Can a Muslim Ever Become President?

Birther Control
We have a black president with an exotic sounding name. Halfway through his inauguration speech, when Justice John Roberts flubbed a line, we had the birth (excuse the pun) of a new movement to delegitimize this President. Many from the far-right wing have spread the rumor that Barack Hussein Obama is a secret Muslim. Political operatives have spent the past few years planting seeds of doubt in the public, so much so, that nearly a quarter of Americans believe that Obama is a Muslim. This is aside from the fact that he has continually professed to be an adherent of the Christian faith for years. From the left, we have seen many commentators come to his defense, but the question is: Why does this question even need to be defended?

Of course we know that Obama is a self-professed devout Christian, which should end the discussion right there. But what if the president or a prominent politician happened to be a Muslim? Would that delegitimize him as a person, or make him unfit to lead? One of the few prominent figures in the political world who has properly addressed the nuance of this subject matter was former Secretary of State and General Colin Powell. When approached by an interviewer on the topic of Obama's faith, he said:

Well, he's not a Muslim. He's a Christian. He's always been a Christian. But the right answer is, Well, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in America? Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim American kid believing that he could be president?

As General Powell so eloquently stated, the issue shouldn't be whether Obama is a Christian or a Muslim. In the 21st century, the public discourse should have advanced far beyond the race or religion of an individual. The same opportunities that are afforded to all U.S. citizens should be afforded to Muslim-Americans. Sadly, it appears that Powell's words reflect the exception in American politics, rather than the rule.

The Rise of the Opportunists
So in this era of anti-Muslim rhetoric, how will it be possible for Muslims to gain a voice in the American political spectrum? Are we just guests of the state, who should be happy that we are allowed to partaking in the American Dream? Unfortunately, many talking heads believe that this is the case, and some of these voices happen to be Muslim.

In recent months, there has been a dangerous term that has been coined, known as "Political Islam." This term is being thrown around like verbal confetti by pseudo-scholars and social commentators as a perceived threat to western civilization. These talking heads are then invited to speak to government employees or appear on the aforementioned media outlets to scare, I mean, educate their audience on the dangers of so-called militant Islam. In the past, I have written about other terms that have been coupled with the word "Islam" in order to build negative perceptions in the public's minds. Terms such as "Islamo-fascism" and "Islamism" have previously been the go-to words in the right-wing lexicon.

To Muslims, this is very troubling and insulting—that the word Islam, something which we perceive as beautiful, and our source of meaning, has been co-opted for political gain, and being coupled with negative connotation. Anyone who has studied psychology and propaganda knows that coupling a target word with other words of negative connotation will in-turn foment a negative perception among the target audience. The same has been done with "sharia" fear-mongering in the U.S. Take one look at the imagery depicted at the protests. When politicians and mainstream news outlets enable and cater to the public's fear, it is no wonder that the public discourse turns in such a negative direction.

The term "Political Islam" is thereby a loaded one. Those who have coined and continue to use the term have also enacted a campaign against the most visible and active Muslims groups in the U.S. We have seen groups like the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Political Action Committee targeted by these very critics in an attempt to tie their political activities into something much more sordid and grey. These groups have unfairly been criticized for not speaking up after terror attacks, or a perceived lack of denouncing violence in the name of Islam. These allegations are obviously false, and it is clear to those who have interacted with and have received these groups' communications throughout the years. But once again for the general public, perception becomes reality.

In an attempt to paint the only politically active major American Muslim groups as some sort of fifth column, or "soft on terror," it gives credence to the negative connotations created by the terms "Political Islam." Various anti-Islam websites keep dossiers on these groups, along with prominent Muslims who are involved in politics, in order to create further panic. For many who are profiting off the Islamophobia business, Americans should be alarmed at the sheer existence of Muslim Congressional Staffers, lobby groups, and Muslim political party activists.