"Someone in the audience asked whether Obamas father was Muslim. Soetoro-Ng replied, Baracks father wasnt Muslim. He was a secular intellectual; he didnt practice a religion. These rumors are designed quite clearly to hurt; theres no mystery there. Barack is the most religious person in our family; his means of practicing is very broad and respectful of all faiths. Hes been a Christian for about twenty years; this is a real call to service for him. "
from this link
http://www.haleakalatimes.com/story2862.aspx
The Times reports that Obama was registered as a Muslim student all the time he was in school in Jakarta. Obama's sister, Miss Soetoro, denies her family was Muslim and says her relatives only went to the Mosque for big communal events.
(like Christians who only go to church for Christmas, it doesn't mean that they're not Christians)
======================
Obama Jr's Muslim schooling
Soetoro enrolled Obama Jr. in an Indonesian Catholic school and later in one of Jakarta's Muslim controlled public schools.
During his time in Indonesia, Obama Jr, was known as Barry Soetoro. He attended first grade at a Catholic elementary school near his home, St. Francis of Assisi Foundation School, which accepted students of any religion. Barry's primary school teacher said he registered as a Muslim and that he attended Koranic religious class.
"At that time, Barry was also praying in a Catholic way, but Barry was Muslim. He was registered as a Muslim because his father was Muslim." Barry's first-grade teacher Israella Dharmawan told the San Francisco Times
"Barry was a Muslim. He went to the mosque," boyhood buddy Zulfin Adi told the Times.
""My whole family was Muslim, and most of the people I knew were Muslim," said Maya Soetoro-Ng, Mr. Obama's younger half sister.
In the third grade, Obama transferred to a public school, where he also registered as a Muslim. Students at the school attended weekly religion lessons about Islam which were taught by Muslims.
Also, In his autobiography, Dreams From My Father, Obama mentioned studying the Quran and describing the public school as "a Muslim school."
(my point, what is the big deal? Why hide it?)
Thats what Obamas half sister said about his father and his religion. She is his sister from his mothers marriage to an Indonesian man. Her fathers family is Muslim like you said but I don't think she is anymore? I believe her husband is not Muslim so if she is she's obviously not very strict. Their mother never was any particular religion.
The sister does NOT live in Indonesia as curiositycat said, she teaches school in Hawaii, and she's never said Obama is a Muslim. He attended a mosque at least occasionally as a kid w/the stepfather but its pretty clear that they were exposed to a number of religions (Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, etc) by their mother and he chose Christianity as an adult.
Also, Barack Obama only saw his father once after his parents divorced when he was 2. I don't believe he even met any of his Kenyan half-siblings until he was an adult so I don't see how this brothers possible Muslim extremism would have much bearing on his life at all really? Plenty of people have family members that they don't share beliefs with.
I would never vote for Obama or pretty much any other Democrat but IMO all these rumours and false stories about him and his family were just put out to play on the racism/xenophobia, ignorance and/or irrational fears of a large portion of the general public.
Obama Jr's grandfather, for whom he was given the middle name, Hussein, was "fiercely devoted to Islam." He had at least 3 wives: Helima, who had no children, Akuma who gave birth to Sarah Obama, Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. and Auma Obama. The third wife was Sarah, who Obama Jr. refers to as his "grandmother." Sarah became the primary care giver for Senior after his mother, Akuma, left the family when her children were still young.
At 18, Obama Jr's father, Barack Obama Sr. (Senior), married a girl called Kezia from a local village.
Four years later (1957) Obama Sr., because of his father's wealth and influence, was awarded an American sponsored scholarship in economics to the University of Hawaii. The presumption was that Obama Sr. would return to Africa and use his "Western-honed skills in a new Kenya."
At the age of 23, Obama Sr. left behind his pregnant wife Kezia and their children to become the first African student enrolled at the University of Hawaii.
Obama Sr's other wives
While still married to Kezia, Obama Sr. married fellow University of Hawaii student Anna Dunham, an 18 year old white anthropology major. Anna gave birth to a son on August 4th, 1961 in Honolulu. Obama Sr., a Muslim, chose the Muslim Koranic name, Barack Hussein Obama, for his son. The middle name "Hussein" to honor Muslim grandfather Hussein Onyango Obama.
Two years later, Obama Sr. abandoned Anna and Obama Jr. for a scholarship to pursue a PhD program in economics at Harvard University.
In June 1964, Obama Sr. returned to Kenya to work for the Jomo Kenyatta administration. Soon after, he married another white woman, his third wife, an American-born teacher called Ruth, who he met at Harvard. She followed him back home to Africa and conceived 2 children by him. He fathered 2 more children by Kezia.
Anna divorced Obama Sr. when Obama Jr. was 6 to marry Lolo Soetoro, an Indonesian Muslim. Soetoro moved his new family to Indonesia, the worlds most populous Muslim country. Obama's half-sister, Maya Soetoro was born in Indonesia.
Obama Senior died in 1982, the result of an alcohol-related car accident (his second) in Kenya. He left behind three wives, one mistress, six sons and a daughter -- also a possible eighth child by a mistress. Although Obama Jr. claims Senior was an atheist, Senior was buried as a Muslim. Obama Jr's mother, Anna, died of cancer a few months after the publication of his 1995 memoir.
