Reflections on President Obama's Cairo Speech - Why applaud after the Qur'an?

Last week, I posted an article listing the places in President Obama's speech when the Cairo audience applauded. I found it telling. My interest is not novel--many other commentaries have discussed the applause as well.

One commentary I found especially interesting. In his article Obama's Biggest Applause Lines in Cairo: Verses From the Koran, Dan Gilgoff, who covers religion for U.S. News & World Report, found it surprising that three of the biggest applause lines came after the President recited translations of verses in the Qur'an. I have been thinking about his comments every since.

While I cannot speak for the Cairo audience, I can speak for myself why I might have applauded at these times.

After enduring eight long and discouraging years of the prior administration's rhetoric and disastrous policies, for me hearing a U.S. President recite these translations gave me hope. Hope that eventually the many prevalent misconceptions about Islam, Muslims, and the Qur'an will be dispelled, sooner rather than later. Hope that the plight of our brothers and sisters who suffer injustice will be on equal footing with others who suffer injustice. Hope that it will not be acceptable public discourse to vilify Islam and its followers. Hope that my children will raise their children in an atmosphere very different from today.

I recognize that words must be backed up by action, but throughout the ages words have inspired others to think differently, to act differently, and I dare say to change. As trite as "hope and change" might sound now, mentioning the Qur'an gave me hope in the possibility of change.

It is a similar feeling that I felt when Colin Powell spoke favorably about Muslims on Meet the Press  last October. In explaining why he was endorsing Barack Obama, he stated at one point:

"I'm also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to be said such things as, "Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim." Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he's a Christian. He's always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, "He's a Muslim and he might be associated terrorists." This is not the way we should be doing it in America."

The fact that simple words of respect spoken by U.S. government officials can move me suggests how far this country really needs to go. But the words of the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu come to mind, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step."

I also recall the saying, "two steps forward, one step back."                                

So, while I do not expect to be completely satisfied with all of the Obama's administration's policies affecting Muslims, I welcome the change in direction his leadership has shown.