Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell announced on Meet the Press last night that he will vote for Barack Obama. Powell spoke eloquently, deliberately, and thoughtfully about how he came to this decision. The video below:
What struck me was the mention of a young American soldier. He had died in Iraq, and upon his gravestone were his titles and the crescent and star of Islam. This young man had given his life to serve his country that he loved. A gravestone was raised in his honor. His name? Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan—and he was Muslim.
What was the point of this sad story? That there is nothing wrong with being Muslim. But it is more than the acceptance of Islam. It is about a vision of America where this questioning does not happen. Quote Powell:
Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer is no. That’s not America. Is there something wrong with a seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing he or she could be president? Yet I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion that he is a Muslim and might have an association with terrorists. This is not the way we should be doing it in America.
Powell wants an America where Islam is not associated with terrorism. He wants an inclusive America. He wants an America that is not polarised. He wants an America that recognises that “all villages have values, all towns have values, not just small towns have values”. For Powell, the choice is clear: Obama’s unifying, inspirational message makes him the leader he believes that America needs.
A few follow-ups:
tags: 2008 presidential campaign, america, barack obama, colin powell, interviews, islam
30 September 2008 08:37 pm
I am one of the (un)lucky 28 million who received a copy of Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West in my mailbox last week. The DVD has been suggested to target voters in swing states—of which New Hampshire is one—as an attempt to influence the vote towards McCain.
This movie will not influence my vote in any way, but you can be sure that I will watch it this weekend, and then critically analyse and fact check it to hell. (Or find someone who has done it already.) Is it a piece of trash? Probably. But I’m interested to see what it has to say.
Note bene—This is the DVD that has been linked to the gassing of 300 babies and children in Ohio.
tags: 2008 presidential campaign, documentaries, dvd, islam, real life, religion
