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Obama seeks a new beginning between the U.S. and Muslims
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Cairo University, Egypt. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)
From the Gaza Strip to Kabul to Washington D.C., the world watched President Obama’s much anticipated speech to the Muslim world. “I’ve come here to Cairo to seek a new beginning around the world,” Obama said.
Throughout the speech, quoting the Koran and the Bible, interrupted by applause, Obama’s message was that the U.S. was neither weak nor looking to appease its enemies but would act with fairness and on the basis of mutual respect. He spoke of the pain of colonialism, the suffering of Palestinians under occupation, and the need for Israel to stop expanding settlements.
Obama also underlined America’s resolve to withdraw from Iraq and eventually from Afghanistan and highlighted a continued commitment to “democracy” and the rule of law, as he warned that no country should impose its model of governance on another.
Did Obama’s speech meet expectations?
Although the administration tried to lower the expectations about what would be accomplished by the speech, there were high expectations in the region that he would take a tougher line on Israel and follow up his words with actions.
He offered little specifics on the issues that many in the region had hoped to hear him address, such as democracy, the rule of law and human rights in the Arab world.
He did, however, state bluntly the “unbreakable” bond between the U.S. and Israel and affirmed his commitment to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Obama also said that Iran should have access to peaceful nuclear power, but it must adhere to the nuclear nonproliferation treaty.
Around the world, reactions to the speech were mixed.
In Jerusalem, Israel’s government expressed optimism without endorsing the idea of a Palestinian state.
A Hamas spokesperson in Gaza said, “there is a change between the speech of President Obama and previous speeches made by George Bush.” But he criticized Obama for not specifically noting the suffering in Gaza following the three-week Israeli incursion earlier this year and not apologizing for U.S. military attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan.
However, Wadir Safi, a professor in Kabul, said the speech held promise. “I have not heard until now from none of the American presidents so much clear and knowledgeable speech about Islam,” he said.
In Iran, Mohammad Ali Abtahi, a cleric who was vice president under reformist President Mohammad Khatami, called Obama’s speech “compensation to hostile environment which was created during President Bush…. This can be an initial step for removing misconceptions between the world of Islam and the West,” he said.
In the West, the European Union’s Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana lauded the speech. “Everyone is positively impressed. And I think that the climate that the speech has created is very constructive and positive. Now what we cannot do is fail,” he said.
In Washington D.C., the Council on American Islamic Relations, who had been critical of the Bush administration, expressed optimism as well.
The change of tone from the Bush years and the gracious delivery of the speech were a positive first step towards repairing relations between the U.S. and the Muslim world, but observers around the world seem to agree that the speech will mean little if not followed by action.
Click here for transcript of the speech.
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