This is the way Obama will defend Sharia; he will use women to attack rights for Muslim women
Obama used race baiting and sexism to destroy Hillary because he IS a misogynist at heart. He hates women and surrounds himself with women who destroy other women for him (Samantha Powers, M Dowd, Donna Brazile, NARAL, Peelosi). Obama sets his storm troopers out to use race baiting and sexism to destroy his female opposition. He never seems to get his hands dirty. This is the first tactic of the patriarchal theologies (and pimps). Love, money and light comes from the man while punishment comes from his women who are competing for the status of being first in his harem.
This is very serious for feminists. Notice that only now the females in congress organize protests for Roe and Equal Pay to frighten us into voting for the Chosen One. Where were they with their protests the last four years when they had the majority in the house and senate and lost the rights they are protesting NOW? Nowhere -- did you get any organizing letters from these women except from NOW on the eve of the equal pay vote?
But now they use our issues to frighten us. Where were they when Hillary was running for president based on these issues? They were endorsing Obama.
Now they act as if they care but their only care is that the Obama money keeps coming to fund their careers. BO has control of all DNC funds in Chicago and will have that control for the next four years just as H. Dean had whether he wins or not. None of them are brave enough to say No. Not even Hillary.
Please get ready to fight this misogynist Islamic politico dogma (and to be ostracized and shamed for fighting it). They will drag out their Islamic and AA professors to call us white middle class xenophobic racists bla bla bla - you heard it all from their clones in Women's Studies.
Stand firm for what is done to Muslim women will be done to you. Believe it. That is the plan.
I show the roots of Obama's support for the subordination of women under Sharia below this WAMI post. I originally wrote it in a comment I left on Alegre's Journal. All feminists should be reading Alegre's Journal everyday. You will see why. Women there asked me to post my comment in a "dairy". I do not know what a diary is so I post it below this news from WAMI. It was my comment on the New Yorker cover. Ha!
But first listen to WAMI and hear the news of how Obama will justify Sharia.
WAMI writes:"and its coming now from the Obama camp, from Obama himself. Obama will hire a "Muslim liaison," who insists that "American women need to understand that what is best for them is not necessarily what is best for Muslim women"
Since American women consider freedom, equality, and independence to be "best for them," does that mean Muslim women don't, or rather, wouldn't, if given the chance?
From Politico, July 21 "Obama campaign hires Muslim liaison," :
"Obama's campaign has created a Muslim liaison, according to two sources familiar with the move.
The sources said the job was likely to be filled by Haim Nawas, a Jordanian-American who filled a similar role for the campaign of General Wesley Clark in 2004.
The job is complicated by the fact that Obama has been forced repeatedly to deny that he is Muslim, a situation that grates on some Muslim-Americans.
Nawas wrote in 2005 that the Bush Administration should take a more nuanced approach to public diplomacy directed at Muslim women.
"We need to recognize that the social structure in the Muslim world is very different from America's," she wrote. "American women need to understand that what is best for them is not necessarily what is best for Muslim women. Advocacy of women's rights in the Muslim world must show sensitivity to local political realities." "
Posted by Raymond
Natasha wrote:
We in (or having been in) the far left recognize this strategy and rhetoric and its NOT good, its a means to force intimidation and clamp down on women's human rights activists when confronting Islam.
THIS IS MY COMMENT ON THE NEW YORKER COVER from Alegre's Journal.
New Yorker cover as Indicator
I am SOOOO glad to read this. Thought I was the only one. Active in NOW from 1972 to 1980. For the past 5 years I saw it was corrupted at the national level and just the ladies left auxiliary. I got their email using words like horrific and racist about the New Yorker cover. All the left identity language which has been used to divide women in our movement when the left could not co opt us any other way.
