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Is Obama a Muslim? Examine the Evidence!

2010-08-22 · explainer · John · 2:59 · watch on YouTube

Topic: US politics & society · mode: News analysis · tags: timely hook

Prompted by a poll finding more than 20% of Americans believe Obama is a Muslim, John deadpan-tests Obama's public record against the Five Pillars of Islam, concludes he is either not a Muslim or a really bad one, stresses there is nothing wrong with being Muslim, and asks the media to talk about something else.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Bonus video: a poll finds over 20% of Americans think Obama is a Muslim; why not just take his word for it

  • ★★★ John reports an opinion poll last week (week of 9 August 2010) found more than 20% of Americans believe President Barack Obama is a Muslim. — 00:00:01 · Barack Obama
  • ★★ John notes Obama repeatedly says he is a Christian but also repeatedly said he'd allow importing prescription drugs from Canada, which hasn't happened, so they won't take his word. (playful) — 00:00:08 · Barack Obama, Canada

00:00:21 — The Five Pillars of Islam checked one by one against Obama's public record: Shahada, prayer, zakat, sawm, hajj

  • ★★ John explains the Five Pillars of Islam are its most central facets of belief and practice; the first, the Shahada, is reciting and believing there is no deity but God and Muhammad is his prophet. — 00:00:21
  • ★★ John says no one can prove Obama has, or hasn't, ever said the Shahada. — 00:00:36 · Barack Obama
  • ★★ John says observant Muslims pray at least five times a day: dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and night. — 00:00:41
  • ★★ From Obama's public schedule: during evening prayers on April 8, 2010 he dined with Dmitry Medvedev, and during noon prayers on April 5, 2010 he hosted the White House Easter Egg Hunt; no one saw him pray. (playful) — 00:00:48 · Barack Obama
  • ★★ John says zakat is almsgiving: Muslims are required to give 2.5% of their wealth every year to the poor. — 00:01:20
  • ★★★ Per Obama's public tax returns, he and Michelle gave on average less than 1% of their income to charity in 2000-2005, so he was not performing zakat. (playful) — 00:01:27 · Barack Obama
  • ★★★ John says Muslims do not eat or drink from dawn to dusk in Ramadan, which began August 11 this year (2010); on August 17 Obama was photographed ordering and eating lunch, and he eats in daytime nearly every day. — 00:01:40 · Barack Obama
  • ★★ John says able Muslims must make the hajj to Mecca once; Obama hasn't and likely never will, since the Saudi government bars non-Muslims from Mecca. (hedged) — 00:02:03 · Barack Obama

00:02:22 — Conclusion: not a Muslim or a really bad one; nothing wrong with being Muslim; the media should find something else to talk about; sign-off

  • ★★★ Since Obama fails four of the five pillars (never mind beer and pork hot dogs), John concludes he is either not a Muslim or a really bad one. (playful) — 00:02:22 · Barack Obama

    “either President Obama is not a Muslim, or he is a really bad Muslim.”

  • ★★★ John stresses there is nothing wrong with being a Muslim; President Obama just isn't one. — 00:02:39 · Barack Obama

  • ★★ John asks the Drudge Report, Huffington Post, CNN and Fox News to find something else to talk about. (playful, hedged) — 00:02:47

00:02:52 — P.S. about John's suit

Humor (significant)

  • On April 8, 2010, during evening prayers, Obama dined with Medvedev, who did not emerge saying 'Oh my God'... — 00:00:58

    “Barack Obama pulled out a prayer rug, turned it in the direction of the Kaaba and proceeded to pray."”

  • The Obamas gave on average less than 1% of their income to charity in 2000-2005. — 00:01:35

    “Meaning that, in addition to being a bit of a tightwad,”

  • After concluding Obama is not a Muslim, John lists other things he is not. — 00:02:42

    “He's also not Jewish, not a baby and not the starting left fielder for the New York Yankees.”

Mentioned

Central: Barack Obama · Five Pillars of Islam · Islam · misinformation

Also: People: Dmitry Medvedev · Michelle Obama

Organizations: CNN · Drudge Report · Fox News · HuffPost · New York Yankees

Concepts: Christianity · Hajj · Salah · Sawm · Shahada · Zakat

Places: Canada · Mecca · Saudi Arabia

Events: Ramadan · White House Easter Egg Roll

Also centred on Islam: On Iran, Islam, and Amazingly Stupid Comments · On Religion (Redux) · Muslims Aren't Dangerous

Also centred on misinformation: The Top 10 Greatest Hoaxes of All Time · Truth or Fail: HOAXES! · Somebody once told me… · My Greatest Tool Against Vaccine Misinformation · Are You Eating a Credit Card Every Week? · I Believed These Four Lies

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