Barack Obama

Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to Barack Obama, Sr. (born in Nyanza Province, Kenya) and Ann Dunham (born in Wichita, Kansas). Barack Hussein Obama (born August 4, 1961) is the junior United States Senator from Illinois and a member of the Democratic Party.

Obama grew up in culturally diverse surroundings. He spent most of his childhood in the majority-minority U.S. state of Hawaii and lived for four years in Indonesia. Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention while still an Illinois state legislator. Since announcing his candidacy in February 2007, Obama has emphasized ending the Iraq War and implementing universal health care as campaign themes.

As a member of the Democratic minority in the 109th Congress, Obama co-sponsored the enactment of conventional weapons control and transparency legislation, and made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Obama's parents separated when he was two years old and later divorced. His father went to Harvard University to pursue Ph.D. studies, then returned to Kenya, where he died in an auto accident when the younger Obama was twenty-one years old.

Don't Send Islam Underground, but to Ballot Box

Political Islam is a fact of life in countries with large Muslim populations. Indonesia's experience tells us that suppressing or banning political Islam only drives the movements underground and leads to violence. Political Islam should instead have to make its case to voters, who in Indonesia have consistently chosen secularism instead.

washingtonpost.com Wed, 01 Aug 2007 10:11:14 EDT

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2007/08/01/BL2007080100805.html?nav=rss_opinion/columns
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