[size=14pt]Mus'lims barred from picture at Obama event[/size]

Two Muslim women at Barack Obama’s rally in Detroit on Monday were barred from sitting behind the podium by campaign volunteers seeking to prevent the women’s headscarves from appearing in photographs or on television with the candidate.

The campaign has apologized to the women, both Obama supporters who said they felt betrayed by their treatment at the rally.

“This is of course not the policy of the campaign. It is offensive and counter to Obama’s commitment to bring Americans together and simply not the kind of campaign we run,” said Obama spokesman Bill Burton.[b] “We sincerely apologize for the behavior of these volunteers.” [/b]

Building a human backdrop to a political candidate, a set of faces to appear on television and in photographs, is always a delicate exercise in demographics and political correctness. Advance staffers typically pick supporters out of a crowd to reflect the candidate’s message.

When Obama won the North Carolina primary amid questions about his ability to connect with white voters, for instance, he stood in front of a group of middle-aged white women waving small American flags.

On the Republican side, a Hispanic New Hampshire Democrat, Roberto Fuentes, told Politico that he was recently asked, and declined, to contribute to the “diversity” of the crowd behind Sen. John McCain at a Nashua event.


But for Obama, the old-fashioned image-making contrasts with his promise to transcend identity politics and to embrace all elements of America. The incidents in Michigan, which has one of the largest Arab and Muslim populations in the country, also highlight an aspect of his campaign that sometimes rubs Muslims the wrong way: The candidate has vigorously denied a false, viral rumor that he himself is Muslim. But the denials at times seem to imply to some that there is something wrong with the faith, though Obama occasionally adds that he means no disrespect to Islam.

“I[b] was coming to support him, and I felt like I was discriminated against by the very person who was supposed to be bringing this change, who I could really relate to,” said Hebba Aref, a 25-year-old lawyer who lives in the Detroit suburb of Bloomfield Hills. “The message that I thought was delivered to us was that they do not want him associated with Muslims or Muslim supporters.”
[/b]
In Detroit on Monday, the two different Obama volunteers — in separate incidents — made it clear that headscarves wouldn’t be in the picture. The volunteers gave different explanations for excluding the hijabs, one bluntly political and the other less clear.

In Aref’s case, there was no ambiguity.

That incident began when the volunteer asked Aref’s friend Ali Koussan and two others, Aref’s brother Sharif and another young lawyer, Brandon Edward Miller, whether they would like to sit behind the stage. The three young men said they would but mentioned they were with friends.

The men said the volunteer, a 20-something African-American woman in a green shirt, asked if their friends looked and were dressed like the young men, who were all light-skinned and wearing suits.

Miller said yes but mentioned that one of their friends was wearing a headscarf with her suit.

The volunteer “explained to me that because of the political climate and what’s going on in the world and what’s going on with Muslim Americans, it’s not good for [Aref] to be seen on TV or associated with Obama,” said Koussan, a law student at Wayne State University.

Both Koussan and Miller said they specifically recalled the volunteer citing the “political climate” in telling them they couldn’t sit behind Obama.

“I was like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me. Are you serious?’” Koussan recalled.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/11168.html

you cant blame the volunteers. This is silly season where political candidates are judged not by their message but by those they associate themselves with.

Obama is responsible for the success and failure of his own race. As David said, he's not only judged by his words and actions, but also by those he associates with, his representatives, etc. With that said, Obama should ensure that his volunteers do not misrepresent him. Of course it's difficult for him to oversee every single shred of event that goes down in his name, but he must inform those he has put in charge to run things appropriately.

If those women in headscarves had made it to the picture with him it would be all over the internet within a couple of hrs. So many are looking for the slightest excuse not to vote Obama . . . this would be the perfect reason.

Guilt by association is as old as human civilisation so one shouldn't use that as an excuse for a cock-up.Obama isn't the only politician judged by association.

4 Play:

Guilt by association is as old as human civilisation so one shouldn't use that as an excuse for a cock-up.Obama isn't the only politician judged by association.

For a man who is still fighting false allegations of him being a muuslim. You can understand the volunteer's reluctance to have those women in the picture with him.

davidylan:

For a man who is still fighting false allegations of him being a muuslim. You can understand the volunteer's reluctance to have those women in the picture with him.

I guess aides for someone like C.Rice will be "justified" in removing all lesbians from her group pictures because of rumors that she is a lesbian.

C Rice isnt campaigning for president is she?

davidylan:

C Rice isnt campaigning for president is she?

If she had any political ambitions,she must hide any lesbians in her group pictures.McCain should also hide any senile or frail oldies from his group pictures for good measure to counter any rumors about his age or health .

This is a silly rookie mistake by Obama's camp. I hope it wouldn't take 4 months for him to come out and resolve this terrible mistake.

If those women in headscarves had made it to the picture with him it would be all over the internet within a couple of hrs. So many are looking for the slightest excuse not to vote Obama . . . this would be the perfect reason.

So true.

