Region | Egypt
Some Arabs inspired, others unimpressed after Obama's speech
Arab intellectual reaction to Obama's address fell on a broad spectrum ranging from hopeful and inspired to critical and unimpressed.
- By Duraid Al Baik, Associate Editor
- Published: 17:45 June 4, 2009
- Somalian people, who are unable to get a TV set, listen on the radio Obama's live speech in Mogadishu, Somalia.
- Image Credit: AP
Dubai: Arab intellectual reaction to Obama's address fell on a broad spectrum ranging from hopeful and inspired to critical and unimpressed.
Michele Kilo, a Syrian writer and activist, said the extended hand by the US to the Muslim world will have a great impact on the future of the nations in this region.
Kilo said Obama's new approach of cooperation between Muslims and the west will also benefit women and democrats.
Yassir Al Eladle, novel writer and teacher at Ain Shams University, Egypt, came up with a completely opposite view of Kilo from Syria.
In a telephone interview, Al Eladle told Gulf News that he would never trust Obama because he is just an employee in the US administration and his speech which he delivered in Cairo is just what the US needs at this moment.
"The US administration realizesthat they can't rescue their troops from being trapped inAfghanistan and Iraq without the help of a number of governments in this region. His speech is just a public relation exercise with governments in the region," he said.
Al Eladle said he sees no future for democracy and good governance in the region with is over loaded with corrupt politicians who are using myth and religious elements to give them an unquestionable authority to mishandle their nations.
"The future of Arabs is bleak unless something changed from within. We need to focus on education. The US will soon forget about the inspiring words of Obama and things will continue as they used to be in the past 50 years," he said.
Asked about the impact of projects announced in Obama speech to enhance educational and technical cooperation with the Arab World, Al Eladle said Egypt received $30 billion [Dh 110 billion] in the past 15 years, but Egyptians have not seen a penny.
"All the money went into the pockets of corrupt administrators and as the ordinary Egyptians are still suffering from poverty and unemployment," he said.
Kilo, a Christian who spent three years in jail for signing a declaration in May 1996 calling for balanced relations between Syrian and Lebanon, said there is no doubt that educational and cultural cooperation to be extended by the US as Obama promised.
"By ensuring the US will never violate human rights as it did during Bush era, this will set an example for governments in Arab and Muslim world to follow and will withdraw the excuses they used to violate the dignity of their own nations under different false excuses," Kilo said.
"I am quite optimistic about the sincerity of Obama which will in turn reach the hearts of Arabs and Muslims in this region. Arabs and Muslims have a problem in their relations with the West. It is not the time to placeblame and settle scores. It is time to work together. Democracy will eventually come and dictating democracy as been done by Obama predecessor, George W. Bush, was just an ambiguous way of imperial tactics to control the Muslim world and the wealth of this region," Kilo added.
Abdul Khaleq Abdullah, Professor of Political Science at the UAE University, said the Islamic world should listen carefully and cooperate with the US president in his efforts to rescue the world from the entrenched positions of Muslims with the West that became so obvious following 9/11.
"It is not wise, in my opinion, to trivialize the benefits of Obamas's efforts to just Arab Israeli peace or defending the freedom of expression and democracy here and there. Peace and democracy are quite essential issues and very valuable for the people in this region, but let us first build the bridges being destroyed after 9/11 on a sound basis rather than rushing to handle sub issues," Abdul Khaleq said.
"Obama is in a unique position to usher the building of the bridge between the two civilizations since he is the only leader in the west who has such an understanding of the Arab and Muslim world due to his background and upbringing circumstances," he said.
Aymin Samier, an Egyptian political analyst, said that apart from the justifiable disappointment of democratic activists in the Arab world, the realisation of promises in Obama's speech will depend entirely on deeds.
"I understand why he sidelined the call for democracy as being breached by the administration of Bush. He seems to be focusing on a punch of more complicated issues in the region including the Arab-Israeli peace and the withdrawal from Iraq," he said.
Share this article
Related Articles
-
Opposition to attend Obama speech
Islamist opposition to attend Obama's speech
-
Obama seeks common cause
Obama: Extremists exploit tension between Islam and the West
-
Obama arrives in Cairo
Obama lands in Egypt for speech to address Muslims
-
US 'to work with Mideast'
US committed to working with Mideast, says Obama
-
'US president should deliver'
'US president should deliver'
-
Text of Obama's speech to Muslims
Text of Obama's speech to Muslims
-
Egyptian leaders at Obama speech
Egyptian opposition to attend Obama speech
-
What Arabs and Muslims want to hear
What Arabs and Muslims want to hear
-
Presidents who have addressed Muslim affairs
Presidents who have addressed Muslim affairs
-
Cairo spruced up for Obama visit
Cairo spruced up for Obama visit but Egyptians not excited
Popular in News
News Editor's choice
-
A year after 173 defenceless people were killed
Mumbai itself is far from safe from another deadly attack, even though the level of security consciousness of the average Mumbaikar has been raised since 26/11
-
Nato supports Obama's plea
European and other allies to send around 6,000 troops to Afghanistan
-
Official confirms mayor is the suspect
Many witnesses have come forward, justice secretary says
-
Into an oasis of values
A place to snuggle in the warmth of old manners away from the bustle of city life
