While Obama’s connection to his Muslim family in Kenya is an acceptable topic for discussion in the Arab world, it is viewed as a ‘great taboo’ in the United States.
Why is that so? This ‘taboo’ should be considered unfair at best, purely prejudiced at worst. Is it fair that we censor such discussions just because Obama’s relatives are ‘Muslim’?
The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) should condemn the media for keeping a tight lid on the subject. Isn’t it time to go beyond what is disclosed by President Obama in his Dreams from My Father or Wikipedia’s limited information, which includes the only photo released by the Obama family?
We will cover only three of the closest Kenyan relatives to president Obama:
1. Sarah, Barack’s beloved and benevolent grandmother
2. Sayid Obama, his closest favorite uncle
3. Musa Ismail Obama, his first cousin and Sayid’s main sidekick.
After President Obama was inaugurated, the Muslim side of the Obama family in Kenya boomed; it went from rags to riches overnight. They became one of the most influential families in western Kenya and even extended their sphere of influence to Saudi Arabia. When Sarah, president Obama’s grandmother (step-grandmother), decided to go to the Hajj, an obligatory pilgrimage to Mecca with Musa, president Obama’s first cousin, they were welcomed with open arms and were provided a special escort with full security detail and first-class treatment at the Saudi royal court:
His Royal Highness Prince Mamdouh bin Abdul Aziz accompanied the family of U.S. President Barack Obama in his palace in Jeddah after the performance of the Hajj this year. The event was attended by His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Thamer bin Abdul Aziz, and His Royal Highness Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Mamdouh Bin Abdul Aziz, and his HRH Prince Abdullah bin Nayef bin Abdul Aziz, and a number of other princes and officials.
The reason for such treatment—as explained in an exclusive interview with Musa Ismail Obama on Al-Jazeera—is that a close relationship was built with Saudi royals. Like president Obama’s call for education in the United States, the Kenyan Obamas embarked on a similar project.
