Obama’s Speech In Cairo – The Pakistani and Other’s Responses

June 11, 2009

Articles

President Obama in Cairo

Thursday, June 4, 2009,

President Obama traveled to Cairo to speak on the behalf of the United States for the Muslim community in the Middle East.

Pakistani Response:

Sajid Mahmoood Qazi, a law student and a international relations worker for the Pakistani government, said that Obama’s speech in Cairo was impressive and “It was a beautiful discourse on the evolution of American society… and the role of Muslims in the [US] whether they are cabbies in New York or have made fabulous riches.”

However, he continued to say that although the speech was beautiful and inspiring, the President’s description of the Iraq war as a “war of choice” made him think twice about the President’s visit. He believed that an apology for the Iraq Invasion was to be expected from Obama even though the previous administration conducted the invasion.

Another student, Muhammad Arif Muqueem, said, “His speech was good but just for listening. Not for understanding”. The student believed that it’s all nice to hear and it’s great that the President of the US came to Cairo (the first to make the trip), but his speech was to vague and did not satisfy him with information about HOW we, the international community, can solve the issues in the Middle East.

The overall pakistani response is that since the US’s “Drone Attacks” (when the US fired missiles at suspected terrorist bases), it will take more than a “very-well delivered” speech to alter Pakistanis’ beliefs, but it will take “concrete change in the US’s Pakistan Policies.

Others:

Even Al Jazeera Staff (who put videos of Osama bin Laden and Al-qaeda on their site) joined the many applauding Obama for his speech on Thursday. The Al Jazeera network’s political analyst said the address helped undo “the harm done by the Bush administration.”

Palestinians and Israelis are both semi-disappointed with the outcome of the speech. Palestinian’s did indeed like the “There is no way to achieve peace other than through a two state solution” while the Israelis were let down and now the world is led to believe that maybe the Israeli and American bond will begin to be less intimate. However, Israeli Officials did favor the notions of Obama, and how he had the right idea in mind, “Peace between Israel and Palestinians”.