When the gentiles of Montana hung up menorahs in their windows, or more dramatically, when the gentiles of Denmark wore yellow stars, it was universally seen as a kind and courageous way to stand against those who incite hatred.

If that's the same reason people are embracing the middle name Hussein, I've got no problem with it.

  "To play poltical games with the inner life of your candidate is a risky venture and actually a sign of disrespect."

  Sorry Mr. Peretz but I almost thought I was reading one of Leon's back-page Bills of Incitement against B(H)O. No, you aren't railing against The Man but I do get queasy when an argument relies upon the certainty of a person's motive.  Yeah, many times I finished the dear Diarist and was stunned how Mr. W. could penetrate the hidden intent of Barack. Of course they were only hidden to me and after several hundred words Leon sold me because he could translate the inspirational lingo into a worrisome purpose.

  But maybe the number of people who are name-inner life snatching are few?  And since they "came on board" after you (but not because of you) I doubt they are ready for the quiz on his bio.  

  And this isn't all that unusual and some people even put the naming on a new generation. It seems every few years bunches of babies are named after some star. Do the parents don't stop to consider if they are doing Voodoo with the celebrity or showing anything but respect?

  Hey, I could be wrong and Obama's most ardent supporters are in the business of soul stealing (or at least brother borrowing) and they will have to answer for it.  Lucky dad died an atheist because I think the penalty for insulting non-believers is slight.  Not that I know the motives of the dead...

I agree with achester...what's the big deal?

and I liked Cole's article. I thought it was right on. No one should be ashamed of their name.

really peretz, what was your point? That you don't like Juan Cole? Hell, we know that.

Really, Marty, all these people are doing is expressing solidarity with a man who is being unfairly singled out for his unfortunate name. If anything, I would think you'd approve - they're taking "Hussein" back from what you call "the bloody history of Islam."

Yea, Marty if you love Obama you go to love all of Obama including his Islamic middle name.

achester99 said: "... or more dramatically, when the gentiles of Denmark wore yellow stars, it was universally seen as a kind and courageous way to stand against those who incite hatred."

The comparison is a bit of a stretch don't you think, arch99?

To be fair, in the Philippines people still have themselves crucified as a testament to Jesus Christ so what people do in someone elses name is not necessarily indicative of what that person believes in.

I agree though that people taking the name Hussein if they are not Muslim (or have Arabic ancestry) diminishs the heritage. I simply couldn't imagine a Buddhist naming their child Jesus after some noted hispanic.

By the way, has America ever had a successful hispanic politician with the first name of Jesus?

Marty, I think you're going a little overboard here.  This is not a matter of people naming their children after Obama, or turning over their fortunes to him and cutting off all contact with their families.  Blog commenters at places like DailyKos started doing this back in February as a reaction to the right wing's use of Obama's middle name as (what they considered to be) a weapon against him.  It was a way of standing up against the implicit bigotry.  It doesn't have anything to do with Obama's inner life.  And nobody is "taking his middle name;" it's just an internet meme.

blackton  "To be fair, in the Philippines people still have themselves crucified as a testament to Jesus Christ so what people do in someone elses name is not necessarily indicative of what that person believes in."

Could you run that one by me again?

Do you mean if one literally engages in  the notion of  imitatio deus and that is not an indication of what they really believe in?

jackson, what we got here is a failure to communicate via my bad English. That person meaning Jesus Christ. I don't think Jesus Christ intended for people to have themselves crucified in his honor.

You could have religious zealots doing virtually anything no matter what the religion.

"You could have religious zealots doing virtually anything no matter what the religion."

Yes, certainly.

Still,  I would rather have people crucify themselves than blow themselves up in order to kill other non-religious people in order to fulfill their religious duty.

Curious, according to Wikipedia the full name is Martin H. Peretz.

Since I've never seen the middle name or initial in TNR, I am left wondering.  Is this a Wikipedia Prank tied to this article, or is Marty's Middle name something interesting also.

Martin Herschel Peretz?

Martin Herbert Walker Peretz?

Martin Hugh Peretz?

Martin Hussein Peretz?

What is it?

whaat?

"But there is something cultish in this appropriation of his moniker not because it is an Arab or Muslim name but because he took it as part of his life's struggle with and against and for his father. "

Who is the "he" - Obama? He didn't take that name, he was born with it. He's got the same exact name as his dad. What the "Hussein" people are doing is a show of solidarity, as in "I'M SPARTACUS!"

And Jackson, crucifying onesself may be bad, as is suicide bombing, but can't we decry both? Nobody's endorsing suicide bombing with the Hussein thing, and it wouldn't make sense if they were. Are we hating on everyone with a Muslim name now?

Count me in to a cult whose aim is to repute bigotry.  Do they sell tee-shirts?  Think I'll change my kids names too.