Al Aqaeda Leader's "House Slave" Remarks Not Big Hit With American Muslims

Al Qaeda number two leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, told the world that president-elect Barack Obama is a "house negro." Some translations said "house slave." Apparently, in some parts of the world, those are considered equivalent terms.

Back here in America, some Muslim groups reacted to the 'Islamic' leader's remarks.

• " 'We condemn these racist slurs in the strongest possible terms, unequivocally reject Al Qaeda's philosophy, and reaffirm our opposition to all forms of bigotry, intolerance and racism' "
  The American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Elections
• " 'As Muslims and as Americans, we will never let terrorist groups or terror leaders falsely claim to represent us or our faith,' "
  Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)

(Pakistan Dawn)

I don't always (or often) agree with the Los Angeles times editorializing, but I think they're spot-on with this remark:

"...This isn't the America of 1963. In the decades since Malcolm X divided blacks into those akin to slaves who worked in the fields (abused and rebellious) and those akin to slaves who worked in the master's house (comfortable and servile), the racial complexities and the racial complexion of the country have changed dramatically...." (Los Angeles Times)

Unlike the Los Angeles Times, I think that many of American's own leaders and 'great thinkers' don't realize that it's not 1963, 1964, or even 1967, any more.

Woodstock is history, disco is dead, black members of congress make the news because of what they do, not what they look like, and America will very soon swear in its first black president.

I get the impression that educators like professor Churchill, political leaders like Alcee Hastings, and groups like the Congressional Black Caucus, haven't changed their calendars, or their minds, in several decades.

Meanwhile, I'm glad to see some American Muslim groups disagree with the Al Qaeda leader. I rather thought this would happen, America culture being what it (really) is, but it's nice to have an opinion confirmed.

Previous post on this topic:

• Al Qaeda Leader Calls President-Elect Obama 'House Negro' "
  (November 20, 2008)

In the news:

• "US Muslims reject 'Al Qaeda slurs' "
  Pakistan Dawn (November 21, 2008)
• "U.S. Muslim leaders condemn remarks about Obama"
  CNN (November 21, 2008)
• "Al Qaeda's silly slur against Obama"
  Los Angeles Times (November 21, 2008)