I had never seen the national NOW so upset about the women living under sharia. NOW never voiced any outrage at the slave status of those women. During the war, NOW had a chance to influence the reconstruction in favor of Muslim women's rights if they had worked with the Office of International Womens Issues in the State Dept. There one lone Republican woman, single childless pro choice Condi Rice, has set up a network of Muslim women working to destroy Sharia throughout many Muslim countries. This includes more then 8 regional women's centers in Afghanistan. underground domestic violence centers and women's police forces to defend them. There are lots of problems but my point is not to get into that discussion.
My point is to compare it to what Barack Obama has done for Muslim women. BO supports his brother in Kenya, Abongo Obama a politician who wants to bring back Sharia and his cousin, Odinga, who made campaign promises to bring back Sharia. Obama campaigned for Odinga to such an extent that Kenya made a formal complaint to the state dept. Both are Muslim extremist who hate Israel with all the craziness of that breed. Yet, NOW goes into full war mode to defend BO, outraged and fainting over the "horrific" insult, the monstrous indignity to the Chosen One.
There is a chart called the Club of Bo's connections with political Islam here. Just Click on the Chart to enlarge it and then click on the individual boxes to enlarge them.
When I saw that NY cover I did not take it as the insult to the so called ignorant bitter small town hicks it was meant to be. I took it to as a sign that there was so much evidence and red flags about Obama's true politics out in the world that it is being noticed by the boy's club at the New Yorker. You know the boy's club that managed to get through an entire war without once noticing the women, their slave status and their struggle to be free of male intimidation.
So I wrote back to Ms that I would like to see all this drama at poor persecuted Obama applied to the women he used and is still using to gain personal power. The women hatred he gins up in the boys to gain their support. The contempt he shows for women such as his grandmother, who are afraid to walk the streets because of assault and abuse. Let them stay home then is the Sharia answer. Why should I be offended when his wife is shown as a leftist hater and he as a Muslim? No I am not at all offended.
HE IS WHAT OFFENDS ME. And the men's club, the patriarchy that brings him to rule over us in this country that has no equal rights amendment - that has no constitutional safeguards for women's rights.
4 Comments:
We have to organize against
the 3rd wave sell out of Muslim women.
Natasha supports cyber activism and do do i and i am thinking of a concerted action against the "Feministe" blog which is Pro Obama and pro Islamic Femninism (which is a joke, of course.)
apostatepakistanigirl (apg)
Just saw your comment -welcome - thank you ---We really don't want to waste time fighting with other women - we have to think of ways to help Muslim women escape here and there - I don't even read those blogs anymore as there was nothing feminist there.
I like talking this out with other feminists - Now that women are coming together on this issue we ought to be able to be positive -- I do the most outside work Thursday through Sat. but I will comment here on Sunday about what kind of actions we can do and who would support us on the web -- maybe something against Obama if he hires this woman. We will have to find out for sure who he picks and then research what they have written.
apostatepakistanigirl (apg)
I hope you get this message. I have a second wave feminist whose books I love as several of them have expressed what I needed to know as if they were unlocking my feelings into words. She is a heroine of the movement starting with her book "Women and Madness" in '72 through my favorite, "Women's Inhumanity to Women" and the last "The Death of Feminism"(western feminists refusal to organize and fight the slave status of women under the Islamic theocracies). She sent this note out to the blogosphere and I hope you get a change to watch TV tonight or tomorrow.
-----------------------
This weekend, on both Saturday and Sunday evenings at 8pm, EST, Fox-TV will be airing a one hour documentary about honor murders in America. They interviewed me at length and you may see my face and my words on camera.
FOX was the only national media outlet that really covered the honor murder of Sarah and Amina Said in Dallas Texas early this year. Kudos to them for their interest in this subject. The crew told me that I was the only domestic violence expert willing to say that honor murders have something to do with….Islam and with Muslims.
