Indonesian Filmmaker Drops Scene of Young Obama Praying Towards Mecca (Video)
Posted by Jim Hoft on Friday, July 2, 2010, 8:16 AM
Indonesian filmmaker Damien Dematra decided at the last minute to drop the scene of Barack Obama praying towards Mecca.
Reuters Video
This filmmaker says the film on Obama is about 60% facts and 40% fiction.
TIME reported, via Jihad Watch:
While Damien Dematra, an Indonesian artist, has penned at least 60 books, produced 27 films and once painted 365 paintings over the span of a year, it’s his most recent work that’s made the most headlines. Two books and a movie that he wrote and co-directed (which debuted June 30), are about Barack Obama’s childhood in Indonesia. Obama Anak Menteng, or Obama the Menteng Kid, may be a fictionalized account, but it’s grounded in Dematra’s real reporting. The film explores just one year, 1970, of Obama’s past, which the filmmaker says played an important role in forming the 44th president’s character. Originally, the movie was to open in Indonesia in conjunction with Obama’s visit there. And though he’s had to postpone that visit several times, starting this week, Indonesians will be able to get a peek of their “Little Barry.” A few hours before the big premiere, Dematra spoke to TIME about the film.
Having researched Obama’s young years, what do you think he learned from his time in Indonesia?
He learned a lot. I also wrote a book published this month called Obama Dari Asisi about his time [at the St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Elementary School]. That period is really different. In Assisi, he was educated for almost three years. In the Menteng school, which is a state school, he was educated with a Muslim influence. He learned that religion is alright and that it’s fine to be different. A lot of people now consider him an icon of pluralism. Thank Indonesia for that.
How close is the movie and the book to Obama’s real childhood in Indonesia?I interviewed around 30 people to make the novel, and so there are plenty of dots. I used my expertise as a writer to connect all the dots. It’s around 60 percent facts and 40 percent fiction. [...]
You decided not to film a scene of the young Obama praying toward Mecca. Why did you make that choice?
It’s in the book. They were trying to use it as a political weapon against the president. It’s not that the president needs to be defended, but they were taking this scene out of context. In the book, while at Assisi, he was always trying to blend in. He went to the priest and tried to grab the bread for Catholic mass. He asks for the bread but he’s not eligible. And in Menteng Shool, when he saw his friends praying in a small mosque inside the school, he borrowed a sarong from his friends. He was trying to imitate his friends, but his sarong kept falling down. His friends couldn’t pray at the time because they were laughing. Every time he stood up his sarong fell off. He was not used to it, not used to the praying. He was just a kid who wanted to blend in. He tried to imitate whatever his friends tried to do. When he saw people praying in a Church, he tried the same thing. People want to take the scene out of context and want to use it as evidence that he’s a Muslim. That’s just not fair….
Hat Tip Brian B.
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sliderblaze commented:
Heh, 125K jobs lost in June but drops to 9.5% lol
No Man commented:
He’s a NOTHING.
#1:
That’s Obarithmetic. Get used to it.
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USMC Thomas commented:
SOBama is an Americanized muslin, who are despised and looked down upon by Middle Eastern muslim’s, similar to the way Black African’s regard American blacks as second class.
Paula commented:
Let me see, I think I got a bead on this guy? As a kid he wanted to pray like everyone else. As teen he tried to be friends with peolple that didn’t look like him. As a college student he tried to hang out with all the people that were ‘outcasts’ in school. As a community organizer he hung out with rev wrights version of americans. As a senator he hung out with Blago, Emmanuel and the unions. And as the ‘Precedent’ he wants to hang out with the dictators. Seems to me this guy is trying to be something to everyone and doesn’t know who he is supposed to be?
daryl commented:
As for as I’m concerned this movie is another “Roots”, same song, second verse, only now the “hero” is the de facto el presidente of the U.S………
And enough voters to reelect him still think that tale is gospel truth(it wasn’t true), unless we do more than rattle their cage this November and defeat the clowns again in 2012. This country can’t stand much more of their inept “leadership”.
sliderblaze commented:
i wanna know what the real unemployment number is. i mean, how do you count the contractors who arent working? they werent on anyone’s payroll, or how bout the sub contractors? i was on a jobsite last week, were everyone there was a subcontractor and some of those havent worked in 6-8 months…. what about those guys/gals?
NoMo commented:
Let me guess,his tender little butt was high in the air? Close?
bg commented:
++
just a sample:
[Barry Soetoro studied the Koran as a child in Indonesia,
where he was registered as a citizen, religion Islam..
