Region | Egypt

Egyptian press expresses cautious optimism after Obama speech

“A new beginning for Muslim-US ties,” proclaimed the semi-official Egyptian newspaper Al Jumhuria on its front-page Friday, a commentary echoed by other government-run publications on US President Barack Obama’s speech to the Muslim world on Thursday.

  • By Ramadan Al Sherbini, Correspondent
  • Published: 15:27 June 5, 2009
  • Gulf News

Cairo: “A new beginning for Muslim-US ties,'' proclaimed the semi-official Egyptian newspaper Al Jumhuria on its front-page Friday, a commentary echoed by other government-run publications on US President Barack Obama's speech to the Muslim world on Thursday.

“Obama was interrupted by applause 43 times from his audience in the main auditorium at Cairo University,'' wrote Mohammad Ibrahim, the editor of Al Jumhuria in a leading article.

“Compare this to the negative response to the speech made by (former US president) George W. Bush at the Davos Economic Forum held in (the Egyptian resort town of) Sharm El Sheikh where the audience was about to boo him (Bush) for his lack of decorum while tackling the Egyptian positions on several domestic and foreign issues.''

Egypt is one of Washington's key allies in the region. Their ties were, however, strained during the Bush administration for its perceived pressure on the Egyptian regime of President Hosni Mubarak.

Mubarak, who had talks with Obama on Thursday in Cairo, had not visited Washington for the past five years, citing disappointment at the Bush administration's policy. Mubarak cancelled a scheduled trip to the US last May after the death of his grandson.

“It was nice of Obama to quote from the Holy Qur'an, probably becoming the first US president to do this,'' wrote Ibrahim of Al Jumhuria. His speech ends once and for all claims of clashes between our religion and other faiths.''

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In his 50-minute address in Cairo, Obama called for “a new beginning'' in his country's relations based on common interests, partnership and mutual respect.

“Obama Woos Muslims,'' read the headline of Al Wafd, the mouthpiece of the opposition newspaper Al Wafd on Friday. According to the paper, Obama was at pains to win over the Muslim world and remove the negative stereotypes triggered by his predecessor's policy.

To Makram Mohammad, the chairman of the Egyptian Press, Obama's speech fell from Muslims' expectations. “We waited for firm stances and a timetable, but he did not come up with a definite programme. He just provided a general vision, which we have to examine thoroughly,'' Mohammad told Gulf News.

According to Al Masri Al Youm, Egypt's influential independent newspaper, Obama was keen to “please everyone'' in his address.

“The Cairo speech sounded balanced, but what remains is to see mechanisms of implementation,'' said the paper on its front page. The paper also noted that in his speech, Obama depended on his face gestures and hand motions to impress his audience.

“The speech was impressive and more detailed than I expected,'' said Abdel Moneim Saeed, the chairman of the State-run Al Ahram Centre for political Studies. “It marks a new era in relations between the Muslims and the West as the principle of equality was elevated.''

In the view of Baha Eddin Hassan, a human rights activist, the speech made no surprises.

“Obama almost marginalized the issue of human rights in his speech. This was not surprising as such issues are discussed behind closed doors, not in public,'' said Hassan.

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