The Fox team was utterly amazing: Friendly, professional, exceedingly well prepared. About six or seven serious men arrived with lights, cameras, and computers and they turned my home into a studio-quality locale. I was interviewed by the very beautiful and brainy Lauren Greene but as I now understand it, the program will also be hosted by Megan Kelly. Let me thank Justin Laffer and Byron Garoufalis for providing excellent backup.
I would welcome your views of the program and the subject right here at my blog.
http://pajamasmedia.com/phyllischesler/
Leprechaun wrote:
I got this email about Obama. Is there any truth to it?
This man must not get into office.
Celeste and Loren Davis are Missionaries in Africa and can shed some light on one of our Presidential candidates.
Thanks for sending out an alert about Obama.
We are living and working in Kenya for almost twelve years now and know his family (tribe) well. They are the ones who were behind the recent Presidential election chaos here.
Thousands of people have been displaced by election violence (over 350,000) and I don't know the last count of the dead. Obama under "friends of Obama" gave almost a million dollars to the opposition campaign who just happened to be his cousin, Leprechaun wrote:
I got this email about Obama. Is there any truth to it?
This man must not get into office.
Celeste and Loren Davis are Missionaries in Africa and can shed some light on one of our Presidential candidates.
Thanks for sending out an alert about Obama.
We are living and working in Kenya for almost twelve years now and know his family (tribe) well. They are the ones who were behind the recent Presidential election chaos here.
Thousands of people have been displaced by election violence (over 350,000) and I don't know the last count of the dead. Obama under "friends of Obama" gave almost a million dollars to the opposition campaign who just happened to be his cousin, Raila Odinga, who is a socialist trained in east Germany. He has been trying to bring Kenya down for years and the last president threw him in prison for trying to subvert this country! December 27th elections brought cries from ODM (Odinga Camp) of rigged election. Obama and Raila speak daily. As we watch Obama rise in the US we are sure that whatever happens, he will use the same tactic, crying rigged election if he doesn't win and possibly cause a race war in America.
What we would like you to know is what the American press has been keeping a dirty little secret. Obama IS a Muslim and he IS a racist and this is a fulfillment of the 911 threat that was just the beginning. Jihad is the only true Muslim way. We have been working with them for 20 years this July! He is not an American as we know it. Please encourage your friends and associates not to be taken in by those that are promoting him. It is world wide jihad. All our friends in Europe are very disturbed by the Muslim infiltration into their countries.
By the way. His true name is Barak Hussein Muhammed Obama. Won't that sound sweet to our enemies as they swear him in on the Koran!
God Bless you.
Pray for us here in Kenya. We are still fighting for our nation to withstand the same kind of assault that every nation, including America, is fighting. Takeover from the outside to fit the new world order. As believers, this means we will be the first targets. Here in Kenya, not one mosque was burned down, but hundreds of churches were burned down, some with people in them, burned alive.
Jesus Christ is our peace but the new world order of Globalism has infiltrated the church and confused believers into thinking that they can compromise and survive. It won't be so. I will send you a newsletter we sent out in February documenting in a more cohesive manner what I've tried to say in a few paragraphs.
Love, Celeste
Reply to this
6/3/2008 10:50 AM Hector Washington wrote:
Losers. GET OVER IT. Take another Midol and quit whining.
Obama is the MAN.
Reply to this
6/3/2008 5:47 PM jo2 wrote:
Sounds like you forgot your viagra and overdosed on pissvinegar last nite, bud!
Reply to this
6/3/2008 5:44 PM meme wrote:
Celeste and friends in Kenya! You're right on! Before his announcement to run Obama went to Kenya, spent a lot of money campaigning actively (with Dick Morris) on behalf of his Luo tribe Cousin Odinga, then the opposition leader, who is a marxist-islamist fanatic and provised to islamist councils (signed memo) that if elected, SHARIA LAW would be the law of the land! He wants full cover for women and chastity laws, and Barack knew this and approved! In December, Odinga lost the election (only 10% Kenyans are muslim, rest Christians in this formerly Democratic country) and his murderous supporters and gangs started last Dec. raping families and burned down 55 churches--Barack had given them money under the "friends" corporate logo!
