Email Urges Boycott of "Obama's Muslim Stamp"
Netlore Archive: Viral text condemns a so-called 'Muslim Christmas stamp,' an actual USPS 'forever' postage stamp released in 2001 and re-issued annually to commemorate the Islamic holidays Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
Description: Forwarded email
Circulating since: Late 2002
Status: Mixed (see details below)
2010 example:
As posted by a Facebook user, July 27, 2010:
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Now President Obama has directed the United States Postal Service to REMEMBER and HONOR the EID MUSLIM holiday season with a new commemorative 42 Cent First Class Holiday Postage Stamp... REMEMBER to adamantly & vocally BOYCOTT this stamp, when you are purchasing your stamps at the post office. All you have to say is "No thank you, I do not want that Muslim Stamp on my letters!" |
2009 example:
Email contributed by Lloyd J., Aug. 26, 2009:
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Dear Fellow Patriotic Americans USPS New 42-Cent Stamp!!! Celebrates Muslim holiday If there is only ONE thing you forward today.... let it be this! REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of Pan Am Flight 103! REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the WorldTradeCenter in 1993! REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the Marine Barracks in Lebanon ! REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the military Barracks in Saudi Arabia ! REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the American Embassies in Africa ! REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the USS COLE! REMEMBER the MUSLIM attack on 9/11/2001 ! REMEMBER all the AMERICAN lives that were lost in those vicious MUSLIM attacks! Now President Obama has directed the United States Postal Service to REMEMBER and HONOR the EID MUSLIM holiday season with a new commemorative 42 Cent First Class Holiday Postage Stamp. REMEMBER to adamantly & vocally B! OYCOTT this stamp, when you are purchasing your stamps at the post office. All you have to say is "No thank you, I do not want that Muslim Stamp on my letters!" To use this stamp would be a slap in the face to all those AMERICANS who died at the hands of those whom this stamp honors. REMEMBER ~ pass this along to every Patriotic AMERICAN that you know and lets get the word out !!! Here is something to chew on... They (MUSLIMS) don't even believe in Christ, & they're getting their own Christmas stamp! BUT, don't dare to dream of posting the ten commandments on federal property! This is truly UNBELIEVABLE !!! |
2002 example:
Email contributed by J. Kravec, Dec. 9, 2002:
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Subject: AMERICANS, REMEMBER !!! Dear Fellow Patriotic Americans, REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of PanAm Flight 103, REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993, REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the Marine Barracks in Lebanon, REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the military Barracks in Saudi Arabia, REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the American Embassies in Africa, REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the USS COLE. REMEMBER the MUSLIM attack on the World Trade Center on 9/11/01. REMEMBER all the AMERICAN lives that were lost in those vicious MUSLIM attacks. Now the United States Postal Service REMEMBERS and HONORS the EID MUSLIM holiday season with a commemorative first class holiday postage stamp. I strongly urge you to REMEMBER to adamantly and vocally BOYCOTT this stamp when purchasing your holiday stamps at the post office. To use this stamp would be a slap in the face to all those AMERICANS who died at the hands of those whom this stamp honors. I also strongly urge you to pass this along to every Patriotic AMERICAN you know, whether by email or otherwise. |
 Official U.S. postage stamp first issued in 2001 |
The U.S. Postal Service issued its first Eid stamp commemorating the Muslim holidays Eid al-Fitr (marking the end of Ramadan) and Eid al-Adha (marking the end of the pilgrimage to Mecca) on September 1, 2001.
It was apparently the reissuance of this popular postage stamp one year later in October 2002 — barely a month after the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 — that originally prompted the angry email protests exemplified above.
 Homemade (unofficial) postage stamp created by person(s) unknown via Zazzle.com |
Newer email variants claim the stamp was issued under the direction of President Obama, an obvious falsehood.
The assertion that buying and using the stamp is a "slap in the face" to victims of terrorism is a matter of opinion. While the strictly historical claims in most versions of the email are factually correct — i.e., all of the unconscionable acts of violence enumerated above were indeed committed by Muslim extremists — it's an extreme leap from there to blaming all Muslims and the Islamic faith in general for those atrocities.
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Sources and further reading:
Postage Stamp Celebrating Muslim Holiday to Be Issued
USPS press release, 1 Aug 2001Muslim Stamp to Be Reissued
USPS press release, 12 Aug 2002A Stamp Stuck in Controversy
Philadelphia Inquirer, 25 Nov 2002President Commemorates Eid al-Fitr
White House document, 5 Dec 2002
Last updated: 11/18/12
