Now Its Obama Versus The NY Times

In the run-up to the President's trip to India the NY Times reported that Obama was skipping a visit to the Sikh Golden Temple in order to preserve appearances:

A Question of Appearances: Obama Will Bypass Sikh Temple on Visit to India

By LYDIA POLGREEN

NEW DELHI — The Golden Temple, a sprawling and serene complex of gleaming gold and polished marble that is the spiritual center of the Sikh religion, is one of India’s most popular tourist attractions. Revered by Indians of all faiths, it is a cherished emblem of India’s religious diversity. So it was no surprise when the gold-plated marvel was promoted as the likely third stop on President Obama’s visit to India, scheduled for early November.

But the United States has ruled out a Golden Temple visit, according to an American official involved in planning. Temple officials said that American advance teams had gone to Amritsar, the holy city that is the site of the temple, to discuss a possible visit. But the plan appears to have foundered on the thorny question of how Mr. Obama would cover his head, as Sikh tradition requires, while visiting the temple.

“To come to golden temple he needs to cover his head,” said Dalmegh Singh, secretary of the committee that runs the temple. “That is our tradition.”

Mr. Obama, a Christian, has struggled to fend off persistent rumors that he is a Muslim.

In a press gaggle the White House denied that and claimned that the President's schedule was simply too full.  That won a 'No Sale' from American Sikhs, and I am left at sea - is the Times really trying to encroach on Glenn Beck's turf by just making up nasty stuff about Obama?  Or could the White House be, hmm, misrepresenting the decision process?  Baffling.

Comments

[Reading from the book in the middle of the lake. Impressive dudes.]

I been everywhere, man, I've been everywhere.
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[Charlie (Colorado)]

What?

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Or could the White House be, hmm, misrepresenting the decision process?

Or could the Timers be telling the truth and the White House press operation is lying?

Jeez, this is a hard question.

[Cha, cha....cha, cha, chat.]

Don't eat the mashed potatoes.
==============

[Well, see, the visa and all, you know.]

What? Not going to Pakistan?
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[a. can really go off.]

So, pal; don a yarmulka.
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[lyle]

"Mr. Obama, a Christian, has struggled to fend off persistent rumors that he is a Muslim."

Gotta love the seemingly innocuous syntactical insertion. I imagine the gnashing of teeth in the editorial boardroom is loud enough to scare some pigeons in Central Park.

My question is: If BHO was an openly professed Muslim, how would he act any differently that he does now?

[matt]

this is a Sikh joke, right?

[Clarice]

*thwack*matt.

[Threadkiller]

--"this is a Sikh joke, right?"--

No, but these are:

* Gatnam went to the sale at electrical shop and he found a bargain. 'I would like to buy this small TV,' he told the salesman.
'Sorry, we don't sell to Sardars,' he replied.

So Gatnam hurried home, removed his turban, and changed his hair style and returned to repeat to the salesman, 'I would like to buy this TV.'

'Sorry, we don't sell to Sardars,' the salesman replied for a second time.
'Damn! Gatnam exploded, 'he recognized me.'

He went for a complete disguise this time, haircut, new hair colour, different clothes, big sunglasses and he waited a few days until he saw the salesman again.
'I would like to buy this TV.'

'Sorry, we don't sell to Sardars,' the salesman replied.
Angry now and frustrated, Gatnam shouted, 'How do you know I'm a Sardar?'
'Because that's a microwave,' he replied.

-----------------------------------------

*At the scene of an accident a man was crying: O God! I have lost my hand, oh!

Sardar: Control yourself. Don't cry. See that man. He has lost his head… Is he crying?

[DebinNC]

Here's a September 15 article on a 35 member U.S. contingent's scouting out The Golden Temple for Obama's visit. The Sikh spokesman mentioned the spot where Obama would stop for refreshments after "paying obeisance". I bet the WH believed the "no turban" excuse would do less political damage than the "no bowing down to idols" excuse.

[Pagar]

""Mr. Obama, a Christian," How would we know if we didn't see those words after Mr. Obama? Do you suppose that the WH requires all leftist propaganda reporters to include those words each time they use his name.