"mengaji"
[“The actual usage of the word ‘mengaji’ in Indonesian and Malaysian societies means the study of learning to recite the Quran in the Arabic language rather than the native tongue. “Mengagi” is a word and a term that is accorded the highest value and status in the mindset of fundamentalist societies here in Southeast Asia. To put it quite simply, ‘mengaji classes’ are not something that a non practicing or so-called moderate Muslim family would ever send their child to. To put this in a Christian context, this is something above and beyond simply enrolling your child in Sunday school classes.”
“The fact that Obama had attended mengaji classes is well known
in Indonesia and has left many there wondering just when Obama
is going to come out of the closet.”]
Indonesians see Obama, they don’t see him as an apostate
at all, they see him as a crusader for the cause of Islam ….
“one of the prettiest sounds on Earth at sunset.”
==
Opus #6 commented:
And how many influences did he have to develop a feeling of patriotism for America. That IS what we need in an American president, right?
Peggy commented:
Obviously, he didn’t learn American history in Indonesian schools.
Message to O:
The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France.
–
Also, we have to ask, how did his speech writers not know this either?
big L commented:
That is that Jon Favreau. Obamster’s speech writer.About 27yrs old. He was the one that stood next to a life-size cardbrd form of Hillary Clinton, like at the Fairs. Only Favrreau in a flight of maturity had his hand on her cardbd breast..
Reaction of Press….laughter then nothing
27y yr old product of US schools-knows nothing of history probably-american History…
Andreas K. commented:
“He learned that religion is alright and that it’s fine to be different.”
Really. Then why do his decisions not reflect this?
“People want to take the scene out of context and want to use it as evidence that he’s a Muslim. That’s just not fair….”
Oh boo f*cking hoo. Grow a pair. So he just copied his friends praying? Yeah. Right.
wanumba commented:
“He went to the priest and tried to grab the bread for Catholic mass. He asks for the bread but he’s not eligible…”
…………………..
In the old days, that would be considered a “sign” … and not a good one.
cal rifkin commented:
60% fact-40%fiction? – More like 20:80, but mostly bs…The guy is best described as fiction – but we’re stuck with him.
IOpian commented:
He’s just trying to fit in. I guess this was a life-long thing with him with his communist father, communist mentor, communist grand parents, communist preacher, communist friends. But some how he denies being even a socialist. He’s a liar but not that good of one.
Matters Not commented:
I can see Barry, big and small, kneeling on his prayer rug with or without a Indiwood reproduction.
If Barry wasn’t hiding his religion this scene wouldn’t matter. We all know he recites the muslim prayer with loving devotion.
BarackObama.com had a story on it in 2008 about how beautiful his Islamic prayer song sounded.
down with dems commented:
Even not using the scene to make any inferences about Obama’s religion, this description reveals a lot about the man. He’s obsessed with fitting in, being accepted… obsessed with what others think of him. He wants to be loved, beloved, adored, admired, respected.
Hence the world apology tour. Hence the short-tempered, thin-skinned, finger-pointing behaviors.
He’s a narcissist.
49erDweet commented:
Quite telling – and disturbing to find this recurring theme in an inexperienced politician:
and
Scary to have a nation’s leader without the confidence to be his own person.
jonyjoe101 commented:
It says it all about obama, he’s trying to “blend” in. He’s a follower not a leader, a type “B” personality. How someone like that got to be president. Voting “present” all the time, says he doesn’t like making the hard decisions.
Without the scene of him praying to allah, this movie is only a work of fiction.
jcf commented:
“People want to take the scene out of context and want to use it as evidence that he’s a Muslim. That’s just not fair….”
Context?
His moslem father, in a religion of patrilineal descent is the context, his recitation of the Adhan in an interview with Nicholas Kristof, published in The New York Times, is the context, the bow to the House of Saud is the context, what did I take out of context?
Ginger commented:
He is a muslim….. He said in an interview, “my muslim faith” and the interviewer bent over and softly corrected him!
Ginger commented:
bg
He can speak the language. I heard him once say it and some reporter ask what he said and he laughed and said something that of course he knows the language. Can’t quite remember the conversation but…… that told me a lot about his back ground.
Peggy commented:
big L: :Exactly. I read a WSJ? article the other day about kids’ expectations when they come to job interviews. Very gauche, presumptive behavior. Mommy’s call to see why their babies aren’t hired. Rush today noted an employer couldn’t find hirees who could do 9th grade math. But of course they all know about global warming, evil America’s past, evil corporations, etc…
Christinewjc commented:
Recall the report where Obama admits to the Egyptian Foreign Minister that he is a Muslim?”
Not so confidential anymore…is it?
Back in January, 2008, I wrote Is Obama Really a Christian?
Also see Wondering if Obama is a Muslim?
Thanks for posting the comments and links bg. When I revisited the Expat in Southeast Asia blog, I saw a link at the bottom of one of the pages to my blog!
