Thank you, Secretary Powell

Finally, a man of the stature of former Secretary of State Colin Powell has said it:

Mr. Powell mentioned Mr. Khan’s death to underscore why he was deeply troubled by Republican personal attacks on Mr. Obama, especially false intimations that he was Muslim.

Mr. Obama is a lifelong Christian, not a Muslim, he said. But, he added, “The really right answer is, what if he is?”

“Is there something wrong with being Muslim in America? No, that’s not America,” he said.

The quest now is to integrate our thought not only as fully American but also as fully Muslim in the internal American thought processes about financial regulation, international relations, and other areas of political discourse, without being dismissed off-hand as being somewhat alien to our homeland of choice. This is not in any way a violation of the separation of Church and State. Our religious choices determine our preferences for society, and bring a wealth of human history and experience that should enrich the political process without tarnishing its areligious nature. 

It is unfortunate that majority Muslim countries of today have suggested that Islam does not allow separation of Church and State -- contrary to historical evidence dating back to the immediate days following the death of the Prophet (p) -- thus preventing their own wealth of history to inform their policy making positively. It is difficult to blame poorly informed westerners for irrational fear of everything "Muslim" when Muslim leaders in various parts of the world are actively nurturing this fear toward political and financial ends.