[Threadkiller]

--"Do you suppose that the WH requires all leftist propaganda reporters to include those words each time they use his name."--

Ever since ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKGdkqfBICw"> George Stephanopoulos covered for him.

[hit and run]

TM:
is the Times really trying to encroach on Glenn Beck's turf by just making up nasty stuff about Obama?

To what nasty stuff about Obama that Beck just made up are you referring?

[heir2freedom]

The truth is, the photo-op would be disastrous press for him.

Obama's approval ratings are already precariously low. A front page snapshot of him on the NYT in a head scarf would sell papers, but further sink his already Titantic-like poll numbers.

He's got enough problems...

NEW POST:

AMERICA THE LAWLESS: WHY OBAMA ORDERED A “HIT” ON ARIZONA
http://heir2freedom.blogspot.com/2010/10/america-lawless-why-obama-ordered-hit.html

[zakfromyard]

Hmmm. He won't visit the sikh temple in india, but he will visit a mosque in indonesia. He sure acts like a moslem.

[Jill Mola]

devout Muslims are by shariah Islamic Law forbiden to go to Temples, so Obama being a Muslim can not go, Obama instead can go to Mosque which he will to get the Muslim Vote!

Obama claims peace but ovids the beakon of world Peace The Golden Temple, yet will meet Muslims who are out to kill Christians

[Linda blare]

Washington, October 28, 2010: While reacting to President Obama itinerary which skips a visit to the Golden Temple, Sikh holiest shrine in Amritsar, Dr. Rajwant Singh, Chairman of the Sikh Council on Religion and Education, said,”This is disappointing that President Obama will not visit Harmandir Sahib ( Golden Temple). Three months ago I had proposed this visit by President Obama to the Golden Temple only for spiritual reasons.

President Obama has a genuine desire to promote and foster religious understanding and interfaith dialogue. Golden Temple is testimonial and a symbol of religious pluralism and friendship in India. If there is any site dedicated to this philosophy in the world, it is the Golden Temple and it would have been a wonderful convergence of same stream of thought. I deeply regret President Obama missed the opportunity to send the powerful message of global peace and harmony in the South Asian region and in the world. After all he is winner of a Nobel peace prize. He would have been blessed at this spiritual oasis of peace.
Harimandir Sahib, (Golden Temple) represents a deep spiritual message of the Indian civilization that each faith and an individual is blessed by God and we must live respecting each other. Golden Temple is sacred to all Indians and not just for Sikhs. It represents one of the four great religious traditions India has given to the world. Over 150,000 people of all faiths, visit this place and similar number of people are fed daily, representing equality and human dignity. Why would the President of United States not visit if this is his vision and if this is what he wants to promote in the world. This surely would have shown America’s respect for all faiths and traditions. Also this would have been a wonderful opportunity to show that America is not all about war and money.

