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 ...
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?
You'd think a guy named Isikoff would be a card carrying member of Ayers weathermen Communists.
Isikoff’s lack of clarity on this shows his total insensitivity to this oppressed group.
Leave it to Isikoff to find unhappy Muslims in Alaska. Yes, Michael, we as a nation should be more sensitive to the Alaskan Muslims. It’s one of those issues Obama is talking about.
There are bigger HS’s in most states than there are Muslims in Alaska, why should she be ‘courting’ you?
Sounds like someone I want to vote for.
I concur. I had a pt. who had an Iranian son-in-law and he said the same thing.
Isikoff has been in Alaska for the past two weeks digging for dirt, and this is the best he can come up with?
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