President Obama Speaks in Cairo

I have only begun to read the reviews of President Obama’s speech today in Cairo, which range from ‘he is destabilizing the Middle East and the world’ to ‘this is groundbreaking and absolutely necessary toward peace in the region.’

It seems, however, that President Obama’s words have the potential to bring incredible change to the area and world.

What sort of change?

We will see perhaps tomorrow, next week or maybe at the end of the decade. We must be patient to determine the outcome of this momentous day just as we must to find out the possible benefits, or otherwise, of the war in Iraq.

What is clear however, is that there is not one singular response to Obama’s message – there are a plethora. In essence his oratorical presentation today and the feed back it gets, reflects the vast beliefs that shape the Muslim world, the Middle East and the thoughts and feelings of millions around the world.

There are those communities of listeners who have waited long and hard to hear a voice of leadership that speaks to the ‘beauty of the Muslim world’ and what it has brought to our existence. They are now bathing in glory. These are people who also feel that Muslims have been treated badly by the United States and other non-Muslim nations.

The truth is, they are right. Very few people, certainly most Americans during the Bush administration spoke well of Islam and its followers and generally saw those who subscribe to Koranic values – men, women and children as terrorists or potential mass murders. If I were a Muslim living in Tunisia, I would likely have felt abused by the West and its perception of me and my people.

There was little to no trust of Saudi Arabia, Libya, Iran, Iraq and Morocco and certainly not of Hezbollah and Hamas. Today many of those sorts who felt put upon and demeaned are saying, ‘it’s about time; We are slowly being vindicated and understood as a great religion, and rich nations (Obama’s words were framed in terms of a message to Muslims but it is inevitable that they were also directed toward Arabs in generals – Muslims and Christians)’.

Then there are those in the Middle East who see this as a significant opportunity to push their agenda of pan-Islam, a movement which professes that ‘Allah, as described by fundamentalist Islam, is everyone’s God and Mohammad an international and forever profit of every human being’. This movement and its beliefs was once imposed upon others by the sword, then the gun and now through international PR firms and wealthy fundamentalists and governments such as Iran.

There is no fooling ourselves – these people exist en masse and now through Obama’s words likely sense that they have an entire playroom of ‘naiveté’ to use to fool others even more. I say ‘naiveté’ because Obama generally speaks in pure terms, expressing the view that ‘everyone’ has the ability to make change and bring civility to the world.

That is a mistake. Hitler did not. I don’t believe the president of Iran can, and I certainly never believed that Saddam Hussein was intent upon showering his citizens with goodness and prosperity through some type of awakening. These people are violent in life, and died/die with the perverbial noose around their neck (and sometimes real), a tool of violence. They are/were evil and need to be dealt with as such either through incarceration or assassination.

And then there are the me’s of this world, individuals who hope and pray that Obama is opening up a damn of goodness that exists within all countries, Middle Eastern or otherwise; one which will come spilling out dousing the sewage and carnage that took front stage before.

There are the me’s who want so badly for his speech to stir up the good men and women, families, living in Rabat or Cairo to act democratically and undermine the intolerance and brutal regimes running most Muslim/Arab nations.

Let me be clear, I do not believe that Hosni Mubarek, the president of Egypt will become a saint because of Obama’s oratorical skills and finally measured words nor do I buy into Mr. Kaddafyi’s conversion to decency. It is hard to change – the way Obama expressed in his speech – after slaughtering, torturing and instilling fear in thousands of civilians, downing foreign commercial airplanes and financing international terrorism. My Father, of blessed memory used to say, ‘you won’t come out of a coal mine smelling like perfume’ and sure enough these guys must reek of the putrid odor of evil.

Many Jews, many Israelis, and many Arab leaders and citizens are terribly frightened today because of President Obama’s radical departure from the United States previous policies re. The Middle East and Muslim/Arab world. Jews in particular, at least many I have spoke to, are feeling vulnerable and as though they have been tossed to the wolves of dishonesty and deceit, soon to have their nose and finger tips bitten off.

They are scared because the Arab/Muslim world has just be empowered and emboldened, with no self-growth required or commitments from their governments to live up to his compliments. If I tell you are a great guy, even if you’re not, your going to act as if you are and let others know that. That rolling stone gathers some serious moss.

Essentially, Israeli leadership are now sensing that they are on their own, unprotected, by a United States government that has one-sidedly propped up its enemies. In one fell swoop, during the coarse of a speech the Muslim world now feels as if all the very lousy stuff they have been responsible for – decades – human rights violations, stealing and hoarding funds loaned to them by democracies etc. etc. – is okay.

But it is not okay. They like you and I, and any nation need to ask forgiveness for their sins, of which there are many including invading Israel a number of times. They need to atone for stoning women to death and executing minors. Obama’s words do not absolve the sins of nations, anywhere. He does not have the power to do so.

There are many Jews and Israelis, who are feeling today as if they are on stilts and just stepped into a pot hole, ready to topple over.

President Obama’s speech today was as powerful and groundbreaking as one could have expected. His presentation made for outstanding TV and his mastery with words, phrases and sentences will go down in history and no doubt grant him a place in the Oratory Hall of Fame.

The outcome of his words – which after all are only words according to some – will become evident one day – or they won’t. It is too early to tell. It is obvious however that there is not one universal response to the man’s speech in Cairo, nor one conclusion.

Once again the Middle East and American’s first Afro-American president are centre stage with an audience that is only partially giving them a standing ovation. Something new has been tried today, something possibly refreshing which may, like the war on Iraq, cast a new light on a region and people who have for years refused to grow with the rest of the globe and used this inability to perpetrate some very destructive and hurtful things.

Stay tuned, the best is yet to come! Peace might be around the corner. Or it may be way down the block, off to the left and then circling around to the right. Let’s wait and see.