I was thrilled when I heard this in the news that the visit to the temple was on the agenda. I am still trying to figure out as to what happened? What political considerations were weighed in to skip this visit? Which lobby would be against this? This visit was in the news for 5 weeks and U.S. Embassy knew about this perception within India. Even Indian government was under this impression that he is set to go to Amritsar and I am told that certain ministers were already assigned to accompany the president to Amritsar. 35 member advance team had visited Amritsar and according to officials in Amritsar, all necessary requirements were met. There is no record of a team of this size checking any other site in India for Obama’s visit. Obviously the message was clear that President Obama will visit Amritsar. Amritsar civil administration gave full assurances to the Secret service team and Embassy officials came fully satisfied about the arrangements according the civil administrator in Amritsar. I also worked closely with the SGPC officials and Sikh religious leaders to make sure this visit goes smooth. President Obama would have received hero’s welcome. He would have been seen as a champion of the minorities and religious diversity. I also worked with the Punjab Chief Minister’s office and we appreciate that they conveyed the right message to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh regarding President Obama’s visit. The doors of the Golden Temple will remain open to President Obama for his future visit and for everyone to be inspired and be blessed."
I truly want to know whether this decision was taken by President himself or some aides advised him based on some domestic compulsions. I have deep respect for Barack Obama and what he stands for. I understand that he has to keep everything in mind when he makes any move but this visit would have only enhanced what he is trying to do in America and in the world. I do not see how this would have had any negative influence on his political standing. In fact this has now added another controversy to his political career and shows him weak in the public eye. Perception has been created wrongly or rightly that political and economic considerations can shift decisions by this White House. I am sure his handlers and political advisors did not intend to achieve this. Overall effect is negative and this visit will be marred with this controversy. I wish this trip a success but with a reserved heart. This issue has disappointed me and many other well wishers. Not only Sikhs are disappointed but all Indians and many Americans as it is evidently seen in the Indian blogs and American blogs. People are overwhelmingly upset with this decision. The reasons given by the White House is insufficient and does not specifically address the issue. They have not addressed that there was a perception out there and the expectations were built among Sikhs. I am astonished at the choice of President visiting Humayun's tomb and what would that speak for given all the sensitivity around the trip. I do know that within White House folks genuinely tried to navigate this to a positive conclusion and we do appreciate their efforts. “
Dr. I.J. Singh, a Sikh writer and a commentator on contemporary Sikh affairs, said, "It is now confirmed that President Obama has decided to forgo his opportunity to go to Harmandar Sahib in Amritsar and will instead visit Hamayun’s Tomb in Delhi. It is not a simple trade off when one realizes what each edifice represents.
Harmandar Sahib is a place of worship for millions who visit it every day. It is open to all irrespective of religion or even no religion. Its volunteers prepare and feed thousands of people free every day, several times that number on the high holy days.
Hamayun’s Tomb is just that – a fine reminder of monarchical profligacy and excesses; the final resting place of a king, perhaps his lasting achievement in the sands of time.
Such are the political realities of the day. What a pity. I expected something like this. Naturally we are disappointed."

Kanwal Prakash Singh from Indianapolis, Indiana, a Sikh activist and a writer, said, “Sikh Americans and the Sikh world are stunned to read of the reasons for President Obama not visiting the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India given by his staff in the New York Times article, "A Question of Appearances: Obama Will Bypass Sikh Temple on Visit to India" by Lydia Polgreen (NY Times, October 19, 2010).

