There is this book in the US, The Obama nation, that has become the best selling book, albeit for nothing but "inaccuracies and distortion" in which Kenya features prominently, depicting Obama as a relative of Raila Odinga and a sympathiser of radical Islam and communism. It is the kind of books written by those whose political fortune is fading and will do everything to malign, mystify almost everything to appear "their way" so that they are viewed right. What is typical about the book is, is that, it is politically "inclined" towards the Obama rivals and is just same as other previously biased books published during US elections for propaganda purposes.
One point to note is that, Similar best selling attacks were published about former presidents Reagan and Clinton during their campaigns to reach the White House who significantly went on to win the presidency.
Even, during the Democratic nominations against Hillary Clinton, right-wing activists in the US had attempted to use Senator Obama’s Kenyan links to discredit him. The activists had claimed that Mr Obama is Mr Odinga’s relative, whom they described as a “socialist who planned to introduce Sharia Law in Kenya”. They hoped to use Senator Obama's trip to North Eastern Kenya, wearing Somali Traditional dress to discredit him all in vain only for Mr Obama to win the Democratic nomination against Senator Hillary Clinton.
Kenya's Prime Minister Raila Odinga has been thrust into the thick of the American presidential campaign in the new book being used to attack Democratic candidate Barack Obama simply because the senators father has been a Kenyan of Luo descent just like Raila and that, the editor and the publishers out of innocence of Obama, Raila and Kenya, thinks Obama and Raila are "cousins" and that he, Raila is linked with Muslims.
The Books talks of "Much is made of the Muslim heritage of the senator’s (Obama's) father. The Obama family in Africa is a Muslim family of the predominantly Christian Luo tribe in the predominantly Christian country of Kenya.”
I, like many other Kenyans, am really pertubed by the inaccuracies this book is feeding the american public. Before going to prints on issues that are "irrelevant" to the american audience, which have no meaning to the americans and which americans think will never help them anything in their coming presidential polls, it is prudent to make some facts known about Senator Obama, Kenya's Prime Minister Raila and issues sorrounding Obama's Muslim heritage and Kenyan Muslims.
FACTS:
KENYA:
1. Kenya is a country east of Africa, known for hospitality, tourism, wild animals and democracy
2. Kenya is inhabited by more than 42 tribes, practicing various forms of worship, which is guaranteed in the country's constitution.
3. Kenya is not a christian country, although Christianity is the dominant religion. Kenya Muslims are growing in numbers, from being 10% in the 80's to 35% in the 90's.
4. Kenya Muslims are more open in terms of practicing their religion. There is nothing called Muslim extremists, Muslim fundamentalists, Moderate Muslims in Kenya.
5. Muslims of Kenya come from all the 42 tribes of Kenya. We have Somali Muslims, Luos Muslims, Gikuyu Muslims, Embu Muslims, Massai Muslims, Kalenjin Muslims, Taita Muslims, Giriama Muslims and so on.
6. Kenya Muslims have been marginalized by succesive regimes because of their religion interms of education, access to basic health, infrastructure and citizenship.
7. Kenyans of all ages, tribes support their ancestral son, Senator Barrack Obama to clinch US Presidency.
SENATOR OBAMA:
1. Senators father has been a Kenyan while his mother has been an American.
2. Senators Father, a muslim died while he was still a small boy and his mother, then a christian, took over his parenthood.
3. Senator Obama is an American citizen and not a Kenyan of American Citizenship.
4. Kenyans regard the senator as one of their own by ancestry and not by citizenship.
5. Senator's Only Kenya's claim is his ancestry, his relatives and so on.
6. Recent "outburst" about Senator Obama's Muslim connection is baseless as he is a mature person who confessed to all and sundry, that is a christian.
7. Obama's Trip to the Northern Kenya, a region dominated by Somali Muslims is just same as any other trip undertaken by any other adventurer. Even if Mccain comes to NEP Kenya, we will accord him the same treatment.
8. Senator Obama is more diplomatic in solving issues than his rivals who would love to smear him as war-like. Take a clue from his political pronouncements.
9. Senator Obama is more universal and may not even know much about the "Sharia law" which is practiced by Muslims.
10. Senator Obama's father may have been alcoholic or practiced "polygamy" but that is not him. The Senator has his own life based on american values.
11. Despite the publisher’s claim that Mr Corsi carried out “meticulous research,” he gets some facts wrong in his analysis of Kenyan politics.
12. Senator Obama is in fact a practising Christian, but Mr Corsi implies that this religious affiliation may be a façade.
13. Senator Obama's insistence of handing Odinga the primierhsip of Kenya came after consultation of various countries and for the benfit of Kenya.
14. Senator Obama seems to be winning this coming US Election.
PRIME MINISTER RAILA ODINGA:
1. He is the second Kenya's prime Minister from independence, Second only to Kenyatta.
2. His post of PM came from the confusion of the year 2007 Kenya's election in which majority of Kenyans think he "won" the presidency.
3. PM Odinga's party ODM, won majority of parliamentary seats in the Kenya's national assembly not because of war but by it's strength and popularity.
4. PM Odinga's party ODM, won six out of Eight Kenya provinces.
5. PM Odinga was being supported by both Christian and Muslim groups to take over Kenya's presidency to weep out corruption that has become rampant.
6. PM Odinga is a "Anglican" christian who favours freedom of worship enshrined in the Kenya's constitution. At one point in the book, the author suggests that Mr Odinga might be a Muslim, even though, the book states, he “today professes to be an Anglican” which is wrong.
7. PM Odinga studied in Germany, Then East Germany, a socialist country by then, but that doesn't make him a communist judging from his political machination of events in Kenya and elsewhere. He wouldn't talk harshly of Robert Mugabe if he were dictatorial or communist type.
8. PM Raila stood against the marginalization of Kenyan Muslims and that is why many Muslims voted for him. Kenyan Muslims have long been marginalized by succesive regimes.
9. PM Raila treated Kenyan Muslims the same way, other Kenyans are supposed to be treated.
10. Many so called American Missionaries in Kenya delve into politics they know less of. Such kind of missionaries tend to their own interests and align themselves to various political parties for their own political interests.
The book — The Obama Nation, a deliberate play on the word “abomination” – written by Jerome Corsi contains many inaccuracies and distortions, in which, the author uses Mr Odinga in particular as a means of attacking Senator Obama on the two fronts of radical Islam and communism.
Kenya's PM office spokesman, Mr Salim Lone, last night trashed the allegations, saying: “You would think that the PM’s four months in office, and the role he played in restoring peace to Kenya and reconciling our people would have finally shamed into silence all of Mr Odinga’s demonisers.”
Obama's campaign group in response publishes some more facts about Obama and his family. The FightTheSmears.com website cites page numbers in Dreams from My Father in which those issues are discussed.
By repeatedly drawing connections between Senator Obama and Islam, Mr Corsi is playing upon anti-Muslim sentiments in the US that remain widespread and acute in the aftermath of the 2001 terror attacks on New York and Washington.
The Obama Nation delves into Kenya’s history, mainly through an account of the tribal and political roles played by Jomo Kenyatta, Tom Mboya and Oginga Odinga which have been overtaken by events.
