Latest right wing attack: Obama only cares about black victims of terrorism
Latest right wing attack: Obama only cares about black victims of terrorism
This has to be the dumbest attack yet: Some on the right are on a tear because President Obama allegedly said Al Qaeda kills Africans because the organization is “racist.”
[…]
As always, though, a look at what Obama actually said proves this attack is entirely bogus. Folks on the right are pointing out that Obama told the South African Broadcasting Corporation in an interview that terrorist groups do not regard African life as “valuable”:
“What you’ve seen in some of the statements that have been made by these terrorist organizations is that they do not regard African life as valuable in and of itself. They see it as a potential place where you can carry out ideological battles that kill innocents without regard to long-term consequences for their short-term tactical gains.”
This, apparently, is a deeply controversial thing to say. Drudge is on the case. Commentary decried “Obama’s race obsession.” And Right Wing News proclaimed: “Obama Finally Finds A Reason To Hate Al Qaeda.”
But come on. The full transcript shows that Obama said this in the context of a discussion of Islam in Africa.
Here’s what Obama said:
Islam is a great religion. It is one that has prospered side by side with other religions within Africa. And one of the great strengths of Africa is its diversity not only of faith, but of races and ethnicities. But what you have seen in terms of radical Islam is an approach that says that any efforts to modernize, any efforts to provide basic human rights, any efforts to democratize are somehow anti-Islam. And I think that is absolutely wrong. I think the vast majority of people of the Islamic faith reject that. I think the people of Africa reject it.
And what you’ve seen in some of the statements that have been made by these terrorist organizations is that they do not regard African life as valuable in and of itself…
Separately, right wingers are also pointing out that an anonymous White House official told Jake Tapper that Al Qaeda is a “racist organization that treats black Africans like cannon fodder.” But again, this was in the context of a discussion about Africa. The official also told Tapper that U.S. intelligence indicates that Al Qaeda specifically recruits black Africans because of poor economic and social conditions.
[…]