Obama debunks claim about Islamic school

AP on Yahoo ^ | 1/24/07 | Nedra Pickler - ap

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON - Sen. Barack Obama (news, bio, voting record) fought back Wednesday against an allegation that he was educated at a radical Islamic school as a child in Indonesia, determined to avoid being tripped up by unsubstantiated charges like those that undermined John Kerry in 2004.

Interviews by The Associated Press at the elementary school in Jakarta found that it's a public and secular institution that has been open to students of all faiths since before the White House hopeful attended in the late 1960s.

Obama, who was born in Hawaii, moved to Indonesia at age 6 to live with his mother and stepfather, attending schools in the country until age 10, when he returned to Hawaii to live with his maternal grandparents.

"The allegations are completely baseless," said Akmad Solichin, the vice principal at SDN Menteng 1, who added, "Yes, most of our students are Muslim, but there are Christians as well. Everyone's welcome here ... it's a public school."

A spokesman for Indonesia's Ministry of Religious Affairs said claims that Obama studied at an Islamic school are groundless.

"SDN Menteng 1 is a public primary school that is open to people of all faiths," said the spokesman, Sutopo, who goes by only one name. "Moreover, he studied earlier at Fransiskus Assisi, which is clearly a Catholic school."

The contention that Obama was educated at a radical Muslim madrassa surfaced on the Web site of the conservative Insight magazine the day after Obama announced he was jumping into the 2008 presidential race. Conservative Internet blogs and the Fox News Channel picked up the story and spread the charges just as his candidacy was getting off the ground.

Obama on Wednesday called the reports "scurrilous," and his communications director e-mailed reporters a lengthy memo attempting to set the record straight.

"I think they recognize that the notion that me going to school in Indonesia for two years at a public school there at the age of 7 and 8 is probably not going to be endangering in some way the people of America," Obama said on NBC's "Today" show.

The push-back was a signal Obama would fight to protect his reputation in the presidential campaign.

Many Democrats argued that Kerry's failure to challenge aggressively his critics in the 2004 presidential race cost him in his effort to unseat President Bush. A group with conservative ties, the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, charged that Kerry did not deserve the medals he won in the Vietnam War — despite his combat record of bravery and valor. Kerry announced Wednesday that he will not run again in 2008.

"We will not be swift-boated," said Obama communications director Robert Gibbs. "And we won't take allegations that are patently untrue lying down."

Obama's mother, divorced from Obama's father, married a man from Indonesia named Lolo Soetoro, and the family relocated to the country from 1967-71. At first, Obama attended the Catholic school, Fransiskus Assisis, where documents showed he enrolled as a Muslim, the religion of his stepfather.

The document required that each student choose one of five state-sanctioned religions when registering — Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Catholic or Protestant. Gibbs said he wasn't sure why the document had Obama listed as a Muslim.

"Senator Obama has never been a Muslim," Gibbs said. "As a six-year-old in Catholic school, he studied the catechism."

The Illinois senator is a member of the United Church of Christ.

Iis Darmawan, 63, Obama's kindergarten teacher, remembers him as an exceptionally tall and curly haired child who quickly picked up the local language and had sharp math skills. "He wrote an essay titled, 'I Want To Become President,'" the teacher said.

Obama later transferred to SDN Menteng 1 — the elite, secular elementary school at the center of the controversy. The school is public but is very competitive and has exceptionally high standards. It is located in one of the most affluent parts of Jakarta and attracts mostly middle- to upper-class students, among them several of former dictator Suharto's grandchildren.

Indonesia is home to several of the most radical Islamic schools in Southeast Asia, some with alleged terrorist links. But Solichin, who proudly pointed to a photo of a young Barry Obama, as he was known, said his school is not one of them.

Those tied to the school say they are proud to have had a student like Obama, and hope that, if he is elected president, his ties to Indonesia will broaden his world perspective and his views on religion.

Sri Murtiningsih, who retired from Menteng 1 recently after 39 years of teaching, said she has vivid memories of the left-handed boy who followed a standard curriculum of math, writing, and language, together with twice-weekly religious affairs classes and sports.

Murtiningsih said neighbors ran to her house after seeing a television report about his intention to run for president.

"They were yelling, 'Your old student is going to take Bush's job!'" she said. "Tears filled my eyes."

___

McDowell and Associated Press reporters Ali Kotarumalos and Zakki Hakim contributed to this report from Jakarta, Indonesia.

[freeangel]

saving

[Fresh Wind]

Typical AP-they don't get past the first sentence before trotting out the first lie.

Also note the time (age 6 through 10) that Osama Obama went to that school in Indonesia is the time that he claimed as "education overseas" when he was asked about his experience in international affairs. This, and a few college courses, represent his entire experience in that arena.

[GraceCoolidge]

The first sentence sets the tone for the whole article, doesn't it?

I wonder, too, if the AP will spend as much time debunking any false statements or misrepresentations concerning Mitt Romney's faith. Somehow I doubt it.

[Hardastarboard]

They were EYE WITNESSES....one even served on Kerry's boat.