Barack called Condi Rice last Jan. and asked her if he could write a "Healing Speech for the Kenyan civil war" raging as result of his support of his cousin. the president Kikuyu had registered his strong objection to Obama's direct interference in his sovereign country's affairs. Hundreds of refugees are suffering and women and children have been hurt hte most--thanks to Obama's support of his murderous cousin Odinga, who is now President!
Perhaps Barack should apply for the Vice-Presidnet's job. But I would appologize to Celeste for this...
Obama should write an apology to all Kenyans and buy food and medical supplies for the women who've been raped adn rebuild the Churches.
Barack voted in 1996 to allow sex shops near schools and churches in Chicago (his was the SOLE vote!Check this!) Also, he voted in favour of early parole for SEX OFFENDERS in Ill!
Don't forget he destroyed and knocked off hte Chicago ballot his mentor, Sen. Alice Palmer! The man's not a Christian in his beliefs and the way he conducts his life.
Rev. Wright was not wrong when he said of his protege:
"Barack's just another typical politician! He'll say anything...and do anything..." to get power. God save all
Americans from this dangerously immature woman-and-child-hater.
Reply to this
6/3/2008 6:11 PM Virginia Ray wrote:
Why don't you people sign your first and last names and provide links to support these allegations -- where is the link to proof of his travel, his donations and relationship to this dictator? Where is the link to the church of these missionaries? Why don't these missionaries make videos and put them on Utube? Send them to CNN? Publish it in Vanity Fair?
At least you might provide links to these votes about sex offenders.
Reply to this
6/3/2008 8:50 PM sakel wrote:
I read the comments regarding the need to support the allegations made by commentators and although I do not know the missionaries' story, I have read about the fact that Obama did indeed campaign with Dick Morris in Kenya on behalf of his Kenyan cousin.
The N.Y. Times had a very comprehensive outline of Obmama's various legislative "accomplishments" and I can at least refer you all to this:
December 20, 2007--"IT'S NOT JUST 'AYES' AND 'NAYS': OBAMA'S VOTES ECHO" by
Raymond Hernandez and Christopher Drew.
I was not surprised to read that Obama voted a "safe" "uncommitted" and "cowardly" "PRESENT" for bills he was afraid to support. He was obviously failing and criticized in his legislative substantive duties and this N.Y.Times article I found enlightening and reconfirming what I always thought of Barack: An arrogantly inept, narcissistic Chicago politician who got this far thanks to media misogyny and by stepping over the bodies of his female opponents after stealing their votes. (Sen. Alice Palmer and now Hillary Clinton).
I agree that somebody must find these missionaries and go to Kenya and film the chaos as result of the December civil war. I'm sure the burning of the churches and rapes are well documented by world relief organizations and recall reading about Odinga's horrific crimes against women and children there.
For what's it's worth Larry Sinclair/Pastor James David Manning have posts in "wordpress.com" on the murder of Donald Young, the charismatic gay choir master at Trinity who was murdered last December and the Chicago CPD are investigating. They claim this is the "October" surprise. ?
Reply to this
who is a socialist trained in east Germany. He has been trying to bring Kenya down for years and the last president threw him in prison for trying to subvert this country! December 27th elections brought cries from ODM (Odinga Camp) of rigged election. Obama and Raila speak daily. As we watch Obama rise in the US we are sure that whatever happens, he will use the same tactic, crying rigged election if he doesn't win and possibly cause a race war in America.
What we would like you to know is what the American press has been keeping a dirty little secret. Obama IS a Muslim and he IS a racist and this is a fulfillment of the 911 threat that was just the beginning. Jihad is the only true Muslim way. We have been working with them for 20 years this July! He is not an American as we know it. Please encourage your friends and associates not to be taken in by those that are promoting him. It is world wide jihad. All our friends in Europe are very disturbed by the Muslim infiltration into their countries.
