Obama is a Muslim

This is actually what he said. “One thing I do believe is that Barack Hussein—I’m sorry, but that IS his name—is a Muslim. You know what they are trying to do? They want to keep having babies so they can be the majority and take over. Have you been to London? They are everywhere. And the Koran says to kill the infidels. The infidels are anyone who is not Muslim. Did you know that?”

This post isn’t about the fact that this man I was talking to used Obama’s middle name. It isn’t about the fact that he used “they” as if EVERYONE who identifies as Muslim wants to kill EVERY non-Muslim. It isn’t about the fact that this man probably has never read the Koran. And it isn’t about the fact that this comment came from a self identified liberal Democrat. This post is about my reaction to his comments.

I work for a civil rights organization. My job is to coordinate and facilitate programs that educate people about bias and prejudice in hopes that we can all get along. I point out the benefits of getting to know a person before passing judgment based on stereotypes. More specifically, I teach people how to challenge others when they say “they” as if everyone in a certain group is the same.

So what did I do in this case? Nothing. I was speechless; not because I didn’t know what to say, but because I didn’t know how to say it. This man is wealthy, generous to people I care about, and someone I respect. How do you tell someone that they sound prejudiced?

This made me start thinking about people with money. Although I’m a fan of Oprah, I wasn’t into watching her behind-the-scenes show on the OWN Network. Seeing her “off camera” drove me nuts. From my perspective, she is surrounded by people who don’t have the guts to say “no” to her, which is kind of sad. I used to get so mad wishing that someone, just once, would be like, “Eeeww, Oprah. You’re being unreasonable! Stop.”, but it never happened.

My inaction also gave me a better understanding of our political system. If you are a political candidate who is receiving large amounts of campaign contributions from a certain company, are you going to stand up to that company when they say or do something that goes against everything you know to be right? Probably not.

My gut was screaming for me to say something, but all I could get out was, “There are things that the Bible says that aren’t great, too.” My gut was like, “Really?!? That’s all you’ve got? Can’t you say something like, ‘It’s interesting to me that someone who claims to be anti-steroetyping uses stereotypes to justify his prejudices.”  I didn’t say that, though, because it would be rude and it has been bugging me all weekend; not because I didn’t listen to my gut or even because I believe his words are so dangerous. This has been bugging me because I realize that my silence in this situation supports the power structure in our society that lets people with a lot of money have free reign to do as they please. And let me take this moment to say that I do not believe that having a lot of money inevitably makes someone bad. I really do believe that this man has the best of intentions. But I do believe that having a lot of money makes it more difficult for those around you to be honest and say, “Eeww. You’re being unreasonable. Stop.”

So, in an effort to move forward and learn from this experience, here is what I will say next time something like this comes up. “With all due respect, it makes me uncomfortable when you use the word ‘they’. I’m sure you understand the dangers of stereotyping. Many might say that the way you are talking about Muslims is similar to how Germans spoke about Jews before World War II. I know many Muslims who I believe would stand up for my right to freedom of religion. Yes, I’m sure there are extremists who may believe what you have quoted from the Koran, but to lump all Muslims into this category is dangerous.” And if I am really feeling courageous, I might add, “Obama is not a Muslim. But if he was, why would that be a problem?”