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Reaction to Obama's speech to the Muslim world

Notable reaction to President Barack Obama's speech to the Muslim world on Thursday:

  • Agencies
  • Published: 16:58 June 4, 2009
  • Gulf News

Notable reaction to President Barack Obama's speech to the Muslim world on Thursday:

"President Obama is a brave president. ... We hope he will open a new chapter with the Islamic world and Arab nations in particular."
Mithwan Hussain
Baghdad resident

"There is a change between the speech of President Obama and previous speeches made by George Bush. But today's remarks at Cairo University were based on soft diplomacy to brighten the image of the United States."
Fawzi Barhoum
Hamas spokesman

"It was actually better than we expected, but not as good as we hoped... His stance on democracy was very general, a bit weak, we hoped for more detail."
Ayman Nour
Egyptian dissident

"Obama is clearly admitting that Bush's military offensive in Iraq was a mistake."
Said Lacet
Civil servant in Algeria

"It still was a speech about what America wants. Maybe that's only natural, because he wants to protect American interests in the region. ... But I really do believe he envisions a world that is pluralistic, where different religions can live peacefully together, with respect, as he himself experienced in Indonesia."
Edi Kusyanto
Teacher at Indonesia school that Obama attended

"The part of Obama's speech regarding the Palestinian issue is an important step under new beginnings. ... This is the beginning of a new American policy and this policy is creating a new atmosphere to build the Palestinian state."
Nabil Abu Rdeneh
Spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas

"He was very generous in his comments about Islam's contributions to civilization. ... There also hasn't really been any other Western leader who has expressed such commitment to fighting negative stereotypes regarding Muslims."
Chandra Muzaffar
President, International Movement for a Just World

"It's one of the most important speeches ever delivered, a key speech for changing the climate in the Middle East. Israel will make a big mistake if it ignores it and doesn't use it to generate a new dialogue with the Muslim world."
Yuli Tamir
Israeli lawmaker

"I don't trust him. He's just trying to apologise to Muslims because of what America _ or really Bush _ has done in the past. He's promising to be different. But that's all it is, a promise. We want action."
Wahyudin
Director of a hard-line Islamic boarding school in Jakarta

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