Barack
Obama (right) with his little-discussed Indonesian stepfather, Lolo
Soetoro,
his sister Maya Soetoro, and his mom Ann Dunham, in
the 1970s.
The Jakarta Post, Indonesia
For the Indonesians,
Obama is 'Everyone's Son or Friend'
"Some U.S. voters regard his
childhood experience during the 1960s in predominantly Muslim Indonesia as a dark
side of his life. Nevertheless, here, he's everyone's son or friend.
Indonesians believe that under Obama, the world will be much more peaceful and
that it has under George W. Bush, and that the nightmare Bush brought will pass
like a bitter history never to be repeated.
Some U.S. voters regard his childhood
experience during the 1960s in predominantly Muslim Indonesia as a dark side
of his life. Nevertheless, many Indonesians are notably happy to see Barack
Obama have a chance to become the first African-American president of the
United States. Here, he's everyone's son or friend.
Indonesians regard Obama as
the son of our neighbors. All neighbors want to share the pride of having
someone from next door with the chance to become the world's most powerful
person, even if they had little knowledge of the boy when he lived in their
neighborhood.
Indonesians are quite
confident that Indonesia-American relations will warm considerably with Obama
at the helm in the White House. They also believe that under Obama, the world
will be much more peaceful and that it has under George W. Bush, and that the
nightmare Bush brought will pass like a bitter history never to be repeated.
Although Obama will do
everything possible to protect American interests, just as he has as a U.S.
senator (although who knows what he'll be like as President) and his interests
will likely run counter to Indonesia's, Obama is still the best "son"
of Indonesia. Many of us perhaps don't realize that the Democratic Party is
much more demanding on human rights, labor issues and trade issues than the
Republican Party.
THE PEOPLE OF OBAMA CITY, JAPAN CELEBRATE
"Our country has been
led by the nose by the United States. It won't happen anymore if he becomes the
U.S. president," said Sonny Imam Sukarso, an
elementary school classmate of Obama's in Jakarta during the 1960s. He told this
to the Agence France-Presse
a few hours after Obama declared victory in securing the Democratic Party
ticket Wednesday (Jakarta time).
Highlighting his ties to the
world's most populous Muslim country could have negative repercussions for him,
so in public Obama has tried to distance himself from Indonesia. But many
Indonesians believe that his brief stay here with his mother and Indonesian
stepfather played a crucial role in Obama's character building. In his memoir, Dreams
from My Father, Obama described his childhood experience as the
"bounty of a young man's life."
Amid all the paranoia against
Islam in the United States, Obama is expected by many Muslims in Indonesia and
other parts of the world to have a more balanced position on Islam. Many
Muslims have expressed hope that if he eventually defeats Republican candidate
John McCain in November, the United States will have a better understanding of
their religion, unlike incumbent President George W. Bush, who is widely
perceived as hostile to Islam.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
And it's not only in
Indonesia that Obama's victory over Hillary Clinton is a source of joy. This is
also the case in Africa, especially Kenya, the country of his father's origins.
He will become a role model for minority groups and the underprivileged
everywhere.
Obama's chances of becoming
the 45th U.S. president are still unclear. Are Americans prepared to be ruled by
an African American?
Our Foreign Ministry
officials, bureaucrats, political elites and scholars will be busy analyzing
the U.S. election. But ordinary Indonesians only hope that Obama will win. They
are so fed up with Bush's arrogance that their expectations for Obama may be
too high.
At this moment, where there
are so few things we can be proud of, the political emergence of an American
who lived in Jakarta for several years is an endless source of pride.
Indonesians are confident that Obama will be totally different from Bush.
Whether this will be the reality or not is not now a serious question.
THE WORLD OPINES ON OBAMA:
EUROPE [from French, Spanish,
German, Portuguese]
Le
Figaro,France Obama: One 'Cannot
Praise America Enough'
http://worldmeets.us/lefigaro0000216.shtml
Le
Monde, France
Regardless of Who Wins, the American
Exception is Eternal
