On June 23, Barack Obama expressed some unhappiness with the Supreme Court. By a vote of 4-4, a tie that effectively upheld a lower court’s ruling, the Court blocked Obama’s attempt, through Executive Orders, to protect from deportation millions of illegal immigrants who were the parents of U.S. citizens, or permanent residents, and to institute a program providing similar protections for young undocumented aliens.
Here is part of his speech, its tone borrowed from the Higher Peevery:
Because being an American is about something more than that. What makes us Americans is our shared commitment to an ideal that all of us are created equal, all of us have a chance to make of our lives what we will. And every study shows that whether it was the Irish or the Poles, or the Germans, or the Italians, or the Chinese, or the Japanese, or the Mexicans, or the Kenyans — whoever showed up, over time, by a second generation, third generation, those kids are Americans. They do look like us — because we don’t look one way. We don’t all have the same last names, but we all share a creed and we all share a commitment to the values that founded this nation. That’s who we are. And that is what I believe most Americans recognize.
The secular bomfoggery is par for Obama’s banal course, but still there are things in this paragraph that are worth noting. Obama is under the impression that “what makes us Americans” is our “shared commitment” to an ideal, the ideal that we are “created equal.” But is this true? Is it possible that at least a subset of “all of us” does not believe, and cannot believe, as a matter of deep faith, that we are all “created equal”? And what’s more, it isn’t true that we – “all of us” — “share a commitment” to the “values that founded this nation.”
Which brings me – you knew it would – to Islam. Does Islam share that “commitment to an ideal” that we are all “created equal”? Islam is based on a division of humanity into Believer and Unbeliever, just as the physical world is split between dar al-Islam (the Domain of Islam, where Islam dominates, and Muslims rule) and dar al-Harb (the Domain of War or Chaos, where Islam does not as yet prevail). The Qur’an teaches that Muslims are the “best of peoples”: “Ye are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong.” (3:110) And non-Muslims are, by contrast, the “vilest of creatures” (98:6). Of course, it is true that there is one way — only one way — for non-Muslims to become “equal” to Muslims, which is to become Muslims themselves. But non-Muslims, from birth, are “unequal” until they accept Islam. This is not what Obama had in mind when he assured us about how “all of us” have this “shared commitment” to the ideal of equality.
Then there was Obama’s second assumption, that “we all share a creed and we all share a commitment to the values that founded this nation.” Well, what are the values that founded this nation? One of the most important surely is that our government’s legitimacy depends upon the extent to which it reflects the will of the people as expressed, however imperfectly, in elections. But that’s not what legitimizes a government for Muslims. In Islam, legitimacy is ascribed to a ruler if he reflects the will of Allah, as set down in the Qur’an. That Islamic ideal explains the greater tolerance for despots in Muslim states; what matters is whether or not the ruler is a good Muslim.
What are the other values of greatest importance to Americans? Surely the freedom of religion and the freedom of speech would be at the top of anyone’s list. By freedom of religion we mean both the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause. There is no official state religion, favored over all others, and the government will not abridge the right to the free exercise of any religion. But there is hardly a single Muslim-majority country where Islam is not favored over all other faiths (some might argue that Lebanon is one exception), and the exercise of those faiths other than Islam subject to various restrictions, including such things as limits on the building or repairing of places of non-Muslim worship, forbidding any public worship (try finding a church in Saudi Arabia), and creating a climate of permanent fear for individual worshippers (e.g., Hindus and Christians in Pakistan). Nor can the disaffected, that is ex-Muslims, publicly reveal their change or lack of faith; in Islam, the prescribed punishment for apostasy is death.
