Barry Soetoro: Muslim or Apostate?

A reader wrote to us a few days ago with some questions about Barry Soetoro:

I’m doing research on “the great one”. I read your article, “Indonesia, Terrorism, and Barry Soetoro” from October 30, 2008, about Obama studying in Indonesia, praying and speaking Arabic. I believe it’s true, in light of the fact that now we know he speaks fluent Arabic, whereas before he said he spoke “no” foreign languages.

I wanted to know your references so I can specify the following as true.

1. How do you know that Ann, his mother, was a Muslim?

2. How do you know he prayed each day?

The post in question was researched and almost entirely written by our Flemish correspondent VH, who has in-depth experience with Indonesian affairs. I asked him for answers to our reader’s inquiries, and he sent the following response:

1. How do you know that Ann, his mother, was a Muslim?

A non-Muslim can only marry a Muslim when he/she converts in a mosque, preceding the marriage (which must take place in a mosque):

Stanley Ann Dunham’s relationship with the Kenyan-born Muslim Barack Hussein Obama Sr. might have brought her in contact with Islam*. If she married him to become his second wife, she must have converted to Islam first: no Muslim will marry a non-converted woman, certainly not in a religiously-devoted Muslim family like the Husseins. Although it is less strict with extra wives, concubines, or slaves.

When Stanley Ann Dunham married the Indonesian citizen and Muslim Lolo Soetoro, she was already a Muslim, or had converted. Otherwise she could not have married him (and that must have taken place in a mosque). The marriage in Indonesia, or the legalization of the marriage documents (which had to be accompanied by a marriage document from a mosque) would also have been necessary to achieve an Indonesian residency permit for herself, and citizenship for Hussein Jr.

2. How do you know he prayed each day?

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Barry Soetoro was a devoted Muslim. Devout Muslims pray five times a day:

The most important clue about this is that Barry Soetoro not only received the regular Islamic teachings in primary school like everyone else, but he was even sent to a Mengaji: voluntary orthodox Islamic teachings (basically madrassa-like classes, reciting in Arabic). This happened during his formative years (6-11). Indonesians, when asked about Mengaji, are very clear: only the very devout (strict) Muslims would send their children to a Mengaji.

Another clue is from the witnesses: Rony Amir, for instance, who knew Barry*, stated that he was a remarkably devoted Muslim in his Indonesian years: A non-devout Muslim will usually still try to do the morning prayer before sunrise or the prayer at night. Almost every day. Devoted Muslims, however, will pray five times a day. Barry was a devout Muslim, as Rony Amir remembered.

This combined with the voluntary Mengaji classes makes it certain that he prayed at least once a day. This also leads to the following conclusion: Barry Soetoro is a Muslim, or he is an apostate (In Indonesia, many are convinced he is not an apostate and forgive him the taqiyya).

His connection with Islam might have faded a little over the years, though, as result of the upbringing by his non-Muslim grandparents, but it only takes an all-Muslim environment for a devoted Muslim to switch back.

I hope this will answer the questions. As footnote I would like to refer to the links in the article on Soetoro at Gates of Vienna.

* In those days Islam was — at least in Indonesia — still considered by some as a religion of the “resistance”, as opposed to Christianity being the religion of “the West”. There are rumors that Ann Dunham might even have had a relationship with Malcolm Little (a.k.a. “X”). Little was also a Muslim and even a member of the radical Nation of Islam.