Didn't they even catch him in some lies that didn't require eye witnesses, like Nixon sending him into Cambodia when Nixon hadn't even been sworn in yet?

[montag813]

"Senator Obama has never been a Muslim," Gibbs said. "As a six-year-old in Catholic school, he studied the catechism." The Illinois senator is a member of the United Church of Christ.

Bald-faced lies. Obama was a Muslim for 25 years of his life. His "conversion" of convenience to the ultra-liberal "church" occurred a mere 14 months before his first political run.

The article should be titled "Associated Press Fights Back for Obama"

[rod1]

If Suharto's relatives went there you can be sure it was not an "open" public school as we define them. So did the curriuculum include mandatory quoran classes?? I thought I read a teacher's quote saying that B. Hussain Obama was known making faces in his quoran classes.

[tkathy]

Could this be a "Christmas in Cambodia" type lie from Obama???

[tkathy]

An atheist white woman doesn't marry a muslim and then bring up her child as a Christian. What phony BS.

[airborne]

At first, Obama attended the Catholic school, Fransiskus Assisis, where documents showed he enrolled as a Muslim, the religion of his stepfather.

"Senator Obama has never been a Muslim," Gibbs said.

Now which one is it?

[MadIvan]

Obama is not stupid; he will be able to turn any such investigation into a positive - he'll say that this "witch hunt" into his days as a young child are part of the politics of personal destruction which he intends to undo.

Unless you have pictures of him, arse up, kneeling to Mecca that are less than 10 years old, and his advocacy of radical Islamic preachers within that timescale, this issue will not work. It is much harder for him to deflect the questions regarding his experience as this is just not a hook he can wriggle off of. Furthermore, it's nearly impossible to call one bigoted if they're merely asking for experience.

Regards, Ivan

[Katydidnt]

A bit confused- article states he went to school there age 6-10. At 6 he was in Catholic school as a Muslim. He states he went to the 'public' school age 7&8. Where did he go at age 9 10?

[Reform4Bush]

Doesn't Obama himself claim he attended a (mostly?) muslim school?

He sure didn't classify this place as a public and secular institute.

[Fresh Wind]

Now which one is it?

When I was born, I was signed up as a Christian. I had no choice in the matter. By the age of 6, I still had no choice, and very little more understanding of what being a Christian meant. The same thing apparently happened to Obama.

So, for whatever reason, Obama "converted" to Christianity later in his life. If that move was sincere, that's great, I'm happy for him. If it was only to further his political career, that's a problem.

What concerns me far more is what the Muslim world would think of the "apostate" Obama, and how that would affect his attempts to deal with that world as president. Would he be marked for death for this reason alone? Would he be more likely than a Christian-from-birth to be targeted for assasination? Would an implied or actual threat of death make him more likely to cave in to terrorist demands?

[mewzilla]

Interviews by The Associated Press at the elementary school in Jakarta found that it's a public and secular institution that has been open to students of all faiths since before the White House hopeful attended in the late 1960s.

Reads like a non-denial denial to me.

[aruanan]

The contention that Obama was educated at a radical Muslim madrassa surfaced on the Web site of the conservative Insight magazine the day after Obama announced he was jumping into the 2008 presidential race.

The contention surfaced through the Hillary! campaign and was reported on by Insight magazine.

[river rat]

That was just one of many -- DOCUMENTED in their book.

Semper Fi

[airborne]

I understand that a 6 year old is not making the choice as to their religion.

My point is that he was registered as a Muslim, and his spokesman knows this. It's a matter of public record.

So why say "he was never a Muslim"?

[Col Sanders]

Folks take my word for it - Anyone or any party who tries to make an issue out of whether or not Obama is or ever was a Muslim will ruin their own chances at the presidency and in the process, will shore up his candidacy.

The swing vote in the middle couldn't care less about his religion, then or now. In addition, anyone who tries to use it against him will find themselves hoist on their own petard as the middle is exceedingly "tolerant". I don't care whose party or campaign first broaches the subject, and I don't care if they're probably right - It won't make any difference in the end.

Mark my words on this - Forget his religion and attack his ideas intelligently or suffer the consequences.

Regards,

Col Sanders

[bruinbirdman]

"The media will only be able to carry him so far."

Has anyone read the autobiography which he now claims is fiction? I understand he has made statements about the untruths in the faux autobiography. What are the lies he admits to?

yitbos

[Dajjal]

Bumping this Jan. 2007 thread related to Aug. 2008 breaking news. (See http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2061988/posts)

Obama's mother, divorced from Obama's father, married a man from Indonesia named Lolo Soetoro, and the family relocated to the country from 1967-71. At first, Obama attended the Catholic school, Fransiskus Assisis, where documents showed he enrolled as a Muslim, the religion of his stepfather.
The document required that each student choose one of five state-sanctioned religions when registering — Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Catholic or Protestant. Gibbs said he wasn't sure why the document had Obama listed as a Muslim.

Photograph of the Fransiskus Assisis school registration document, taken in Jan. 2007 by AP reporter and photographer Tatan Syuflana, but not used in the article at that time.