The other important value which Obama apparently believes we all share is that of the freedom of speech. But in Islam, the freedom of speech is severely limited: speech that is held to blaspheme Muhammad, or to call Islam in any way into question, is punishable and has so often been punished, both by Muslim governments and by Muslim vigilantes. We shouldn’t have to remind Obama about Lars Vilks, Molly Norris, Robert Redeker, the staff of Charlie Hebdo, and many others, but obviously he needs it. Or perhaps one could simply remind him of what the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights, the so-called “Islamic” Declaration, offers as its carefully-curtailed version of “freedom of speech”:
Art 22 (a), “Everyone shall have the right to express his opinion freely in such a manner as would not be contrary to the principles of the Sharia,” and
Art 22 (c) “Information…may not be exploited or misused in such a way as may violate sanctities and the dignity of Prophets”
Obama likes to tell us, superciliously, when there’s a policy he wishes to push, it’s because “that’s who we are,” and, about some outer-darkness alternative he wants us to shun, “that’s not who we are.” It would be wonderful if some interviewer were able to put Obama on the spot and make him explain how he reconciles the Islamic constraints on freedom of religion and speech, the Islamic understanding of what constitutes political legitimacy, the Islamic views on gender equality, the Islamic views on equality (of Muslims and non-Muslims), with the very different views of all of these as enshrined in the American Constitution. At the moment, few journalists have seemed to think it useful or necessary to cross-question Obama about his misunderstanding of Islam. Apparently, we are not to deviate from the party line, to dare to suggest that there is some permanent and irreducible difference between Islam and the West, or Islam and All The Rest. So for the moment, we will have to endure Obama’s self-satisfied mantra of “that’s not who we are” until, mugged by Islamic reality, enough Americans become so fed up that they publicly question the pollyannish people-are-the-same-the-whole-world-over view of Islam that Obama promotes, and not a moment too soon, because, at long last, “that’s who we are.”

Jay Boo says
It is not the “the Irish or the Poles, or the Germans, or the Italians” that Obama cares about, so why does he even mention them?
Trico says
It is not the “the Irish or the Poles, or the Germans, or the Italians” that Obama cares about, so why does he even mention them?
It’s called: Obfuscation
Shane says
Yes, and most libs do that, as they don’t want to address the problem that Islam is not compatible with the values of Western civilization. Muslims who practice sharia, do not believe in freedom of speech, religion, the press, and equal rights for women. These same muslims also believe that fighting in holy war against the enemies of Islam is their duty. They are the worst possible immigrants for any Western country.
gravenimage says
He mentions them as obfuscation.
linnte says
He is EVIL!
PRCS says
“Which brings me – you knew it would – to Islam.”
Yes, I did, as it must.
Angemon says
If the parents are not American and are illegally in America, why is the progeny American? You need to revise your citizenship laws ASAP. (at least one of the) Parents not American? Baby not American, regardless of being born in America.
And what better way to show how that ideal works than exclude people who are not even Americans from following American law?
Oh, and if the American ideal is that everyone is entitled to try their luck in America, where does it end? Why not have every single human being in the world migrate to American soil? Is forbidding a known terrorist from entering US going against that ideal?
He also likes to drone about the “right side of history”, even though he never met anything Right that he liked…
Don McKellar says
I sure hope that Trump manages to set him off again. That was highly entertaining.
Obama is losing. He needs to lose a lot more before he leaves in disgrace. His legacy is written in the blood and flames of jihad across the Middle East and North Africa. His legacy is written in an out of control illegal alien problem. His legacy is written in multiple race riots. His legacy is written the nightmare of moslem invasion sweeping the EU.
Donald Trump will sweep away the disgusting pile of shit which is the Obama legacy A.S.A.P. when he takes charge. In the dreams of all who cherish freedom and liberty over political correctness and subservience to Islam, Obama will be arrested soon after and on a plane to Gitmo along with Hillary and George the Idiot and his cronies, where they will all stay until full investigations of what has really been going on since Sept 11th and all the corruption of Islam to the highest levels is exposed.
jewdog says
Hugh wrote: “The secular bomfoggery is par for Obama’s banal course”
Yes, perfect! – it makes me proud. That’s what makes us counter-jihadis – that’s who were are.
jewdog says
Make that “That’s who we are” – my typo caused me high peevery.
PRCS says
Go for a jog. It’ll go away.
gravenimage says
Yes–Hugh Fitzgerald’s erudition is one of the pleasures of this site, despite its grim subject.
