George W. Bush: Secret Muslim

Center for Security Policy President Frank Gaffney’s new Washington Times column arguing that after the Cairo speech “there is mounting evidence that the president not only identifies with Muslims, but actually may still be one himself,” is not really worth much of a response. But these two pieces of Gaffney’s “evidence” did jump out at ...

By , a former associate editor at Foreign Policy.
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585114_090609_bush12.jpg
Washington, UNITED STATES: US President George W. Bush speaks during the rededication ceremony of the Islamic Center of Washington 27 June 2007 in Washington, DC. The mosque was originally dedicated 28 June 1957 upon completion. AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Center for Security Policy President Frank Gaffney's new Washington Times column arguing that after the Cairo speech "there is mounting evidence that the president not only identifies with Muslims, but actually may still be one himself," is not really worth much of a response.

Center for Security Policy President Frank Gaffney’s new Washington Times column arguing that after the Cairo speech “there is mounting evidence that the president not only identifies with Muslims, but actually may still be one himself,” is not really worth much of a response.

But these two pieces of Gaffney’s “evidence” did jump out at me:

Mr. Obama referred four times in his speech to “the Holy Koran.” Non-Muslims — even pandering ones — generally don’t use that Islamic formulation.

Mr. Obama established his firsthand knowledge of Islam (albeit without mentioning his reported upbringing in the faith) with the statement, “I have known Islam on three continents before coming to the region where it was first revealed.” Again, “revealed” is a depiction Muslims use to reflect their conviction that the Koran is the word of God, as dictated to Muhammad. 

After about 30 seconds of Googling, I present the venerable Islamic theologian George W. Bush:

The Islam that we know is a faith devoted to the worship of one God, as revealed through The Holy Qu’ran

Besides, if Obama were really a secret Muslim, he’d probably have done a better job pronouncing al Azhar and hijab.  

MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

Joshua Keating was an associate editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @joshuakeating

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