Muslim woman's appointment as Obama advisor draws cautious optimism

LA Times ^ | April 22, 2009 | Noha El-Hennawy

[americanophile]

Reporting from Cairo -- Egyptians are cautiously rejoicing over the recent appointment of a veiled Egyptian American Muslim woman as an advisor to President Obama. Dalia Mogahed, senior analyst and executive director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, was appointed this month to Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Arabs are closely watching for signs that the new leadership in Washington is making efforts to improve relations with Islam, which many Muslims believe were severely damaged during the eight years of the Bush administration. The selection of Mogahed is viewed by many in the Middle East as a step by Obama to move beyond the stereotypes and prejudices that Muslims believe they have encountered since the attacks Sept. 11, 2001. "Dalia Mogahed is the best example of a successful Muslim woman. She proves that the Muslim should be successful in all fields, at least in [her] area of specialization," a commentator wrote on the website of the independent daily Al Masry al Youm. The Egyptian-born Mogahed moved with her family to the United States almost 30 years ago. Recently, she co-wrote the book "Who Speaks for Islam?" with John Esposito, an American political science professor who has been criticized by some as an Islamic apologist. Mogahed and Esposito published an opinion piece this month in The Times on American ignorance of Islam and the Muslim world. "My work focuses on studying Muslims, the way they think and their views," Mogahed was quoted as saying on the website of the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya satellite news channel. "Then I should tell the president about their problems and needs, especially that lately Muslims have been perceived as a source of problems and as incapable of taking part in solving international problems...

[aliquando]

Your getting a little FReaky here. I do like something left to the imagination. Since it is a woman, would that not piss off the wahabbiast’s (sp).

[briarbey b]

I can’t believe that there are people living in this country who are dumb enough to believe that Barack HUSSEIN Obama is not a muslim.
***
Or the trojan horse that will destroy this country.

[dr_who]

Yes, it would not. Or maybe it would. Hard to tell sometimes.

[BIGLOOK]

Arabs are closely watching for signs that the new leadership in Washington is making efforts to improve relations with Islam, which many Muslims believe were severely damaged during the eight years of the Bush administration.



One wonders why...

[tina07]

Same here with my mother, she’s 77 going on 78 and says that she is scared, and never was before even when she went through air raids during WWII in NYC.

My son-in-law, currently in Iraq, once asked my mother if she ever thought we would lose the war, WWII. She said no. He asked her why to which she said BECAUSE WE WERE AMERICANS!!!!!!!

God help us survive ZerO!!!

[Wolfhound777]

“Arabs are closely watching for signs that the new leadership in Washington is making efforts to improve relations with Islam, which many Muslims believe were severely damaged during the eight years of the Bush administration.”

More propaganda from the religion of peace. Relations were damaged the morning of Sept 11th, 2001.

[KLT]

You hit the nail on the head rb...this is horrifying and just plain pitiful.

[anglian]

“Nor does Islam mean “a strong commitment to God.” That’s the bizarre translation offered by John L. Esposito and Dalia Mogahed in Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think, presumably adopted to avoid submission, which has a too-strong quality for a Western readership.” - “Islam” Does Not Mean “Peace”
by Daniel Pipes

[happygrl]

How about a veiled Catholic nun to advise O on Obortion?

OH MY !!!!!!

THAT would be the Audacity of Hope.

[happygrl]

Here's the bizzare aspect to this: 0bama made it clear, when queried by Rick Warren, that his Faith Based Initiatives would require open hiring, i.e. an organization would not be limited to hiring those who met a ideological or theological test, meaning that homosexuals could not be denied employment on that basis.

Now what will Muslim groups do if a homosexual wishes to be employed by one of their organizations delivering services.

Or a Christian, Jew or Hindu ?

[happygrl]

Dalia Mogahed, senior analyst and executive director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies,

Does this mean that Muslims are in large numbers in Gallup, New Mexico ?

Are they converting Native Americans in the Indian Capitol of America, as they call it ?

[patriot08]

.

Least we forget:
http://attacked911.tripod.com/

This awesome video was made by a New Yorker who lived through 9/11. It should be required viewing by all Americans. It has been viewed by millions. It is considered the ultimate 9/11 video and is now in the Smithsonian.

These are the people that Obama comes from and the people that he is apologizing to.

.

[tet68]

Arabs are closely watching for signs that the new leadership in Washington is making efforts to improve relations with Islam, which many Muslims believe were severely damaged during the eight years of the Bush administration.

Actually no, those relations were damaged in the space of
an hour on September 11th, 2001.

[Marysecretary]

And so it begins...

[fortunecookie]

Death by a thousand cuts.

Yes, exactly. I'm not sure how far into the thousand cuts we are, but we are far enough that some are starting to notice the cuts.

[fortunecookie]

Would a devout Christian woman or a nun in full habit be as warmly accepted, without criticism and with full respect for their own modesty?

[americanophile]

Oh sure...not a problem. /sarc

[layla786]

aaah...good question....??? how come no answers to this one???