While Barack Obama lived in Indonesia from ages 6 to 10 (1967–1971) and attended schools where he received some Islamic instruction, he was not raised as a practicing Muslim, nor did he attend a radical "madrassa". He attended both a Catholic school and a public, secular school, and he has identified as a Christian throughout his adult life.
Key details regarding this period include:
- Schooling: Obama attended Fransiskus Assisi, a Catholic school, and SDN Menteng 1 (also known as Besuki School), a public, secular school where religion classes were offered to students, including Muslim studies for Muslims and Christian studies for Christians.
- Religion: His mother was not a practicing Muslim, and she raised him in a secular household. While Indonesian school registration forms from the time listed him as Muslim—likely due to his stepfather, Lolo Soetoro—he did not receive a radical religious education.
- Context: The "madrassa" claims were largely discredited as exaggerations or false, with journalists finding the school to be inclusive and non-radical
abcnews.com