CogitoErgoSum says
Yes, Obama likes the phrase, “That’s not who we are.” Do Muslims want to be who we are? When polled the majority of Muslims in the U.S. show a preference for Sharia over the Constitution.
So just who are Muslims? Well, Muslims are a people who do not think for themselves. They let Muhammad or Allah do their thinking for them. If you want to know what a Muslim thinks, find out what Muhammad said or consult the Quran. Is that how we make our laws and govern ourselves …. by consulting Muhammad or the Quran? No ……. it’s not who we are. But it is who a Muslim is.
For us and them to become “we the people” someone is going to have to change. Obama thinks Muslims are just fine the way they are and non-Muslims are the ones who will have to change. Go think some more, Mr. Obama.
Refer to this Jihad Watch article dated Oct. 15, 2015 for more information:
https://www.jihadwatch.org/2015/10/51-of-u-s-muslims-want-sharia-60-of-young-muslims-more-loyal-to-islam-than-to-u-s
eduardo odraude says
Muhammad rejects religious pluralism
For example, in Sahih Muslim, a canonical hadith collection:
eduardo odraude says
Excellent deconstruction of Pres. Obama by Hugh Fitzgerald.
mortimer says
The time to stop the advance of ‘Islamic reality’ is now. Don’t continue to increase the ‘Islamic reality’ until it reaches the point where the advance is inevitable and unstoppable.
Even many Muslims living in the West agree with that. The don’t want every Western country to become like failed Pakistan.
Dum Spiro says
But in Islam, the freedom of speech is severely limited…is punishable and has so often been punished…
I was not familiar with the names cited as examples of this, so I looked them up and found the following:
Lars Vilks attack (strong language)
http://youtu.be/lbpyk1uHNWY
Molly Norris
https://www.jihadwatch.org/2016/03/hugh-fitzgerald-on-not-forgetting-molly-norris
Robert Redeker
https://www.jihadwatch.org/2006/09/teacher-forced-into-hiding-after-writing-article-describing-quran-as-book-of-extraordinary-violence
These references can help remind us why freedom of speech is important to have and preserve…
— Spero
gravenimage says
Yes–a grim and important list.
UriahB says
He looks mad. We know he is mad. First the 4 4 deadlock in the soup ream court. Now Brexit. Pic worth 1000 words.
Champ says
Which brings me – you knew it would – to Islam. Does Islam share that “commitment to an ideal” that we are all “created equal”?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NO! ..but obama is a LIAR and claims that it does.
And when obama is mad, then things are going *right*!
Guest says
More like Obama just wants cheap labor.
common sense says
Thick irony of Hugh’s excellent insight of dar al-Islam (the Domain of Islam, where Islam dominates, and Muslims rule) and dar al-Harb (the Domain of War or Chaos, where Islam does not as yet prevail).
There is more strife, oppression, war, supremacy, death, poor equality, lack of education, violence, bigotry, bad economics, crime and inbreeding etc in the places of “dar al – Islam” than most any other place in the world.
The Quran says that “muslims are the best of people” BS! Everything decent that Islam touches turns to dried up poop and blows away in the wind. Except Mecca.
Bezelel says
” What makes us Americans ” How about a valid birth certificate? obola must have a mouse in his pocket when he says “us”. I take it as an insult for the phony to lecture on American ideals, it’s as bad as when he does same thing on Christianity. He knows nothing about being either.
Angemon says
Bezelel posted:
“” What makes us Americans ” How about a valid birth certificate?”
Eh eh, good one 🙂
Hope says
Good Lord, another dreary, condescending lecture from Obama bin Lyin’. At this point, the very sight of him nauseates and infuriates me. Yesterday was awesome because the Supreme Court shot down his unlawful attempt to grant amnesty, and Brexit became a reality! A really bad day for the imam-in-chief, I would say.
209 days until this dictator and his angry, racist wife vacate the White House, folks.
Jay Boo says
Another odious Obama-Nation.
