Barack Obama and Islam

In a New York Times May 12 op-ed piece, "President Apostate," Edward N. Luttwak, explored the significance of Barcak Obama's Muslim father in the Islamic world view. Contrary to conventional American wisdom, this will most definitely not lead to closer ties to Islam, so opined Mr. Luttwak.

Once a Muslim, always a Muslim is Mr.Luttwak rubric. Mr. Obama's father was Muslim (though he seemingly renounced it), so by Islamic law Barack Obama was born a Muslim.

In this light, according to strict Muslim law, Mr. Obama, who is an avowed Christian, is an apostate. Apostasy is a grave Muslim sin, punishable by execution, should religious authorities so deem. While an Islamic state wouldn't carry out such an execution, radical Muslims might.

In my estimation, the writer of article was slyly offering an argument why not to elect Mr. Obama. But the argument also reveals a piece of the tension between Islam and the non-Islamic world.

Our world is a treacherous place. Organized religion of all ilks have a moral imperative to make this treachery less so. Yet how can we expect causes to be solutions?