The US President's canceling his trip to Amritsar and the visit to the Golden Temple strictly based on the report in some media circles, if true, that by wearing a scarf to cover his head, the President may be viewed as being a Muslim is most unfortunate.
The White House's action to cancel his trip based on that would reinforce the unconscionable stereotype that all those who cover their heads in America are Muslims rather than Sikhs (for whom covering their heads is a faith-mandated commandment and tradition). Mr. Obama canceling the trip to Amritsar to avoid an association with any faith other than his own can lead to further misunderstanding and perpetuation of unprovoked hostility, harassment and hate crimes, problems of mistaken identity and discrimination against Sikh Americans in the U.S.
Sikhs are not Muslims. Covering one's head is associated with humility and respect for a faith tradition. The recent visits to the Golden Temple by Queen Elizabeth II, Prime Ministers of Canada and Australia, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Christian, Jewish, and Hindu leaders, and others have generated a great sense of goodwill among the Sikh diaspora around the world. These world leaders never thought that somehow covering their head in the holiest shrine of the Sikh faith ever compromised their humanity or spirituality. They, and tens of millions from diverse faith traditions from every corner of the world, come annually to honor a world faith, its traditions, and followers and receive spiritual blessings.
The visits by world leaders to the Golden Temple has enhanced their stature and admiration in the global Sikh community and among people of their own nations, many of whom are well aware of the history, tradition, and the foundation of the Sikh faith as based on equality, sanctity of all faiths and sacred traditions, and dignity and justice for all human beings.
Thus, the White House considering canceling the U.S. President's visit to Darbar Sahib shows a total lack of understanding and will be a serious setback for the whole issue of honoring and celebrating diversity in America. If the White House has other reasons to cancel the President's trip to Amritsar and the Golden Temple, then that is altogether a different matter. We hope that the President will walk his famous talk. The Sikhs around the world are optimistic that this grand gesture towards the global Sikh community in American and his friend, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh (a Sikh), may send the right message. His canceling the trip due to the reasons being floated by the media is a terribly shortsighted decision could be a missed opportunity to see one of the world's most beautiful spiritual heritage centers.
Dr. Sawraj Singh, Chairman, Washington State Network for Human Rights and Chairman Central Washington Coalition for Social Justice, while commenting on this issue, said, “We were very happy when we first learned that President Obama would go to Harimandar Sahib. A Canadian Punjabi radio interviewed me and I discussed this issue on the radio. Many listeners participated in the discussion, which lasted more than an hour. I said that this would be a good thing for the Sikh community as well as for the rest of the World. The listeners also agreed that this was a very good thing for the Sikh community and other people.
We all felt let down when we heard that President Obama will not be going to the Harimandar Sahib. We sincerely hope that he will again reconsider his decision of not going there and will see the merits of going there.
If he decides to go there, then the World media will be focused there. This will provide a good opportunity to the Sikh community to give the right information about itself and dispel the wrong impressions about the Sikhs. The rest of the World will also benefit from this, because they will learn about a philosophy which can be accepted by the whole mankind. Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs, has such spirituality and ideology that can be accepted by the whole mankind. The message of Sri Guru Granth Sahib is not limited to any one community, caste, race, nation, country or region and is for the whole mankind and is universal.
Today, it is becoming clear that the western capitalistic model of development has failed, because it is one sided and is limited to economic development only. It completely lacks any concept of human or social development. This model has given us an unbalanced development.
This development can be called economic only development without any ethical perspective. Sri Guru Granth Sahib can correct this imbalance and impart ethical aspect to this economic only Globalization. The alternate model of development in Sri Guru Granth Sahib emphasizes overall development, along with economic development, this development includes social, cultural, ethical aspects as well as the concept of environmental protection.
This visit can also help to dispel the wrong impressions about the Sikhs. After the Islamic revolution in Iran, there were attacks on the Sikhs because people thought they were Iranian Muslims. The Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini had beard and turban and people thought that those Sikhs were his followers. Similarly, after the September 11 attacks, some Sikhs became victims again because people mistook them for the Muslim Arabs. Osama Bin Laden also had beard and turban.
Many westerners learned about the Sikhs during the two world wars. Their impression about the Sikhs was that they are the loyal British soldiers. People thought that they were martial people and were good fighters. Very few people knew about their great philosophy, because in their minds, people did not associate the Sikhs with spirituality or a universal philosophy. Many westerners continue to think that only Hinduism represents the eastern spirituality and philosophy. Some have started to think that Buddhism represents the eastern spirituality and philosophy. However, the Sikh religion is chronologically the last major religion to emerge in the east. Therefore, Sri Guru Granth Sahib can be considered zenith of the eastern spirituality and ideology.
Unfortunately, many people outside India do not know much about Sri Guru Granth Sahib and its message of equality, social justice, tolerance, love, peaceful coexistence, universal concern and universal welfare. Sri Guru Granth Sahib promotes the principles of pluralism and diversity and does not advocate conversion into the Sikh religion. Sri Guru Granth Sahib advocates that Hindus should be good Hindus, Muslims should be good Muslims and Christians should be good Christians. What really matters is that they become good people. Sri Guru Granth Sahib advocates a universal community from which nobody should be excluded. These are the principles which World needs today. President Obama, by going to Harimandar Sahib, will be promoting these principles.

[solar motion light]

Why don't we go and make some comprehencion again to this statement. And create some ideas that was stated.
But the United States has ruled out a Golden Temple visit, according to an American official involved in planning. Temple officials said that American advance teams had gone to Amritsar, the holy city that is the site of the temple, to discuss a possible visit. But the plan appears to have foundered on the thorny question of how Mr. Obama would cover his head, as Sikh tradition requires, while visiting the temple.