Posted on 09/12/2008 8:22:20 AM PDT by forkinsocket
Most Alaskans may seem excited about Gov. Sarah Palin’s selection as John McCain’s running mate. But there’s at least one group of her constituents that has had a more subdued reaction: the state’s Muslims. There are only about 2,000 to 3,000 Muslims in Alaska, and, while there are no mosques, Anchorage (which is home to most of the state's Muslims) does have an Islamic Community Center, located in a rented office in a strip mall, where members pray on Fridays. But Osama Obeida, the center’s vice president, said his group has never had any contacts at all with Alaska’s governor. No meetings, no invitations to state ceremonies, no pro forma letters commemorating the observance of Islamic holy days. “She has never taken the initiative,” Obeidi told NEWSWEEK.
Obeidi is a 49-year-old Palestinian American who runs an art gallery (featuring prints of bears and wolves) with his 82-year-old father Mousa Obeida, a refugee who left Ramallah in the 1950s and counts himself as Alaska’s first Muslim. Osama Obeidi acknowledged that the Anchorage Muslim community has never reached out to the governor either—nor did it have any dealings with previous Alaska governors. “We don’t like to get involved in politics,” he explains. Still, the lack of contact has left Alaskan Muslim leaders underwhelmed about Palin’s presence on the national ticket. “Maybe she doesn’t know we have a community of Muslims here,” said Lamin Jobarteh, a Wells Fargo banker (originally from Gambia) who is president of the Islamic center.
Its not as though Alaska’s Muslims don’t have issues they’re concerned about. Osama Obeidi said he and his father have been repeatedly hassled at Ted Stevens Airport when they fly to see their extended family in the Palestinian West Bank.
(Excerpt) Read more at blog.newsweek.com ...
I did a quick scan of the article and read "Osama Obama" before I realized my error. My bad.
Alaska Akbar!!!
Wow! She never met with the few muslims who live in Alaska.
What a horrible person.
/most extreme sarcasm
I’m counting her not meeting with them as a good thing
This is very troubling. No one has ever won the presidency without nailing down the Alaskan Muslim vote.
But she did send them a lovely honey-baked ham for Ramadan.
““She has never taken the initiative,” Obeidi told NEWSWEEK.”
Obviously, neither did you, Osama!
Militant
Nice endorsement!
“But Osama Obeida, the center’s vice president
I did a quick scan of the article and read “Osama Obama””
I read Osama O’biden.
In the article one of them states: “We don’t like to get involved in politics,”
So what’s the issue????
Isikoff didn’t think a sitting Clinton and Monica was newsworthy, but this is. Words fail.
By the way, these reporters aren’t going to stay in Alaska for two months, are they?
I wonder if any relatives Zer0bama are hanging out in da hood in Alaska....
Hey Isikoff just shut up
and
move to some terrorist(muslim) country or
some dhimmi countries like UK, India, France (any old Europe country)
>>>“Maybe she doesn’t know we have a community of Muslims here,”
I bet my governor doesn’t know my family has a community in my state too.
I'm sorry, is this Newsweak article supposed to hurt or help Palin?
Sigh ... Democrats ... victims all.
I read Osama Obiden .....
Islamic Community Center, located in a rented office in a strip mall, where members pray on Fridays. But Osama Obeida, the Anchorage Islamic Community Center’s vice president, said his group has never had any contacts at all with Alaska’s governor, Sarah Palin.
That settles it! She’s got my vote. Hell, I’ll even vote for the old, battle-scarred, former POW that picked her.
Meanwhile Obama held his first fundraiser in Bill Ayers' home, bought his house in a shady deal from Tony Rezko, and God knows what other dirt is lurking in Chicago.
But no, we need to know about the handful of Muslims in Alaska.
How absolutely pathetic.
Beat me to it, I read the same thing...
Why would Gov Palin try to suck up to people who hate her anyway?
They bring nothing to the table except misery and strife....they will never give her any respect and she knows it. So why bother trying to even acknowlege them...the muslims would whine and complain that she dissed them in some manner no matter what she did....
Right on Gov Palin...
Not according to that Diddy rap genius.
According to him there ain't even any crack heads, or crime in Alaska.
In my book it’s definitley helping her.
Finally a poitician with enough gonads to not suck up to the murdering swine
Nor should she. Her job is to run the state, not promote Islam. There is separation of church and state in this country. Who is this Asama to think he deserves a special invitation to state ceremonies? He's not an elected official or anyone special.
She never met with me, either! I don’t live in Alaska, but I would feel better if she met with me.
So blame Ted Stevens, guys. On another note, these people sure must be rich. I never fly anywhere, much less to the West Bank; what's a ticket from Anchorage to ... Tel Aviv, I assume ... cost, anyway?
I think the issue is "News weak" is trying to make one where none exists.
I really think this could be a winning strategy for the Obama camp. I believe they should run ads in every fly-over state in the country, lamenting the fact that Palin has a less than stellar relationship with the muslims in Alaska...yep...that oughtta do it....
Im liking her more everyday!
As a right wing jew, this is just more icing on the cake!
These are the same reporters who bellow endlessly about Wasilla being a small town, hanging out at a community center in a strip mall.
This article is preposterous. I suspect there are less than 2000 muslims in Alaska.
There is no issue. Just another attempt by the media to sell a non-story
Isikoff has so much respect for this guy, he spells his name differently nearly every time he writes it. You’d think a guy named Isikoff would be sensitive to misspelled surnames.
I think this is a very compelling reason for Germans to elect Obama.
I think this is a very compelling reason for Germans to elect Obama.
How is she supposed to get in touch with them in the first place? Ethnic profiling?
Hey, every time I fly, I have to take off my shoes, take out my computer, take off my belt...jeez...
Well hell, Alaska has muzzies with concerns about Palin?
There goes any chance we had of winning.
I wonder how many days of looking it took for Isikoff to even FIND these guys.
I can picture him on the street corners and in the bars of Anchorage, buttonholing everyone he meets:
“Say, you don’t know by chance where I can find any MUSLIMS around here, do you?”
I hadn't thought of this, but many will be assigned to Alaska for the duration I am sure, and will have to go there regularly after McCain/Palin are elected. As much as many reporters complained about going to cover the Bush ranch I am sure they are thrilled about Alaska- Ha Ha, might be part of the reason for media attacks on Palin.
And this is interesting, why?
Meanwhile Obama held his first fundraiser in Bill Ayers' home, bought his house in a shady deal from Tony Rezko, and God knows what other dirt is lurking in Chicago.
But no, we need to know about the handful of Muslims in Alaska.
How absolutely pathetic.
Isn't it? A desperate leftist "Journalist" trying to dig dirt or fabricate it against a woman who's moral character is like a refreshing breeze in a room Micheal Moore farted in. Yet, we have a fraud running for POTUS on the democrat ticket, who has clear long term ties with Marxist terrorists, leaders of anti America/capitalist groups, SDC and the weathermen, who Obama sat on a committee with as chairmen and obtained government funds for to continue their sabotaging of American societal values, and this "journalist" sits on his pencil.
He's part of the group I guess, what other conclusion can anyone come to?
He didn’t trash her and did say they didn’t reach out to her either. Also that no other governor had dealings with them. The biggest thing I thought was doesn’t this contradict the liberals claim that she will enforce her religion and beiefs on EVERYONE.
Ar-Rashid Mosque, 1315 LaTouche#A, Anchorage, Ak 99501. Tel: 907-258-XXXX
What kind of Muslim don't even know that there is a mosque in their own small town?
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