By the way. His true name is Barak Hussein Muhammed Obama. Won't that sound sweet to our enemies as they swear him in on the Koran!
God Bless you.
Pray for us here in Kenya. We are still fighting for our nation to withstand the same kind of assault that every nation, including America, is fighting. Takeover from the outside to fit the new world order. As believers, this means we will be the first targets. Here in Kenya, not one mosque was burned down, but hundreds of churches were burned down, some with people in them, burned alive.
Jesus Christ is our peace but the new world order of Globalism has infiltrated the church and confused believers into thinking that they can compromise and survive. It won't be so. I will send you a newsletter we sent out in February documenting in a more cohesive manner what I've tried to say in a few paragraphs.
Love, Celeste
Reply to this
6/3/2008 10:50 AM Hector Washington wrote:
Losers. GET OVER IT. Take another Midol and quit whining.
Obama is the MAN.
Reply to this
6/3/2008 5:47 PM jo2 wrote:
Sounds like you forgot your viagra and overdosed on pissvinegar last nite, bud!
Reply to this
6/3/2008 5:44 PM meme wrote:
Celeste and friends in Kenya! You're right on! Before his announcement to run Obama went to Kenya, spent a lot of money campaigning actively (with Dick Morris) on behalf of his Luo tribe Cousin Odinga, then the opposition leader, who is a marxist-islamist fanatic and provised to islamist councils (signed memo) that if elected, SHARIA LAW would be the law of the land! He wants full cover for women and chastity laws, and Barack knew this and approved! In December, Odinga lost the election (only 10% Kenyans are muslim, rest Christians in this formerly Democratic country) and his murderous supporters and gangs started last Dec. raping families and burned down 55 churches--Barack had given them money under the "friends" corporate logo!
Barack called Condi Rice last Jan. and asked her if he could write a "Healing Speech for the Kenyan civil war" raging as result of his support of his cousin. the president Kikuyu had registered his strong objection to Obama's direct interference in his sovereign country's affairs. Hundreds of refugees are suffering and women and children have been hurt hte most--thanks to Obama's support of his murderous cousin Odinga, who is now President!
Perhaps Barack should apply for the Vice-Presidnet's job. But I would appologize to Celeste for this...
Obama should write an apology to all Kenyans and buy food and medical supplies for the women who've been raped adn rebuild the Churches.
Barack voted in 1996 to allow sex shops near schools and churches in Chicago (his was the SOLE vote!Check this!) Also, he voted in favour of early parole for SEX OFFENDERS in Ill!
Don't forget he destroyed and knocked off hte Chicago ballot his mentor, Sen. Alice Palmer! The man's not a Christian in his beliefs and the way he conducts his life.
Rev. Wright was not wrong when he said of his protege:
"Barack's just another typical politician! He'll say anything...and do anything..." to get power. God save all
Americans from this dangerously immature woman-and-child-hater.
Reply to this
6/3/2008 6:11 PM Virginia Ray wrote:
Why don't you people sign your first and last names and provide links to support these allegations -- where is the link to proof of his travel, his donations and relationship to this dictator? Where is the link to the church of these missionaries? Why don't these missionaries make videos and put them on Utube? Send them to CNN? Publish it in Vanity Fair?
At least you might provide links to these votes about sex offenders.
Reply to this
6/3/2008 8:50 PM sakel wrote:
I read the comments regarding the need to support the allegations made by commentators and although I do not know the missionaries' story, I have read about the fact that Obama did indeed campaign with Dick Morris in Kenya on behalf of his Kenyan cousin.
The N.Y. Times had a very comprehensive outline of Obmama's various legislative "accomplishments" and I can at least refer you all to this:
December 20, 2007--"IT'S NOT JUST 'AYES' AND 'NAYS': OBAMA'S VOTES ECHO" by
Raymond Hernandez and Christopher Drew.
