Is Barack Obama's Family Muslim?

[liberalpragmatist]

I think his father's side of the family may be. I'm not sure if his father was Muslim, but it does seem like his father's family was.

Many East Africans are Muslim, and his grandmother's name, from this NYT editorial (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/23/opinion/23mon2.html) says that her name is "Sarah Hussein Onyango Obama." While Sarah is an anglicized name, Hussein is a Muslim name.

Anybody know the answer?

[LiberalBushFan]

1. hahaha

Now he's not only Osama, but Osama Hussein.

[liberalpragmatist]

2. No, I'm honestly curious

Actually, I seem to have confirmation from the SunTimes:

http://www.suntimes.com/output/falsani/cst-nws-spirit05.html

The article describes Obama's faith - read it, it's good. He talks about how he's a devout Christian, but a liberal Christian, who doesn't accept the dogma that one must be Christian to go to heaven, and who feels that all religions are essentially one with God.

And it says, "Obama describes his father, after whom he is named, as 'agnostic.' His paternal grandfather was a Muslim. His mother, he says, was a Christian."

[LiberalBushFan]

3. Didn't mean to mock your point or anything...

I just didn't have a real answer for you.

But looking at the articles it seems his father's family was perhaps non-practicing Muslim, like many people in the US who call themselves Christian but never go to Church. (I used to be one of those.)

[poliguru]

4. He had very little contact with his father

His father ditched his wie and kid early on, and Barack hardly spent any time with him until he was an adult.

[TheDonkey]

5. His father,and his African family is Muslim I heard

he is not. Not sure what denomination he is.