I know that Donald Trump’s speculation that even if President Obama has a birth certificate he might not want people to see it because it lists his religion as Muslim is nothing more than a desperate attempt to find a foothold from which he can jump into the campaign for the 2012 Republican Presidential nomination, but I just can’t let it stand without comment.
I can easily imagine a hospital staff member asking the religion of the baby’s father and writing it into some blank on the birth certificate. There is only one problem with this scenario. Hawaiian birth certificates of that era do not have a blank for religion! Nor should they. Ask any newborn his religion and his answer will not be “Muslim” or “Christian” but something more along the lines of “Wah!” or “<gurgle>.”
Nonetheless, Trump may be right. Obama may well have been born a Muslim. Muslims believe that EVERYONE is born into the “fitra” or natural religion, and then become Christians, Jews, or whatever, as their parents raise them in a particular religious tradition. Just as Obama’s mother raised him as a Christian. Oops. Looks like Mr. Trump is wrong after all.
I guess there’s only one thing left to say to the would-be Presidential nominee after a blunder like this: “You’re fired.”
Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad, Ph.D.
Minaret of Freedom Institute
www.minaret.org
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