It is interesting how Obama conveys more in what he doesn’t say, than in what he does. His 2015 White House Iftar speech is one such example.
When Obama commended Muslim-Americans, Ziad Ahmed, Batoul Abuharb and Samantha Elauf last night, he conveniently omitted his administration’s critical role in perpetuating and often times, creating the very odds, these movers and shakers feel compelled to struggle against.
“Ziad Ahmed, 16, a Bangladeshi-American growing up in New Jersey, two years ago founded Redefy, a Web site to combat harmful stereotypes by encouraging teens like him to share their stories.
“Batoul Abuharb, born in a refugee camp in Gaza, grew up in Houston and graduated from Rice University. After spending a summer in Gaza working with a United Nations health clinic, she started Dunia Health to improve the distribution of vaccines” and “Samantha Elauf, went to the Supreme Court to defend the right to wear a hijab without sacrificing job opportunities at Abercrombie & Fitch. And she won.”
President Obama cannot escape the inconvenient reality, that Ahmed, Abuharb, Elauf and others like them, strive against the tide; not in spite of his policies, but because of them.
When our Nobel peace prize laureate bombed Muslims in 7 nations in the first 6 years of his presidency, continues to underwrite Israel’s annual military aid to the tune of about $3 billion, and simultaneously legislates fear of Muslims here, at home; it is in these moments, that Obama creates the conditions against which, the Ahmeds, Abuharbs and Elaufs, struggle to this day.
His laudatory endorsements cannot justify his bombing and spying endorsements, and every attempt to do so, drives a greater wedge between what he says and what he does. Last night’s Iftar, wasn’t about Obama making a few Muslim-Americans look great. It was about them making him look good.
Yes, “Together, we can overcome ignorance and prejudice. Together, we will overcome conflict and injustice – not just with words, but with deeds”, and given heavily trending bigotry, hate, and hate-crimes; Muslim-Americans are doing just that.
We, on our part are doing a phenomenal job of staying true to our pledge to God Almighty, by upholding our end of the bargain in “treading gently on the earth and when confronted by ignorance, reply, peace!”, but Obama has fallen short of his oath to “…execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
So help him, and us, God.
Liberty on Tap 