Via this post and these great comments here, I learned something new about whether or not there is proof that Obama was raised in the Muslim faith. Seems like a definite yes to me!
Jerry C commented:
Burrack Hussein Obama is a muslim name. He doesn’t go by his birth name Barry for a reason. If I recall, he even messed up his swearing in and supposedly did it later (in secret of course!). That’s just for starters. Anyone who thinks NObama is not a muslim is brain dead.
bg commented:
++
re: [People want to take the scene out of context and want to
use it as evidence that he’s a Muslim. That’s just not fair….]
I am not, nor was i ever a Muslim, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm
I was never a practicing Muslim
[In a statement to The Times on Wednesday, March 14, the campaign offered this statement: "Obama has never been a practicing Muslim.
The statement added that as a child, Obama had spent time in the neighborhood's Islamic center. This is a departure from the earlier statement made by the Obama campaign on January 24. "To be clear, Senator Obama has never been a Muslim, was not raised a Muslim,
and is a committed Christian who attends the United Church of Christ
in Chicago.]
hmm, what was he before he converted to the Marxist, uh, Wright’s religion?? albeit his father was a communist, fact is, Obama was born Muslim according to Islamic doctrine, ergo, he was Muslim whether
or not he thought so (and he never lies, right??)..
Egyptian minister: Obama told me he is a Muslim
[Adul Gheit said he had a one-on-one meeting with Obama, where the US President told him that He was still a Muslim, the son of a Muslim father, the step son of Muslim stepfather, that his half brothers in Kenya are Muslims, and that he was sympathetic towards the Muslim agenda.]
sympathetic is putting it mildly..
[Abdul-Malik also makes no bones about discussing how the election of President Obama is a step forward in the project of Islamization and the long term goal of global domination which falls right in lock-step with that of the Muslim Brotherhood as revealed in their manifesto.
“…even under the pressures that you and I know about, the deen of Islam is growing because people see even within all of this struggle it is better to be a Muslim under these conditions than to be a kaffir under any conditions… before Allah closes our eyes for the last time you will see Islam move from being the second largest religion in America-that’s where we are now- to being the first religion in America.”
listen closely @ the 4:07 mark..
i’m still waiting for someone to please inform me as to whether
or not Muslims fulfill Zakat is any business of a US President??
how about Constitutional?? /sarc/
again, just a sample.. didn’t even get into all the connections, not to
mention his canceling National Prayer Day & Celebrated Ramadan..
==
wanumba commented:
He shows up one day with red henna’ed hair and “el Haj Obama” and then we know.
Radegunda commented:
There’s also the interesting fact that his (infidel) wife has never accompanied him to a Muslim country. Muslims seem to understand perfectly well why it would not be considered proper.
Radegunda commented:
I mean, of course, why it would not be considered proper for a Muslim. Now, why do you suppose Obama might feel obligated to follow Islamic law?
AuntieMadder commented:
The scene would be telling if it weren’t a freaking lie. He didn’t pray to Mecca to fit in. He prayed to Mecca because he was being raised Muslim by his Muslim step-father after his Muslim father abandoned him with his communist mother.
Does no one remember the newspaper story(s) in which the kids he went to school with in Indonesia were intereviewed? Does no one remember them saying that they recalled him running along next to his step-father to the Mosque five times per day to pray? I remember it. Do I have to look for the article? C’mon, people, think. Didn’t you read it (or those), too?
bg commented:
++
bg #28
re: [I was never a practicing Muslim]
okay, i LIED, i was a Muslim, just not a good one..
AuntieMadder 12:24 am #32
their testimonies are available in 1 or 2 links
already posted, and/but, here is another..
was he a “devoutly religious Muslim”, really don’t
believe so, but he is a “devout political Muslim”..
==
bg commented:
++
bg #33
more to the point, Obama is an IslaMarxist, as are
his Progressive Liberals, aka: Democratic cohorts..
IslaMarxism
==
AuntieMadder commented:
bg
July 3rd, 2010 | 7:38 am | #33
Thanks, bg.
That WND article states that those interviewed remember him going to Mosque with his stepfather occasionally. Either my recall is off, or what I read some time ago had quotes from from those who said they remember him going to Mosque daily. I even remember one of them laughing about “little Barry” running along to keep up with his step-father. Maybe it’s in one of the other links you shared upstream.
bg commented:
++
AuntieMadder @ 11:10 pm #36
the way is see it is, irrespective of his religious “practices” he was indoctrinated via ‘mengaji classes’ (not something that a non practicing or so-called moderate Muslim family would ever send their child to)..
i also don’t understand why so many people cannot seem to see that
Utopianism (by any other name) & Islamism is a split hair so to speak..
==
bg commented:
++
clarifying: bg #37
one worships the State & all it entails..
the other the Koran & all it entails..
==