This situation should have been handled differently. How did these women get to the front stage?
Knowing how badly they want to pin Obama down to something, I think the front stage crowd should be constantly selected. I wouldn't be surprised if these ladies were intentionally placed in that spot by McCain team.

Is there any truth left in the world anymore? Are there any more torch bearers for truth? Does Obama campaign think criticisms will dissapear with the exclusion of those people? So if the republicans start attacking him about pandering to blacks then what will he do, start excluding blacks from photo ops?

If he doesn't have independence in his choice of how things will be run in the campaign and stand consistently with his campaign message, then how much more should we expect that he will be the decision maker when he becomes President. Yeah, he may do the speeches, but will he have freedom to decide policies, or will it be done by surrogates?

This is a silly rookie mistake by Obama's camp. I hope it wouldn't take 4 months for him to come out and resolve this terrible mistake.

Is it really a mistake? Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. politics in America is very difficult. Imagine Obama between the devil and the deep sea here? In the same vein, some people are pressurizing him to pick Hilary as his running mate and the media is already saying that if he does that, it means he cannot defend America because if he's not man enough to stand one woman, how will he stand terrorists and while these allegations are going on, the Hilary camp is threatening to decamp to McCain if he picks another. What do you do in a situation like this?

There is nothing that irritates me more about Obamaniacs than their persecution complex.They seem to cringe at the very thought that anyone will dare impugn Obama's name.

The reality is that mud slinging,albeit inappropriate, is a normal part of the political process.We have seen McCain accused by the NYT of having an extra-marital relationship,his emotional stability was questioned and his wife's past dredged up.It was once claimed that he fathered a child for a black woman.

John Kerry had to deal with Swift boats.

If he becomes President,worse will come. Clinton was said to have faked the suicide of some fellow with details about his financial impropriety.As for Bush,where can one even start with the mudslinging he receives.

There is nothing that irritates me more about Obamaniacs than their persecution complex.They seem to cringe at the very thought that anyone will dare impugn Obama's name.

The reality is that mud slinging,albeit inappropriate, is a normal part of the political process.We have seen McCain accused by the NYT of having an extra-marital relationship,his emotional stability was questioned and his wife's past dredged up.It was once claimed that he fathered a child for a black woman.

John Kerry had to deal with Swift boats.

If he becomes President,worse will come. Clinton was said to have faked the suicide of some fellow with details about his financial impropriety.As for Bush,where can one even start with the mudslinging he receives.

If there should be mudslinging, let it be equally played besides, a thing like religion should be the highest weapon an opponent can use to subdue his/her rival in the free world.

Obama is responsible for the success and failure of his own race.

and what is Obama's race.

Surely he is not African and He is not Black.

why do those girls have to dress like that? and why were they bent on standing behind him

This was a rally in detroit not dubai.

Obama is running for President of United States not Arab league or Africa. If the situation repeats itself 10 times I hope those girls are denied access to those seats.

McKren:

why do those girls have to dress like that? and why were they bent on standing behind him

This was a rally in Detroit not Dubai.
ABM is running for President of United States not Arab league or Africa. If the situation repeats itself 10 times I hope those girls are denied access to those seats.

But you've forgotten that they are not from Dubai but Detroit. They are Americans and, they have all the right to be close to their president to be (politically).

@topic.
Talking from religious point of view. I think the girls/ladies shouldn't be at the rally/campaign at all. If they are to be there they, are not permitted to go to the extent of photo shooting or sitting in front seats.

landis:



and what is Obama's race.

Surely he is not African and He is not Black.

Oh Really?
He is a Hispanic then?

This is a silly rookie mistake by Obama's camp. I hope it wouldn't take 4 months for him to come out and resolve this terrible mistake.

This is absolutely the best thing to do. . . No mistake at all.
Just a mere statement made by his wife about being proud for the first time in her adult life was misconstrued and taken out of context recently.
And not forgetting what these same fellaz termed as terrorist fist jab the day he clinched the nomination.

But you don't know lesbians by looks this days,they are all slick pretty girls,gone are the days they use to look like tom boys.

However,america is built on corruption and injustice,it's not going to stop with Obama,it is the more negative one,in the real sense of negative,that is going to win as usual.Obama is just playing the game,whether his is black or white doesn't change the american spirit.

The Sly:

Oh Really?
He is a Hispanic then?

Mulato. A mulato thats more close to his white parenthood.

This is to prepare your minds when/if he becomes President, the BLACKS or AFRICANS don't become disappointed.

why do those girls have to dress like that? and why were they bent on standing behind him?

So much for US democracy. You don't even have freedom to DRESS as you like.
terrible.

landis:



and what is Obama's race.

Surely he is not African and He is not Black.

When the poster said "Obama is responsible for the success and failure of his own race" I think he/she meant race as in presidential race and not race as in colour.

why do those girls have to dress like that? and why were they bent on standing behind him?Huh??

haba, why can't they dress as they wish? Don't we have freedom of choice in this country anymore? Have you considered the fact that it's the society and political climate that have problem with them and not them that have problem with the system.

