U.S. President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tour the Sultan Hassan Mosque in Cairo June 4, 2009. (Larry Downing/Reuters)
Obama speaks before 3,000, addresses a billion
The ground truth from Cairo.
[Editor's note: GlobalPost will have reaction and analysis throughout the day to Obama's speech to the Muslim world. For more GlobalPost coverage, read about the view from Dubai, and from elsewhere in the world.]
CAIRO — By the time President Barack Obama arrived at Cairo University to deliver his much-anticipated address to the Muslim world, he had already accomplished much in the Arab world’s most populous city.
Obama visited with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. They focused on trying to break the impasse in the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, according to news reports. President Obama then headed to the Sultan Hassan Mosque with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for a tour.
Obama strolled the mosque in his socks, and Clinton wore a loose headscarf in deference to Muslim tradition.
Egyptians across Cairo crowded around televisions and radios to hear the president’s address, as various Arab TV stations dubbed his words in Arabic.
But it didn’t take any translation to understand some of his opening words, which were a simple gesture of respect.
“Assalaamu alaykum,” Obama said, wishing peace, in Arabic, to the 3,000 attending Egyptians.
In his speech, Obama made almost immediate mention of the discord between the West and the Muslim world, bringing up both European colonialism and Muslim extremism.
He then framed the purpose of his visit.
“I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect; and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition,” he said.
Obama also showed a new willingness to open up about his own history. During the presidential campaign, Obama sought to distance himself from his Islamic roots in an effort to combat rumors he was a Muslim. His middle name, Hussein, was often used as fodder for his opposition.
Since taking office, though, Obama has re-emphasized his past. In his Cairo speech, he mentioned that his father was Muslim, that he had lived in Indonesia, and that he had worked with Muslims in Chicago.
In the lead-up to Obama’s speech, many around Cairo were concerned that Obama would rely on rhetoric rather than offering specific strategies for dealing with a region in a deep state of crisis. Obama needed to offer a plan for action, many from across the Egyptian political spectrum said, for them to view his speech as a success.
Obama did take on some of the pressing regional issues in his address.
“Make no mistake,” Obama said, “we do not want to keep our troops in Afghanistan. We seek no military bases there. It is agonizing for America to lose our young men and women. It is costly and politically difficult to continue this conflict. We would gladly bring every single one of our troops home if we could be confident that there were not violent extremists in Afghanistan and Pakistan determined to kill as many Americans as they possibly can. But that is not yet the case.”
After digesting Obama’s historical speech made last week in Cairo as well as observing Secretary of State Hilary Clinton’s reaction to Israel’s claim of non-verbal agreements regarding settlement expansion, I believe that for the first time in a long time, there is hope for a solution to the long suffering of the Palestinian people.
President Bill Clinton alluded to a two state solution and President G W Bush also spoke of a two-state solution. There have been many overtures to stop settlements. However this is the first time that the president of the United States emphasized the need for settlements to stop. Stopping settlements is akin to stopping the Zionist “dream”. I define Zionism as a political movement that uses Judaism to obtain power and to expand the legal borders of Israel. The initial movement served the Jewish people well in the creation of the State of Israel and created a supposed “refuge”. However, it doesn’t look like the continued behavior of Israel and its disregard of international law will be accepted by this administration as it was in the past.
Another point made in the speech is that Arab states must recognize Israel’s right to exist. A key point is that Israel was also asked to recognize Palestinian rights and the need for a Palestinian state. This will be difficult for Netanyahu and the Likud party to digest.
In terms of Jerusalem, Obama clearly indicated that it is an important city for Jews, Christians and Moslems alike. This statement can be interpreted to mean that Israel may not be “allowed” to own all of Jerusalem and make it the capital of Israel—which is also part of the Zionist “dream”.
To top it off, polls in Israel show that support of Israeli settlement expansion is at an all time low. It will be interesting to see if Netanyahu has the chutzpa to make history and create a truly secure environment for his people and neighbors without the need for walls.
Netanyahu’s reactions are predictable. However, the catalysts that change the course of history are usually unpredictable. Perhaps the fall of the Zionist “dream” of expansion from the Nile to the Euphrates will ease the fear of many Arab nations and be replaced by hope and a fair solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict.
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