Nothing better illustrates the change Obama is trying to do with the U.S. policy towards the Muslim world than his speech today in Cairo.By addressing the Muslims in Egypt, Obama opened a door that was closed for eight years due to the Bush administration’s horrible approach with the Arab and Muslim countries. Walking through that door, Obama was greeted respectably and lovingly by those who once hated his country to the bone.
The fact that Obama is approaching the Muslim world through such a speech is very similar to someone carrying the olive branch, in my opinion. He is seeking peace for the world, unlike Bush who sent bombs instead, not to mention his administration’s black-or-white attitude that led to ongoing wars.
In this speech, Obama didn’t show signs of weakness or humility like how some conservative republicans view it. In my opinion he was the most powerful person. He initiated approaching the Muslim world by extending his hands to combat the stereotypes and the mistakes committed by his predecessors. In it, I viewed the other good face of America. In fact, I saw that the American administration can actually be nice to the others!
Fair could also describe the speech as well. For instance, when he mentioned how Muslims and the Americans should not perceive each other depending on stereotypes. Another example is when he criticized both Palestinians and Israelis for being responsible for the horror happening in their region. I agree the Israeli settlements should stop and also agree that threatening to destroy Israel will not bring the Palestinians any good and that it should stop.
The other thing that attracted my attention was when Obama indirectly criticized what the Bush administration did. The fact that the American president acknowledges that the Iraq war was “a war of choice” is enough to say that Bush did not have to invade Iraq, yet he did. However, he stated that Iraqis are “better off without the tyranny of Saddam Hussein,” which I agree and disagree with at the same time. It was good to get rid of Saddam, but the life of the Iraqi people was wrecked by the ignorant policies that were made by the Bush administration. We can’t really say that our lives are better off now than under Saddam, because it’s still a complete wreck compared to that before the invasion. I’m hoping that it won’t last like this and by then Obama’s statement would fit.
Bush and his henchmen believed in imposing the Jeffersonian democracy upon the countries they invaded. It’s amazing how for the first time I hear Obama admitting that “no system of government can or should be imposed upon one nation by another.” When I heard that, I said, “THANK YOU!” Was it hard to acknowledge such a simple, yet powerful fact? That’s what Bush did not understand or did not want to understand. You can’t impose democracy; you teach it; you increase people’s awareness of it, but not force it the way you like, ignoring the background of that country.
Overall, I saw that the speech came in a time when tension between the Muslims and the West has reached its peak. It’s very nice to see that Obama took the initiative of extending hands. I know this speech may not leave a big impact on many Muslims and Arabs but I think it’s like baby steps. By course of time, things will change to the better hopefully if Obama continues his positive and peaceful attitudes. It’s a long road but the thousand-mile road starts with one step.
3 Comments:
You can’t impose democracy; you teach it; you increase people’s awareness of it, but not force it the way you like, ignoring the background of that country.
This seems like an absolutely cruel position. Did democracy fail to come to Iraq in 1991 because the Iraqis in the south and in the northeast did not understand it? Or was it because when they expressed their desire for it, Saddam and the sort of people carrying his photos in Adhamiya and Fallujah pelted them with chemical weapons?
Pres Obama's position is also hypocritical. He's busy imposing democracy in Afghanistan and waging war against it's former leaders, The Taliban.
Democracy was imposed on Germany, Japan, and now Iraq with perfectly satisfactory results. Even you have said things are no *worse* now than they were under Saddam. Now that the Iraqi have finally turned the tide against those who wanted to take them back to 2002, and now that they are finally learning how to hold political theives to account, perhaps things can actually begin approach normalcy.
“Did democracy fail to come to Iraq in 1991 because the Iraqis in the south and in the northeast did not understand it?”
Of course! Yes, they revolted but they did not know what it really meant. They were not organized. They did not know how to win because they even attacked innocent people, claiming they were Baathists. My cousin who was just a university professor in Erbil was cut into pieces in front of his wife and two kids. Under Saddam, no one could get a job without enrolling in the Baath Party. Did that mean my cousin was a criminal Baathist? Was that an act of “knowing democracy”?
When I said you don’t impose democracy, I meant you cannot just say you are free and that’s it. You make the people aware of that by teaching them in a civil way what democracy is. i.e. making them aware of what it really is. You educate them about it first.
“Pres Obama's position is also hypocritical. He's busy imposing democracy in Afghanistan and waging war against it's former leaders, The Taliban.”
Obama is not imposing democracy in Afghanistan. He inherited a really ill-planned strategy that he needs to fix. He’s there because he wants to catch the mastermind behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks. As he said it is a war of necessity, not choice. He has no choice other than fix what Bush destroyed or couldn’t maintain.
“Democracy was imposed on Germany, Japan, and now Iraq with perfectly satisfactory results.”
Results like 6 continuous years of destruction and functioning infrastructure.
Of course, you are going to accuse me of being a Baathist, a Saddamist, a terrorist bla bla bla because I criticize the criminals Bush and his henchmen, which is something war supporters excel at. One thing you should know since you seem you are new to this blog: Saddam was the worst thing that ever happened to Iraq. Yet, what the Bush administration did was unbelievably horrific to my country as well.
thanks for the really good post about the speech Bassam. i agree with you , i liked the speech. there is lots of work to do and i hope he rolls up his sleeves and gets to it.
i wish i was as enthusiastic about bib's response.
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