Need for a new world leader

Your Excellency, Senator Barack Obama - President-elect of the USA.

Congratulation for your historic win in the race for the White House and hope that you manage to achieve the change you promised in your country and revive the "American Dream".

Though I did not vote for you, like billions of people in the world we were following the US elections with the same interest with which we follow elections in our countries; sometimes even more.

I'm not claiming to speak for everybody around the world, who knows for sure that what happens in Washington affects his life in a way or another. But, as a 'globalised citizen' of Middle Eastern origin and European nationality, I thought I would better write to you frankly and may be in no diplomatic way, if you excuse my daring attitude.

Sir, we understand the challenges facing you at home are rightly bound to get your earnest attention, but as your election campaign raised high hopes at home, it did the same all over the globe. As your country's economic issues are part of a global crisis, your new administration would be reaching to the rest of the world to seek solutions. It is your destiny, Sir, to come to the helm of the world's sole superpower at a time when a new world leader is needed. Election campaign slogans and statements are usually more enthusiastic than what the reality of practical life dictates. Taking that into consideration, many around the world are expecting some "sort of a change" in US policy.

Your Presidency will inherit two wars and other tensions. Regardless of what surrounded these wars, the world is looking forward to a fresh start with you in office. No one is expecting an immediate end to these wars, but a new approach could help bring more peace and stability into the world.

No one-sided stands

As for people like me, we look forward to a new world leadership that is less arrogant and not one-sided in its stands and positions. Military power can crush countries, oust regimes and provide illusive victories, but it might not win hearts and minds. Wining hearts and minds would not be achieved by arrogance or imposition of one-sided visions.

For example, Arabs and Muslims around the world have been labelled as "terrorists", "potential" ones, or at least anti-civilisation and modernisation fanatics. No denial that Arabs and Muslims, like any peoples in the world, have got bad elements but that is not the mainstream. If we excluded arrogance, the misunderstanding mainly results from listening to one side.

We understand the special relationship between your country and Israel, but it is difficult to grasp that this could be a justification to view the whole region from an Israeli eye.

Mr President-elect,

Like any democracy in a country of deep-rooted institutions, the president is not an autocratic ruler, so we appreciate that your decisions are based on different inputs. All we are looking for now is a fair balance in inputs.

As you said in your victory speech that you will be listening, especially to those who do not agree with you, we look forward to get that applied to the rest of the world. Governing beyond partisan politics at home, as a President for all Americans, is a good omen for the world to deal with it as a new world leader promoting peace, justice and fairness.

The odd question of "Why they hate us?" was actually a sort of spin to cover the fact that people do not hate America or its people, but its aggressive and unjust policies. Hundreds of millions in this region, and elsewhere, believe that America is the land of equal opportunity and democracy. And if this image was a bit tarnished in recent years, the hope in your just and fair approach to world issues would definitely revive this belief.

All the best with all the daunting tasks ahead and God bless you.

Dr Ahmad Mustafa is a London-based Arab writer.