SBJ says
Free speech also entitles presidents and the press to lie. Who’s to question the president? And goodness knows Americans have been brainwashed to thinking DC lives the high moral ground.
I’ve studied Obama’s eloquent speeches on more than one occasion and it’s pretty much all, a crock of $hit.
linnte says
What I noticed more than anything about Obama’s (and it’s ALWAYS like this in his speeches) speech is never does he say “Our Constitution and our Laws”. It is always a smarmy, squishy diatribe that calls for emotion not logic. Enough of the EMOTION already! America has laws. Let’s follow them.
Good article Hugh Fitzgerald!
gravenimage says
And every study shows that whether it was the Irish or the Poles, or the Germans, or the Italians, or the Chinese, or the Japanese, or the Mexicans, or the Kenyans — whoever showed up, over time, by a second generation, third generation, those kids are Americans…
………………………
Except that with Muslims it does not. Often the second generation is more dangerously devout than the first:
“Why are young British Muslims more radical than their parents?”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/yourview/1540929/Why-are-young-British-Muslims-more-radical-than-their-parents.html
Of course, this is from Britain and not the US–but this is only important because the UK has had large numbers of Muslims flooding in for much longer than the US has. You find just the same pattern in France and Germany.
And to have this meretricious creep lecturing us on “who we are” when he has been working to undermine American values for the past seven years could not be more perverse.
duh swami says
American values vary, depending on which American we are talking about…
The values of Rasool Obama belong to him…he owns them…He has no right to force them on the public…Is he our father? Is he supposed to tell us how to act and what values to hold? Do we need him as a father figure? If so, vote for Hillary, she want’s to be your surrogate mother…
David says
Dear Obama, It is the children of Islamic immigrants that we should worry about. Their parents were stealth jihadists, the children may not be so stealthy.
Norger says
And the second generation is often more fanatical and dangerous than the first, as evidenced both here (Orlando) and in Europe (London, Paris, Brussels).
Angemon says
Mateen killed 50 people in a bar
Trump says “Muslim migration we must bar”
Obama scoffs – “That’s not who we are”
“Enjoy your diversity – allahu akbar”
Norger says
“It would be wonderful if some interviewer were able to put Obama on the spot and make him explain how he reconciles the Islamic constraints on freedom of religion and speech, the Islamic understanding of what constitutes political legitimacy, the Islamic views on gender equality, the Islamic views on equality (of Muslims and non-Muslims), with the very different views of all of these as enshrined in the American Constitution.”
It would be wonderful if someone could pose this same question to any number of Islamic apologists, including those in the MSM. If the question were posed, the first line of defense doubtless would be (the nonsense) that the mythical “true Islam” (which operates entirely outside the constraints of any Islamic theology) is 100% compatible with the Constitution. If only the MSM would undertake a truly open and honest examination of this question. Much easier to pretend that Islam is beyond our comprehension.
Jay Boo says
Who we are — is whoever he wishes us to be.
That is the narcissistic Leftist fantasy.
Happy Fourth of July. It is time to rename Independence Day to Acceptance of all Immigration Day
.
Should we not try to be more understanding toward all outsiders especially Muslims after who wish to murder us? Many of them either come from, or have relatives who are from Muslim magority coumtries where murdering of gays, apostates, Christians and Jews is a daily occurance. Surely, we cannot expect any Muslims to behave like decent human beings when their upbringing and their ‘(holiest)’ of books fully encourages muder and persecution of others.
Rather, it is time to search deep within ourselves to see if we have any feelings of anger and disgust. Next, we must find another to assign the anger and disgust to (including ourselves) for all of Islam’s inherent evil. (SARC)
Will Doohan says
“Muslims are the worst of peoples, a devolved portion of humanity, the vilest of animals.”
Norwegian says
Obama and the rest of the establishment looks so ridicilous now. Panic…
Today visiting family the norwegian news was on a TV, still i judgement day mode.
EU..crisis..chaos..what if?! *screaming*…populist parties on the rise in Europe…populist party biggest on polls in Spain..*scweeeeeak!!!*
God! I love this!!!