Muslim 'Suspicion'
Over Obama's 'Operation Seduction'
"Although
Obama's speech genuinely expressed his vision on the future of ties he wishes to
establish with the Muslim world, Obama must quickly follow up with strong
action. This is the only way to begin tearing down the wall of suspicion that
decades of humiliation inflicted by the U.S. on Muslims has erected in the
Islamic consciousness against all things American."
By Kharroubi Habib
Translated By
Sandrine Ageorges and Alexandra Griffiths
President Obama
makes his case in Cairo: While welcoming the president's message and the way he delivered it, many Muslims are waiting for action to follow the words.
In Cairo, Barack Obama gave a
speech addressed to Muslims across the world that will go down in history.
Because in the future, this speech will be considered either the founding act
of reconciliation between America and that part of humanity with which up to
now, it has had relations marked by sectarian prejudice and often violent
conflict, or as a cynical new coating applied to the same old view of
relations, seeking only to mitigate the hatred and resentment that the United
States stirs up in the Muslim world.
For the time being, the
extraordinary communicator that is Barack Obama, has managed to capture the
interest and sympathy of the Muslims he addressed in a "manner" and with
words that they haven't been in the habit of hearing from previous presidents
of the greatest world power. They were sensitive to the apparent empathy he
expressed toward their religion, their problems, and their aspirations.
But if the "Cairo Declaration"
was largely well-received by Muslims and Arabs, they remain fundamentally
suspicious of the American President's "Operation Seduction," and are
waiting to see how he'll translate, in practical terms, his promise of a new American
approach in its relations with their world. In other words, although they acknowledge
the good intentions that the American President claims to harbor toward the
Muslim world, they await, first and foremost, demonstrations rather than mere
verbal representations.
Although in his Cairo speech, Obama
genuinely expressed his vision and thinking on the future of ties he wishes to
establish between his nation and the Muslim world, he must quickly follow up
with strong action in that direction. This is the only way to begin tearing down
the wall of suspicion that decades of humiliation inflicted by the United
States on Muslims has erected in the Islamic consciousness against all things American.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
Quickly, because time is
against the American President. Indeed, his current extraordinary popularity in
his country and across the world is at risk of eroding. This will prevent him
from continuing to shake up the status quo and the calculations that provide the
framework of American policy toward the Muslim world. Even though for now, his Cairo
speech hasn't faced radical opposition in his country and only predictable
opposition from the Zionist state, Barack Obama is nevertheless going to have
to reckon with it [Israel] if he dithers over putting into practice the changes
that he claims to hold dear.
It will be in the weeks and
months ahead that we'll be able to judge in what sense Obama's Cairo speech was
a historic one - and before we know, as one observer said, "whether he's
just an illusionist or a man who can change history."
For now, let us reply "Oua
Alikoum Salam" or "Salam alikoum" (may peace be upon you), the
words used by the president at the beginning of his speech to the Muslim world.