I was not surprised to read that Obama voted a "safe" "uncommitted" and "cowardly" "PRESENT" for bills he was afraid to support. He was obviously failing and criticized in his legislative substantive duties and this N.Y.Times article I found enlightening and reconfirming what I always thought of Barack: An arrogantly inept, narcissistic Chicago politician who got this far thanks to media misogyny and by stepping over the bodies of his female opponents after stealing their votes. (Sen. Alice Palmer and now Hillary Clinton).
I agree that somebody must find these missionaries and go to Kenya and film the chaos as result of the December civil war. I'm sure the burning of the churches and rapes are well documented by world relief organizations and recall reading about Odinga's horrific crimes against women and children there.
For what's it's worth Larry Sinclair/Pastor James David Manning have posts in "wordpress.com" on the murder of Donald Young, the charismatic gay choir master at Trinity who was murdered last December and the Chicago CPD are investigating. They claim this is the "October" surprise. ?
Reply to this
__________
[edit] Early life
Raila Odinga was born in Maseno, Kisumu District, Nyanza Province on January 7, 1945. He received a scholarship that in 1965 sent him to the Technical University, Magdeburg (now a part of Otto von Guericke University of Magdeburg) in East Germany. In 1970, he graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
On returning to Kenya, he worked as a lecturer at the University of Nairobi. He eventually left the university to join politics. In 1975, he was appointed Deputy Director of the Kenya Bureau of Standards, a post he held until his 1982 detention.
[edit] Detention
Raila was placed under house arrest for seven months after being suspected of collaborating with the plotters of a failed coup attempt against President Daniel Arap Moi in 1982. Raila was charged with treason and was detained without trial for six years.[2]
A biography released in July 2006 suggested that Raila was more involved in the coup than previously thought. After its publication, some MPs called for Raila to be arrested and charged,[3] but the statute of limitations had already passed and, since the information was contained in a biography, Raila could not be said to have openly confessed his involvement.[4]
Released on February 6th, 1988, he was rearrested in September, 1988 for his involvement with the Kenya Revolutionary Movement (KRM),[5] an underground organisation pressing for multi-party democracy in Kenya, which was then a one-party state.
Raila was released on June 12th, 1989, only to be incarcerated again on July 5th, 1990, together with Kenneth Matiba, and former Nairobi Mayor Charles Rubia.[6] Raila was released on June 21st, 1991, and in October, he fled the country to Norway alleging government attempts to assassinate him.[7]
[edit] Multi-party politics
At the time of Raila's departure to Norway, the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD), a movement formed to agitate for the return of multi-party democracy to Kenya, was newly formed. In February 1992, Raila returned to join FORD, then led by his father Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. He was elected Vice Chairman of the General Purposes Committee of the party. In the months running up to the 1992 General Election, FORD split into Ford Kenya, led by Raila's father Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, and FORD-Asili led by Kenneth Matiba. Raila became Ford-Kenya's Deputy Director of Elections. Raila won the Langata Constituency parliamentary seat, previously held by Philip Leakey of KANU.[8]
When Jaramogi Oginga Odinga died in January 1994, and Michael Wamalwa Kijana succeeded him as FORD-Kenya chairman, Raila challenged him for the party leadership. He lost, and left FORD-Kenya to join the National Development Party (NDP). In the 1997 General Election, Raila finished third after President Moi, the incumbent, and Democratic Party candidate Mwai Kibaki. He retained his position as the Langata MP.[8]
After the election, Raila supported the Moi government, and led a merger between his party, NDP, and Moi's KANU party. He served in Moi's Cabinet as Energy Minister from June 2001 to 2002, during Moi's final term.
