Mike Huckabee: Obama Is Right About American Muslims — Comments Inflame Followers
According to a Saturday Facebook post from Mike Huckabee, Obama is right in one key point about Muslims in America. Though the point in question was narrow, and Huckabee quickly followed it up with the parts of Obama’s position he does not support, the small agreement alone was enough to net an angry response from the former presidential candidate’s following.
The remarks were in response to President Obama’s visit Wednesday to a mosque in Baltimore. According to CNN, the mosque visit was intended as an outreach to counter negative stereotypes about Muslims in America, and to establish to the demographic that many in American government are aware the ‘terrorist’ stereotype is painted with a broad brush.
On Saturday, Mike Huckabee discussed this visit, opening with acknowledgement of President Obama’s major point: that the jihadi stereotype applies to a minority and is unfairly attached to most or all Muslims. Huckabee agreed and supported this statement.
“Wednesday, President Obama spoke at a mosque in Baltimore. It was his first visit to a mosque as President, and he reminded listeners that most Muslims in America are peaceful citizens who’ve contributed to the American way of life for generations, including serving in the military. That’s not arguable, and it’s certainly worth noting and remembering.”
This is, however, about as far as Huckabee’s agreement went. He went on to say that Obama was inappropriate in his address to “…his fellow Christians…” who Huckabee says Obama addressed in a scolding manner, calling on them to end discrimination and hatred toward Muslim Americans.
…well, I know a lot of Christians, and I don’t know too many who are attacking mosques. I’ve pointed this out before, but according to the most recent FBI stats, in 2013, there were just 1223 religion-related hate crimes recorded by the FBI in all of America. Of those, only 13.7 percent were against Muslims. Over 60 percent were against Jews, but I don’t see Obama rushing to any temples to lecture us.”
Unfortunately for Huckabee, two items in this left a sour taste in the mouths of his own suporters: the notion that most American Muslims are peaceful, and the notion that President Obama has “fellow Christians,” which would indicate that Obama, himself, is a Christian.
These might seem like undisputed facts to many Americans, and apparently even to Huckabee himself, but not all of his followers agree. They widely accused Huckabee of being “too politically correct” — likely not a label he’s used to wearing — and of being naive with regard to President Obama’s religious beliefs. Huckabee was even accused of joining Obama in “appeasement” of Muslims.
You can see a sampling of the response below.
I disagree with you Mike. If the Muslim is a true Muslim then he or she would be following the Quoran.
Too much appeasement of Muslims from Obama and Huckabee!
Well intended Huck but also Politically Correct.
Obama does not have “fellow Christians.” He she [sic] fellow Muslims He is a Muslim.
“His fellow Christians?” Come on Mike Huckabee. You shall know them by their fruits.
Huckabee announced earlier this week that he’d be officially suspending his campaign for president, so this came late enough to avoid affecting his chances. (According to Politico, this announcement came after Huckabee received only about 2 percent of votes in the Iowa caucus.)
If agreeing with President on Obama on as minuscule a point as whether most of the 3.3 million Muslims (as Pew Research estimates) are peaceful, and calling Obama a Christian (as Obama also refers to himself) is enough to offend and anger would-be supporters, then perhaps even Mike Huckabee’s 2 percent of voters were too precarious to count on.
[Photo by Scott Olsen/Getty Images]
