This is what I'm waiting for. The "I'm not a Muslim, but so what if I was?" speech. We have examined race, now it's time to defuse the rumors and celebrate the faith. This is an opportunity to remove the elitist stink from the sanctimonious suggestion of "Christianity" as the only acceptable faith tradition for our leaders. It is time to end the disenfranchisement of Muslim-Americans, who are by all accounts http://pewforum.org/...), as productive, educated, and "...are decidely American in their outlook, values, and attitudes" as the rest of us.
I'm sick of the verbage that Obama must "deny" being a Muslim which allows the stereotype of the Muslim as terrorist and fundamentalist to exist. We must examine our acceptance(or lack) of various traditions of faith, how all these traditions share many of the same beliefs, holy lands, and goals. Barack must examine and reveal whether his/our relationship with Israel is what is holding back our ability to accept Muslim-Americans and a full acceptance of that faith tradition. We must examine how we can bring all stakeholders together in the conversation; Holy men and women in the traditions of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. We must be educated(or educate) and find the place of understanding and acceptance that eliminate the fear and ignorance which allows and exacerbates the power of the "viral email".
There have been a great many dialogues brought forth by the Obama candidacy, however I will not be convinced or exited until this subject is addressed and the faith of our Muslim brothers and sisters is celebrated and removed from darkness on a national stage.