The Cairo Speech – III

The overwhelming mood in the air is dismissive of Obama’s 55 minute speech in Cairo yesterday. While the words may have been a far cry from some of the rhetoric and fear-mongering of the decade past, it really will be actions that count at the end of the day. And unfortunately, that still is a pipe dream. Presenting the links of this morning on the Cairo speech:

Firstly, no wonder the Israelis haven’t lost their cool yet. According to the New York Daily News:

The White House tried to ease Israeli concerns over President Obama’s fence-mending speech Thursday to the Muslim world, insisting he remains loyal to the strong U.S. relationship with the Jewish state.

In an e-mail sent to some Jewish groups and the U.S.-based lobby for Israel, the White House insisted Obama’s outreach to the mainstream Muslim majority is no threat to relations with its key Mideast ally.

“The President’s commitment to Israel’s security is as firm as ever, which he has emphasized many times,” the e-mail said.

There was also a late afternoon secret White House conference call with some Jewish leaders Wednesday to quell any concerns that the Cairo University speech signals a souring of U.S.-Israeli relations.

Helena Cobban interviewed Hamas’ Khaled Meshaal - his take on the Cairo speech:

We want to see practical steps by the United States such as ending Israel’s settlement activity, putting an end to Israel’s confiscation of Palestinian and its campaign to Judaize Jerusalem; and end to its demolitions of Palestinian homes; and the removal of the 600 checkpoints that are stifling normal life in the West Bank.

Rather than sweet words from President Obama on democratization, we’d rather see the United States start to respect the results of democratic elections that have already been held. And rather than talk about democratization and human rights in the Arab world, we’d rather see the removal of General Dayton, who’s building a police state there in the West Bank.

And Robert Fisk on the speech:

There was no mention – during or after his kindly excoriation of Iran – of Israel’s estimated 264 nuclear warheads. He admonished the Palestinians for their violence – for “shooting rockets at sleeping children or blowing up old women in a bus”. But there was no mention of Israel’s violence in Gaza, just of the “continuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza”. Nor was there a mention of Israel’s bombing of civilians in Lebanon, of its repeated invasions of Lebanon (17,500 dead in the 1982 invasion alone). Obama told Muslims not to live in the past, but cut the Israelis out of this. The Holocaust loomed out of his speech and he reminded us that he was going to the site of the Buchenwald concentration camp today.

For a man who is sending thousands more US troops into Afghanistan – a certain disaster-to-come in the eyes of Arabs and Westerners – there was something brazen about all this. When he talked about the debt that all Westerners owed to Islam – the “light of learning” in Andalusia, algebra, the magnetic compass, religious tolerance, it was like a cat being gently stroked before a visit to the vet. And the vet, of course, lectured the Muslims on the dangers of extremism, on “cycles of suspicion and discord” – even if America and Islam shared “common principles” which turned out to be “justice, progress and the dignity of all human beings”.

The Cairo Speech-II

The analysis poureth forth! My brain’s already gone into overdrive today – had to spend half the afternoon figuring out if I could go home early to watch the speech (couldn’t, had a 5 PM meeting), where I’d watch it (in 2 different offices at work), and following twitter (brain now confundled mass. kudos to alex for literally tweeting the crap out of the speech and getting his tweets quoted on the Atlantic). Now that Google Reader is in overdrive, I’m just going to grab some Panadol and carry on.

Here are my picks so far for must-reads:

Mark Lynch at Foreign Policy appears to have really liked the speech. According to him “the rollout of the speech already stands as one of the most successful public diplomacy and strategic communications campaigns I can ever remember — and hopefully a harbinger of what is to come.” He’s also pointed out the shift in describing the Palestinians’ plight: “I don’t think I have ever heard any American politician, much less President, so eloquently, empathetically, and directly equate the suffering and aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians.”

KABOBfest said the speech was Clintonite (Oh, isn’t Bill going to be happy if he reads that!) and while I personally don’t agree with the take, the retorts to Obama are hilarious – including “ “I do so recognizing that change cannot happen overnight.” – Campaign promise broken!” and ” “Now, that must be our work here on Earth.” Obligatory Star Trek reference #1.”

Ali Abunimah of The Electronic Intifida- writing in the Guardian – has called Obama a ‘Bush in sheep’s clothing’. This part below is reflective of how US presidents talk about Palestine:

Nowhere were these blindspots more apparent than his statements about Palestine/Israel. He gave his audience a detailed lesson on the Holocaust and explicitly used it as a justification for the creation of Israel. “It is also undeniable,” the president said, “that the Palestinian people – Muslims and Christians – have suffered in pursuit of a homeland. For more than sixty years they have endured the pain of dislocation.”

Suffered in pursuit of a homeland? The pain of dislocation? They already had a homeland. They suffered from being ethnically cleansed and dispossessed of it and prevented from returning on the grounds that they are from the wrong ethno-national group. Why is that still so hard to say?

The Daily Intel has a round-up from different news sources, and Al-Jazeera reported that a Hamas official thought Obama’s speech had a Martin Luther King touch. Clearly, Hamas is figuring out how they can get on Obama’s good side.

In another post-speech thought, wasn’t it patronizing when he said “Hamas does have some support in Palestine..”

More thoughts later. This is going to be a long news month ahead – I’m particularly looking forward to tweeting the Pakistan budget for 2009/2010 on June 12. The name-calling in the National Assembly and token walk-outs are always fun – must remember to find a bag of popcorn this time around.

The Cairo Speech

Finally, finally the much-awaited, much-tweeted speech by Barack Obama in Cairo is done and over with. Right now and over the course of the next few hours, days and weeks, the speech will be analyzed and discussed and the outcomes – if any – will begin to materialize.

Just a few thoughts. Firstly, it would be extremely delusional to expect any greatness to emerge from the speech. What was interesting was that Obama did give a historical perspective – much needed for right-wingers – in to the links between Muslims and the US.

Secondly, the speech continued in the same vein of honesty that this administration has had so far. (Take for example, Hillary Clinton’s remarks on Pakistan and the history of how Al-Qaeda was formed with US complicity). Which is why while Obama admitting that the US had a role in the 1953 coup in Iran is important to recognize.

Thirdly, what is more important than any speech is whether the rhethoric translates into action. For years now, the Middle East has been floundering in terms of the peace process in Syria, Israel and Palestine. It is not important how well-liked Obama – or that an attendee at the speech yelled out ‘we love you!’ – but whether there are any concrete steps taken by the Obama administration to resolve the many simmering issues in the Middle East. The fact remains that pouring in millions to dictators and draconian regimes, meddling in countries’ internal affairs and engaging in hostile behaviour still seems to continue on but this will need to change – and soon – before the region explodes again. The repercussions of years of this have manifested in a large way in the battle Pakistan is trying to fight against the Taliban right now (not that Pakistan didn’t have any role to play).

Fourth, this is the best its going to get. We would be terrible idealists to believe otherwise.

Fifth, who else wishes Obama would come to Pakistan too? The man is a star.

Sixth, I wish I’d seen the speech in Amman or Damascus. Would’ve been far, far more fun.