We’re doing this in Jakarta now?
Barack Obama told a group of donors in California early last year that his first international trip would be to Muslim Indonesia, a supporter who was present recalled today. Obama promised during the campaign to convene a Muslim summit, and the New York Times speculated today on where he would deliver a major, early address to a Muslim audience, settling on Egypt as the likeliest. The Obama donor, Los Angeles real estate executive Ted Leary, recalled that Obama spoke of his plan to donors at a February 20, 2007 breakfast fundraiser at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, soon after announcing his run for president. “Obama told the 20 or so of us at breakfast that ‘his first trip as President would be to Indonesia – the world’s most populous Muslim country,’” Leary recalled.
I’m surprised they’d let him in. Doesn’t their multi-year program to enforce sharia make his sharia-defined apostate status – absurd as it most definitely is – problematic? At least he’s not a Jewish diplomat or a female pop singer – that wouldn’t even be close.
So Obama will go to Jakarta and tell the Muslim world that he’s “there to listen.” Because that’s not a line that’s been worse than useless over the last few years. But it’s the season of hope, so whatever. Plus he can use his time to talk to Indonesian mothers who celebrate their infidel-murdering sons. Or to debate with the Indonesian mobs who want to lynch bloggers for posting Mohammed pictures. Because those seem like reasonable people amenable to clearheaded dialogue.
References and previously after the jump…
References:
* Donor: Obama suggested Jakarta visit [Politico]
* Fall of Indonesia Into Islamism Demonstrates Domino Theory [MR]
* Obama Complains About Smears From Jewish Groups… And He’s Not Totally Wrong (Plus: He’s Still Kind Of Wrong) [MR]
* Was Barack Obama a Muslim? [Pipes]
* Indonesia Illustrates Muslim Definition of Tolerance [MR]
* Pop Singer Rihanna Cancels Indonesia Show [ABC News]
* US Public Diplomacy – Winning Arab Hearts And Minds By Promising To Sell Out Israel [MR]
* My sons were right to kill, says bombers’ mum [News.com.au]
* Indonesia: Mohammed Cartoon Controversy Grows, Islamists Demand Government Execute Blogger who Posted Picture….. [Zippers]
Previously:
* Genocidal Lunatics And Vicious Terrorists Helpfully Illustrate Negative Connotations Of "Change" For American Electorate
* Just A Reminder: Progressive Anti-Israel Activist Groups Are Kind Of Incoherent, Suspiciously Unseemly
* Western Multiculturalists: Let’s Legally Recognize Sharia-Sanctioned Polygamy Across Europe, Australia, And Britain. Especially Britain.