Mulato. A mulato thats more close to his white parenthood.

This is to prepare your minds when/if he becomes President, the BLACKS or AFRICANS don't become disappointed.

Obama is a damn negro whichever way you wanna look at it. What do negores want from him afterall? Whatever they'll get, hispanics, arabs, asians etc will also get. The US presidency is more of an honorary seat than authoritative anyway.

it wasn't even obama fault. Its the people that run the campaign.

Obama camp already apologize. Get over it.

abdurrazaq:

But you've forgotten that they are not from Dubai but Detroit. They are Americans and, they have all the right to be close to their president to be (politically).

Detroit has quite a lot of Muslims and Arabs, just for the record.

Metro Detroit's ethnic communities are diverse and include descendants of the French founders, as well as Irish, Germans, Scots, Poles, Italians, Greeks, Albanians, Armenians, Jews, Arabs, and Lebanese who settled during the city's early twentieth century industrial boom. Metro Detroit has the largest concentration of Belgians outside of Belgium; Cadieux Street on the city's east side north of Grosse Pointe constituted the heart of one of the few distinctly Belgian neighborhoods in the US. during the early- and mid-twentieth century. In Detroit and the metro area, there is a large Chaldean population and a large concentration of Arab Americans in Dearborn


_wiki.

Detroit – Arab Capital of North America


Imagine! When I first came to Detroit, I thought that I was still in the Arab world.” Muhammad, once a Lebanese, but now an American, remarked when I asked him if he felt a longing for his homeland. He went on, “In fact, this city is much better than southern Lebanon where we were continually dodging bombs and waiting for the next Israeli incursion. Here, I live in an almost Arab city. There are more Arab things to do in this town than in my country.”

Smiling, he pointed to the Arab retail establishments along Warren Avenue in Dearborn, the heart of Arab Detroit. “See! These are some of Detroit ’s Arab bookstores, grocery outlets, restaurants and sweet shops. We have Arabic language schools and Arabic entertainment, from nightclubs to radio and television programs, and even our political parties have branches in this city – and all this without fear of the daily Israeli attacks.”

Everywhere I looked, shops proclaimed their products and names in both Arabic and English. Women in head scarves mingled with others dressed in the most modern style. Pedestrians passed by speaking loudly in Arabic as they greeted each other in a hospitable and friendly fashion. It was a scene that could easily be replicated in Beirut or Sidon.

These shops and other establishments, emphasized by Muhammad’s words, truly describe the Arabs and their lives in this automobile capital of the US. Coming from almost every corner of the Arab world, the Arab immigrants in Detroit have transformed areas throughout the city into replicas of the Arab countries from where they came.

From the time of my youth, growing up on the prairies in western Canada, I often listened to my elders discussing the Arab community in Detroit. A number had traveled there to work after emigrating to the US., then left for the Midwest to look for greener pastures. In the Dakotas and Montana, they had heard that the Canadian government was giving 160 acres free to anyone willing to work the land. They therefore traveled north to southern Saskatchewan where they became farmers.

Today, my first Arab vision of Detroit has become greatly enhanced. The Arab population of the city, according to Warren David, a third-generation Arab American who is a board member of the Arab American Arts Council, is some 200,000, consisting of four large groups: Syrian and Lebanese – 100,000; Iraqi-Chaldean – 60,000; Palestinian and Jordanian – 25,000; Yemeni – 10,000; and 5,000 from other Arab countries. However, a good number of Arab Detroiters dispute these figures, saying that the total number of Arabs in the Detroit area is more than 300,000.   

http://www.aljadid.com/features/Detroit-ArabCapitalofNorthAmerica.html

@davidylan

So many are looking for the slightest excuse not to vote Obama . .

are people no longer free to pick who they want to vote for? Why should anyone need an "excuse" not to vote for Obama? Surely its not by force?

Like the politics we do in Africa/Nigeria? Which has been so impressive?

Why these muslim guys want phock up show? Of course the far right will use that picture for political capital. They should understand the situation and just chill abeg.

Why these muslim guys want phock up show? Of course the far right will use that picture for political capital. They should understand the situation and just chill abeg.

You are suggesting they put their faith in the cupboard because you want to win an election?

how will you feel watching Barack giving a speech on CNN and you look behind and see Muslims with their head covered on the screen.

How about if you look behind and see 2 black guys with sagging jeans and big T-shirts.

or

2 white guys wearing abercrombie and fitch T-Shirt.

The point is inorder to sit behind Obama, You have to be dress CONSERVATIVE. You are gonna be broadcast all over the news channel.

It is not because of their religion, is because of their fashion sense.

Either they like it or not,Obama is the right man for the Oval Office.MuBarack means Blessed,God blessed his ambition to be come the President of the United state Of America.,Tell McCain that his mates are in Senior Home,they are expecting him to be their President soon,Not America.MuBarack Hussein Obama is my choice for 2008.He will get there Inshallah, Amen