President Barack Obama has just delivered what must be one of the most unique, idealistic, candid and sober speeches that I’ve ever experienced coming from any American president in my life. For some Americans, it will seem like he’s apologizing to the world for what they deem as their unique and sacred American values. For some Muslims, it will be dismissed as just feel-good hogwash that tries to hide the true intentions of the evil empire. For the skeptics, the speech lacked specifics, action items and policy changes. For the terrorists, this speech is a warning shot that threatens their very existence. But 1 thing is clear, this speech will not only be scrutinized and analyzed by the political parties and media outlets of America, but it will also be judged by the Islamic world and the world at large.
To simply see what the speech as apologies or lack of concrete actions specified in it is shallow at best. Here’s my take on what he said in Cairo. For any conciliation to happen, understanding must happen. For far too long, the Islamic world and the west have harbored negative views on each other. The environment is simply too poisoned. The west have always thought of the Islamic world as full of despotic, repressive, corrupt governments who eschew human rights. The Islamic world, as far as the Middle-East is concerned sees the west as patronizing and guilty of the problems today by carving up the Middle-East to suit their self-centered strategic objectives. President Obama’s speech is an effort to bridge this gulf. In it, he tries to present the positive face of Islam to Americans. That Islam is a religion for peace and it should not be equated to despotic and corrupt governments, human rights violations and violent extremism. President Obama starts off by a narrative on the contributions Islam has to the modern world. It was a history lesson for Americans as well as a display of respect for this religion of 1 billion.
And I consider it part of my responsibility as president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear.But that same principle must apply to Muslim perceptions of America. Just as…
Just as Muslims do not fit a crude stereotype, America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire.
If the whole speech is taken into context, it is an appeal to cooler, more moderate minds. People who holds extreme views will not be able to swallow this speech. The speech is targeted to annoy the terrorists, religious fundamentalists and extreme right-wing conservatives not just in the Arab Muslim world but also in domestic America. Just as Bush coined the “War on Terror” and proclaimed “either you are with us or with them”, here Obama is also laying down the same gauntlet. But now, the boundaries are not borders, religions or race but instead it is drawn between centrists and extremism. The speech is designed to unite moderate forces from all sides and parties and seek to isolate the ultra extremists, to give moderate progressive voices a boost. It contains a warning that these extremists will always seek to derail and hijack the agenda and a rallying call for the young, who have less emotional baggage, to remake this world. It made intolerance the main enemy.
Some are eager to stoke the flames of division and to stand in the way of progress. Some suggest that it isn’t worth the effort, that we are fated to disagree and civilizations are doomed to clash.
Many more are simply skeptical that real change can occur. There is so much fear, so much mistrust that has built up over the years. But if we choose to be bound by the past, we will never move forward. And I want to particularly say this to young people of every faith in every country. You more than anyone have the ability to reimagine the world, the remake this world.
Then there’s the idealism. The inevitable idealism in Obama’s speeches that makes him such a compelling speaker. It is the source of the magical and powerful allure of Obama’s message to people yearning for a better more perfect world.
Too many tears have flowed. Too much blood has been shed. All of us have a responsibility to work for the day when the mothers of Israelis and Palestinians can see their children grow up without fear; when the Holy Land of three great faiths is the place of peace that God intended it to be; when Jerusalem is a secure and lasting home for Jews and Christians and Muslims, and a place for all of the children of Abraham to mingle peacefully together as in the story of Isra, when Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed (peace be upon them) joined in prayer.
For those religious evangelists, I think ironically this speech will generate more interest in religion than any other. His religious references and quotes so eloquently spoken, will arouse curiosity and interest in the young to explore religion.
The Holy Koran tells us, “O mankind! We have created you male and a female; and we have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another.”
The Talmud tells us: “The whole of the Torah is for the purpose of promoting peace.”
The Holy Bible tells us, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
The speech will be picked apart and criticized, that is to be expected. But the main thrust of the speech is really for setting the stage for President Obama to begin small steps to bridge the divide. Only by first bridging the divide, then other bigger things can be done. President Obama has shown courage and candour saying the things that he did in Cairo but it is to be expected as he is not a president who believes in the status quo. There will be the usual skeptics but I think for the first time, I feel that the elusive and complex Middle-East peace have a better chance of resolution after today. I strongly encourage you to read the transcripts or watch his speech here.
Minority Attention Deficit Disorder 