In the subsequent KANU elections held later that year, he was elected the party's secretary general. Since Moi, the president and KANU party chairman, was constitutionally barred from running for a third-term, Raila was thought to be maneuvering for the KANU presidential ticket. In 2002, however, Moi passed over Raila and openly supported Uhuru Kenyatta – a son of Kenya's first president Jomo Kenyatta. Moi publicly asked Raila and others to support Uhuru as well.[9]
Raila and other KANU members, including Kalonzo Musyoka, George Saitoti and Joseph Kamotho, opposed this step and formed the Rainbow Movement to protest Moi's decision. The Rainbow Movement went on to join the little known Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which later teamed up with the National Alliance Party of Kenya (NAK), a coalition of several other parties, to form the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC).
It is widely believed that LDP signed a memorandum of understanding with NAK, which provided for a prime ministerial position for the LDP, as well as a 50-50 split of cabinet seats between the LDP and NAK after the elections. However,there is no substantial evidence to support the matter and the Kibaki government has remained silent on the issue.
[edit] Dissent from within
President Kibaki did not appoint Raila Odinga Prime Minister on assuming office as perceived to have been agreed in the memorandum of understanding (Kenya's current constitution does not recognize a Prime minister); neither did he give LDP half the cabinet positions. He instead sought to shore up support for his NAK faction by appointing MPs from the opposition parties (KANU and FORD people) to the cabinet.[10]
The perceived "betrayal" led to an open rebellion and a split within the cabinet, which culminated in disagreements over a proposed new constitution for the country. The government-backed constitutional committee submitted a draft constitution that was perceived to consolidate powers of the presidency and weaken regional governments as had been provided for under an earlier draft before the 2002 Elections. Raila opposed this, and when the document was put to a referendum on November 21, 2005, the government lost by a 57% to 43% margin. Following this, President Kibaki sacked the entire cabinet on November 23, 2005. When it was formed two weeks later, Raila and the entire LDP group were left out. This led to the formation of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) - an Orange was the symbol for the "no" vote in the constitutional referendum.
In January 2006, Raila Odinga was reported to have told police that he believed his life was in danger, having received assassination threats.[11]
[edit] 2007 presidential election
On July 12, 2007, Odinga alleged that the government was withholding identity cards from voters in places supportive of the opposition and that the intended creation of 30 new constituencies was a means by which the government sought to ensure victory in the December 2007 parliamentary election.[12]
In August 2007, the Orange Democratic Movement-Kenya split in two, with Odinga becoming head of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) while the other faction, the ODM-K, was headed by Kalonzo Musyoka.[13] On September 1, 2007, the ODM elected Odinga as its presidential candidate in a National Delegates Conference held at the Moi International Sports Centre in Nairobi. Odinga received 2,656 votes; the only other candidates receiving significant numbers of votes were Musalia Mudavadi with 391 and William Ruto with 368. Earlier, Najib Balala had withdrawn his candidature and endorsed Raila.[14] The defeated candidates expressed their support for Odinga afterward, and Mudavadi was named as his running mate.[15]
Odinga launched his presidential campaign in Uhuru Park in Nairobi on October 6, 2007, which saw a record attendance in this or any other venue in independent Kenya. The police estimated an attendance of close to 450,000.[16]
Following the presidential election held on December 27, the Electoral Commission in controversial circumstances declared Kibaki the winner on December 30, 2007, despite widespread evidence of electoral malpractices, placing him ahead of Odinga by about 232,000 votes. Odinga accused Kibaki of fraud, and widespread violence broke out in the country.[17] Following two months of unrest, a deal between Odinga and Kibaki, which provided for power-sharing and the creation of the post of Prime Minister, was signed in February 2008; it was brokered by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. Odinga was sworn in as Prime Minister, along with the power-sharing Cabinet, on April 17, 2008. Previously the post of Prime Minister had not existed since 1964, when it was briefly held by Jomo Kenyatta following independence; Odinga is thus the second person in Kenya's history to hold the position.[18]
[edit] Political role
According his website, Raila lists himself as a social democrat,[19] thus distancing himself from his late father, who was openly socialist. His party, the LDP, is affiliated to the Liberal International.
