The politically calculating Obama won't visit a Sikh temple in India because he'd have to cover his head.
Obama is the president of the United States.
Why is he doing what he views as personally politically expedient instead of behaving like the leader of the Free World?
He's incredibly selfish and insecure. He lacks a spine.
From the New York Times:
The Golden Temple, a sprawling and serene complex of gleaming gold and polished marble that is the spiritual center of the Sikh religion, is one of India’s most popular tourist attractions. Revered by Indians of all faiths, it is a cherished emblem of India’s religious diversity. So it was no surprise when the gold-plated marvel was promoted as the likely third stop on President Obama’s visit to India, scheduled for early November.
But the United States has ruled out a Golden Temple visit, according to an American official involved in planning. Temple officials said that American advance teams had gone to Amritsar, the holy city that is the site of the temple, to discuss a possible visit. But the plan appears to have foundered on the thorny question of how Mr. Obama would cover his head, as Sikh tradition requires, while visiting the temple.
“To come to golden temple he needs to cover his head,” said Dalmegh Singh, secretary of the committee that runs the temple. “That is our tradition.”
Mr. Obama, a Christian, has struggled to fend off persistent rumors that he is a Muslim, and Sikhs in the United States have often been mistaken for Muslims.
...The Golden Temple is a popular stop for famous visitors. In 1997 the Queen of England padded around the glittering temple in her stocking feet. Another kind of royalty, the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty that controls India’s Congress Party, Rahul Gandhi has also been to the temple. He sipped tea from a metal bowl there, sitting on the ground like every other visitor, head draped as temple tradition demands. Last year Canada’s prime minister, Stephen Harper, also covered his head when he visited the temple.
For Mr. Obama, who will be seeking to cement the crucial but sometimes testy relationship between two of the world’s biggest democracies, the temple was one of several possible backdrops intended to convey America’s kinship with India. Mr. Obama will visit Mumbai and New Delhi.
H. S. Phoolka, a prominent Sikh lawyer in New Delhi, said he was disappointed that Mr. Obama would not visit the temple.
“We have worked so hard to establish in America that Sikhs have a very different identity than Muslims,” Mr. Phoolka said. “It is very unfortunate that even the White House is conveying the message that there is no difference between Muslims and Sikhs.”
This is crazy on a number of fronts.
It's nuts that Obama refuses to be seen with his head covered when visiting a temple in India that requires it. The stubborn Obama prefers to skip the visit. Not good.
Throughout this article lies the message that there's something wrong with being Muslim.
Whatever you do, don't confuse Sikhs with Muslims. Sikhs - good. Muslims - bad. Don't look like a Muslim!
Also, Obama is the guy who has preached about religious tolerance, stating that there should be a mosque at Ground Zero; yet he won't wear the appropriate attire when visiting a temple in a foreign country. It's so hypocritical.
He's not setting a very good example in terms of outreach.
Obama lacks courage. He doesn't do the right thing.
He should go to the temple and cover his head. He shouldn't be afraid. It's sending a terrible message, that he's a self-centered wimp.
Covering his head for a few minutes isn't the end of the world. Wouldn't it be a great opportunity for a teaching moment?
Obama is not showing the proper respect for his hosts in India. And he's saying that he'd rather diss them than be taken for a Muslim. There's a lot wrong with that.
Obama is very skilled at simultaneously insulting diverse groups. Quite a talent.
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