Islam says that all people are born Muslim, i.e., Obama, The Pope and Bloomberg Jack Kemp Recently I read a Western book that claimed Islam considers all children in existence were born Muslim. That was startling news to me – and I suspect many other Americans. There was need for other verification. The website Islam101.com states the following, on a web page entitled, “Every Child is Born a Muslim:” http://islam101.com/dawah/newBorn.htm ‘The Prophet Muhammad said, "No babe is born but upon Fitra (as a Muslim). It is his parents who make him a Jew or a Christian or a Polytheist." (Sahih Muslim, Book 033, Number 6426)’ END OF QUOTE Islam101.com also states: ‘If the child were left alone, he would worship Allah in his own way, but all children are affected by those things around them, seen or unseen. The Prophet (PBUH) reported that Allah said, "I created my servants in the right religion but devils made them go astray". The Prophet (PBUH) also said, "Each child is born in a state of "Fitrah", then his parents make him a Jew, Christian or a Zoroastrian, the way an animal gives birth to a normal offspring. Have you noticed any that were born mutilated?" (Collected by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim).’ END OF QUOTE This is a very different concept than most or all Judeo-Christian beliefs, but it sheds new light on the argument whether Muslims believe Barack Obama was born a Muslim and whether there should be a Ground Zero mosque and “community center.” Did Obama’s atheist mother make him a Christian? Did his Muslim father make him a non-Muslim? Notice that (The Prophet) Mohammed quoted above, living in a much more religious age, did not say/acknowledge that there were even atheist parents who could direct the (non) spiritual beliefs of their child to atheism. In looking for Muslim support for this this belief, YouTube directed me to Dr. Zakir Naik, a Muslim lecturer from India who has said that “"it is a blatant, open secret that this attack on the Twin Towers was done by George Bush himself" and has been banned from entering England and Canada. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zakir_Naik. I could not readily find another more moderate spokesman to support the claim that Islam believes every child is born a Muslim. He is the only one who states it in the title of his YouTube video. http://vodpod.com/watch/3937351-dr-zakir-naik-every-child-is-born-as-a-muslim-whether-he-or-she-is-born-in-a-christian-family-or-hindu-familly  Dr. Naik refers to what in the West is called a conversion to Islam as being, from a Muslim perspective, a “reversion” to Islam. The belief of all people being born Muslim possibly explains many attitudes of Ground Zero mosque proponent Imam Rauf. He probably doesn’t see his plans to build an “community center” and mosque near Ground Zero as an affront to surviving families, including non-Muslims. He may well see it as a “Come Home to Mohammed” Moment. From Rauf’s viewpoint, he may see it as, "How can you insult other faiths when everyone is 'really' a Muslim?" In his faith, individual feelings are sublimated in all instances to the will of Allah, as interpreted by Allah's spokesmen on earth, imams and mullahs. I suspect Imam Rauf’s definition of “reconciliation” and “interfaith outreach” is somewhat different than that of many of the Christian, Jewish, Hindu and other faiths readers of this piece believe. This is further complicated by the Iman saying in Arabic that he doesn't believe in an interfaith dialog, as noted by author Robert Reilly. http://dailycaller.com/2010/08/20/10-questions-with-the-closing-of-the-muslim-mind-author-robert-r-reilly/5/ I’d like to see a television interviewer ask any imam - or Imam Rauf’s wife Daisy Khan - whether they believe The Pope and Mayor Bloomberg were born Muslims. That would make for some interesting viewing.