that was only to match the number of Jewish-Americans.
JG, I always only read the transcripts, like I said listening to the guy speak drives me insane-er.
I wonder if when Obama met Cheney he went up to him and asked if he had six fingers on his right hand?
Freedom21,
I think we did discuss this at BH. On the BNP, I think you're right. I think that the utter failure of the three main parties in England to defend the British Culture, and indeed their total surrender to the idea that the authorities should allow a repressive subculture to develop in England, has cost them significant amounts of support. If the three main parties don't change their stance fast, one of them is likely to be replaced.
Interestingly, I recall when the recession began that Labor actually tried to step onto BNP turf by demanding that British jobs go to British people -- though I think they really were aiming their comments at the Poles. In any event, if I recall, they gave that up fairly quickly.
Andrew, how the European politicians justify it is by saying that they're not "Anti-Semitic" they're just "Anti-Zionist." Which could be a valid point, there are some Jews that aren't Zionists either. Ironically enough some in Israel even, but that's a whole other story.
Where they fail in this argument is when they go out of their way to start highlighting the "Jewish character" and how it relates to the situation in the Middle East, thus moving them into actual anti-Semitic thoughts and words.
I've known about the anti-Semitism in Europe for quite a while now, it's only now getting larger play in the American media, but for a good long while now the Europeans have been in some weird state where to try to "not repeat the past" they're going out of their way to be "inclusive" to Islam. The rub of course being that Islam has a broad strain of anti-Semitic and anti-Christian teachings running through it which leads to outright attacks by some Muslims on Jews and Christians around them.
The one that even shocked me though was when Iceland, Iceland had a political party, their largest now, blame the Jews for the collapse of Iceland's economy when the whole thing started coming unraveled worldwide. I mean seriously, the Jews? There are less than 20 of them total in Iceland (I kid you not) out of a population of 300,000 and they ruined the economy?
Anyone else starting to get a "Been there, done that" vibe these days?
Funny you mention the Poles. Those cats have all the tricks and there is a lot of hatred and pent up frustration towards inward migrating foreign nationals, especially the Poles.
One trend had been happening for years. Because education is so cheap, a lot of Poles had figured out the system and apply to and get into a bad university or college, pay the tuition and never attend. They would get their work visa though!! Plus, it's pretty hard to kick them out once they’re in.
(I'm not gonna lie, I heard this genius plan started planning on getting my LLM somewhere is Switzerland and just work on ski slope all year long)
Freedom21,
The Poles are known for their capitalist guile. I saw a really great interview on this with a Polish woman in England. She had agreed to work for FREE as a bar tender. Her reasoning: "I work at the bar, I meet people. I become your friend. You introduce me to your boss. Soon I have your job."
LOL!
AP: Ha!!!! Typical. I love it.
My favorite Pole (my grandfather) is constantly engaged in antics, but my favorite has to be his massive pile of beer cans in the backyard..."his beer garden"
CrispyRice, one of the other ironic things I've seen lately (since we're talking about Europe here now) is the way that Geert Wilders has been demonized throughout a lot of the European press for being a "fascist" for speaking out about Islam. Which a lot of people forget to comment on when they're writing those nasty articles about him is that Wilders is also gay, okay they don't forget to comment on it so much as ignore the fact because that would put them in a bad spot.
So how can the European press, and the British government, ignore the fact that not only is nothing that he's said factually wrong, but even if he never opened his mouth about Islam he'd be on their target list for a beating if not worse if they could get away with it just based on his orientation? It's a fairly interesting conundrum really, especially given the fact that many Europeans I've spoken to tend to say things like,"Well the Jews should have realized what was coming..." Isn't Wilders, in fact, doing that with his opposition to Islam since he knows what they'll do to gays?
I haven't seen much along those lines written about, but it's an interesting disconnect to me.
My fiance also has family still in Germany, they do see what's going on and most of them are looking to get out. And these are the hardcore ones that stuck it out in East Germany instead of fleeing when they could (as her immediate family did in the early '60s) so when they say things are getting weird, they're definitely weird.
I love the Poles, especially their dancing!
Oh wait, you may not have meant what I think you meant...
Freedom21,
Beer garden! LOL!
On the Poles, I am a firm believer that the United States should make Poland a big partner of ours. We should definitely look to create things like a free trade zone with them, ease passport restrictions, coordinate military and foreign policy etc.
I see Poland not only as a potentially great counterweight to the stupidity of the EU, and as a great barrier between the EU and Russia, but also as a potential shining example of what capitalism and freedom (as opposed to European soft-socialism and appeasement) can achieve. We need more bright spots in the world and Poland appears to be primed to become such a place.
Andrew, I've been saying that for years. The Poles have a lot of spirit and moving NATO east, not just in terms of membership but actual military presence, just makes good sense. Having Corps HQ in Germany when Poland is avaliable is just silly to me. Plus it would piss off the Russians, and I'm all for that.
The next big test for Obama in Europe from a defense point of view is going to be seeing what happens with Georgia and Ukraine's bids to join NATO. If he finds a way to "nuance" the vote against that, then I predict you'll see them along with the Poles, Hungarians and Romanians (at least) start thinking about setting up a new Warsaw Pact, this time with their guns pointing east instead of west.
Obama has a defense point of view?
I'll be damned....
Well he's very defensive, that's for sure.
As for an actual defense strategy I think his comes down to: "Please don't put me in my locker again, you can have my lunch money!"
Nah, he figured out a way to not get shoved in lockers. He made sure that he brought big losers than him to come and play with him (a ballerina, a dwarf, robert gibbs) and brought his own insurance thug (michelle)
re: poles.....its not a real "pole dance" if there isn't an accordinan....
b. hussein obama education burn! almost nothing makes me happier these days. knock-out!
Pole dances with accordions, now that's some seriously disturbing imagery. Obama's hallway posse, even more disturbing, hilarious, but disturbing. LOL
Hey Patti if you really want to have some fun, we could always start talking about how great Barry's grades in college were, oh wait, yeah I forgot he is so smart they had to seal those to keep everyone else from getting a crippling inferiority complex. Silly me.
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