Obama’s ‘Muslim past’ back on the agenda

The issue of Barack Obama's Muslim past – a potentially hot button in post-9/11 America - resurged last week with fresh reports of his years between six and 10 at a Muslim school in Indonesia. Obama's campaign immediately cried foul, and denied that the candidate had ever been a "practising" Muslim, writes Charles Laurence from New York.

Then on Sunday, with fortuitous timing, the senator’s half-sister Maya, nine years younger than Barack, entered the fray when she was featured in the New York Times magazine’s "Questions For" column. She claimed Islam has been "erroneously attached" to her brother.

Maya Soetoro-NG responded to an initial question on whether their mother had been an atheist, an equally controversial stance in pious America. "I wouldn't have called her an atheist," she said. "She was an agnostic. She basically gave us all the good books - the Bible, the Hindu Upanishads and the Buddhist scripture, the Tao Te Ching – and wanted us to recognise that everyone has something beautiful to contribute."

Very diplomatic. But columnist Deborah Solomon followed-up: "You didn't mention the Koran in that list, although Indonesia is the most populous Muslim country in the world."

"I should have mentioned the Koran," answered Maya. "Mom didn't really emphasise the Koran, but we read little parts of it. We did listen to the morning prayers in Indonesia."

The truth is that Barack Obama was registered at the Muslim school as a Muslim, and attended compulsory Koranic classes. A former classmate, contacted by journalists last year, reported that "Barry was a Muslim" and "went to the Mosque".

When the issue came up last year, Obama flatly denied that he had ever been a Muslim. Then, after details of his schooling emerged, he shifted to his current position of never "practising" as a Muslim.

There is no evidence that Obama kept the faith after leaving Indonesia at 10 to attend high school in Hawaii. Years later he joined a Baptist church in Chicago, joining Oprah Winfrey in the congregation.

Opponents claimed last week that turning his back on Islam makes him an apostate - a death penalty offence. Thus a potential president becomes a target for Islamic retribution.

"I don't want to deny Islam," said his half-sister. "I think it's obviously very important that we have an understanding of Islam, a better understanding. At the same time, it has been erroneously attached to my brother. The man has been a Christian for 20 years."

FIRST POSTED JANUARY 21, 2008