Raila Odinga gets noticeable support from all over the country, especially among third largest ethnic base in Kenya, the Luo. He is seen as an effective mobilizer of grassroots support.
Further to this, there have been recent calls from the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Martha Karua, for Raila to answer allegations regarding impropriety in the purchase and subsequent sale of land on the Kisumu Molasses Plant.[20]
[edit] Controversy
In 2007 Raila Odinga was rumoured to have signed a secret memorandum of understanding with the National Muslim Leaders Forum,[21] NAMLEF. Kenyan Muslim leaders denied that the MOU promised to introduce Sharia for Muslims if it won elections, but said its deal with the Orange Democratic Movement was to end the current discrimination against Muslims.[22]
[edit] Personal life
Raila Odinga is married to Ida Odinga (born Ida Anyango Oyoo). They have four children - two sons and two daughters. His oldest son, Fidel, is named after Fidel Castro.[23] Their youngest child, Winnie, is named after Winnie Mandela.[23] Raila lives in Nairobi but has a second home in Bondo District. Raila Odinga is an Anglican.[24]
Odinga claims to be a cousin of American Senator and presidential candidate Barack Obama through the latter's father, Barack Obama Sr., who Odinga claims was his maternal uncle.[25] This claim has not been corroborated, but Obama Sr. did come from the same Luo tribe as Odinga.[25]
He briefly played soccer for Luo Union[23] (later known as Re-Union) as a midfielder.
[edit] References
^ "Observers criticize poll standards", Daily Nation, January 18 2008.
^ Human rights Watch, 1992: Kenya: Human Rights Developments
^ The Standard, July 17, 2006: ’82 coup: Arrest Raila, say MPs
^ The Standard, July 21, 2006: Why A-G won’t charge Raila
^ University of Pennsylvania, African Studies Centre, East Africa Living Encyclopedia: Kenya: IRIN Election Briefing, 12/13/97
^ University of Pennsylvania, African Studies Centre, East Africa Living Encyclopedia: Kenya - History
^ The Standard, July 16, 2006: Day Raila fled disguised as priest
^ a b Center for Multiparty Democracy: Politics and Parliamentarians in Kenya 1944-2007
^ BBC News, September 16, 2002: Anti-Moi alliance emerging
^ BBC News, September 30, 2003: Uproar over Kenya leader's decree
^ BBC News, January 10, 2006: Kenyan opponent 'fears for life'
^ David Schlesinger and Barry Moody, "Presidential hopeful doubts free, fair polls", Reuters (IOL), July 13, 2007.
^ Peter Clottey, "Kenya's Opposition Split Brightens Kibaki's Second Term Bid", VOA News, August 16, 2007.
^ "Kenya: It's Raila for President", The Standard, September 1, 2007.
^ Maina Muiruri, "ODM ‘pentagon’ promises to keep the team intact", The Standard (Kenya), September 2, 2007.
^ Anthony Kaikai, "ODM party launches its Presidential campaigns", Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, October 6, 2007.
^ "Kibaki re-elected Kenyan president: official results", AFP (abc.net.au), December 31, 2007.
^ Eric Ombok, "Kenya's Raila Odinga Sworn in as Prime Minister, Ending Crisis", Bloomberg.com, April 17, 2008.
^ Raila Odinga website Interview
^ October 1, 2006: Minister: No sacred cows in war on graft
^ Kenyan Opposition Leader Under Fire for Signing a Pact and Denying it VOA News
^ Kenyan Muslims deny Sharia claims BBC
^ a b c Daily Nation, June 2, 2001 The Price of being Raila Odinga's wife
^ The Standard, November 5, 2007: ODM promises smooth transition if it wins
^ a b Odinga says Obama is his cousin, BBC News, 1/8/08.
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