10 Triumphs of President Obama’s Speech in Cairo (A Response to Toby Harnden on Telegraph.co.uk posted on June 4, 2009)

10 Triumphs of President Obama’s Speech in Cairo (A Response to Toby Harnden's post on Telegraph.co.uk dated June 4, 2009)

President Barack Obama’s speech in Cairo is, without a doubt, the most powerful speech ever made by a US president to the Muslim population around the world. Never before has an American president spoken so openly and comprehensively on the need to build upon common principles between America and the muslin world. The speech was filled with hope, optimism and respect. Around the world, numerous people have expressed their praise President Obama’s words. However, the critics have also been busy picking at the speech, creating potholes where there are none. One such critic is Toby Harnden who posted his insipid critique on Telegraph.co.uk. It is to him that I now respond by citing the 10 Triumphant points contained in President Obama’s Speech in Cairo.

1. "Given our interdependence, any world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail." In saying this, President Obama was not dismissing American exceptionalism (as suggested by Harnden) but rather, he was dismissing any notion that holds one race, or people, or country as superior over others. President Obama was echoing the views of every peace-loving leader in the modern world. Former Ethiopian leader, Haile Selassie, stated that “until the philosophy that holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited…everywhere, there [will be] war”. Former South African president, Nelson Madiba Mandela spoke along the same lines shortly after he won the Nobel peace prize: “It was during those long and lonely years that my hunger for the freedom of my own people became a hunger for the freedom of all people, white and black. I knew as well as I knew anything that the oppressor must be liberated just as surely as the oppressed”.

2. "I am a Christian, but my father came from a Kenyan family that includes generations of Muslims. As a boy, I spent several years in Indonesia and heard the call of the azaan at the break of dawn and the fall of dusk." By highlighting his unique background and personal story, President Obama comes across as open, sincere and engaging. But more importantly, he demonstrates the diversity of America and the power of American democracy. The fact that a man with his background and his unusual name can be elected President in a predominantly white country is irrefutable testimony of the ability of the American people to come together around common issues and to set an excellent example to the world about the beauty of democracy and inclusiveness. To suggest therefore, as Toby Harnden does, that President Obama elevates himself at America’s expense, is simply idiotic.


3. "Around the world, the Jewish people were persecuted for centuries, and anti-Semitism in Europe culminated in an unprecedented Holocaust.... On the other hand..." On this point, Harnden opines “Yes, Obama spoke strongly and unequivocally about the six million Jews who were exterminated in the Holocaust. But he immediately appeared to equate this with the suffering of Palestinians who have "endured the pain of dislocation...endure the daily humiliations - large and small - that come with occupation...the situation for the Palestinian people is intolerable". This comes dangerously close to moral equivalence”. Clearly, Harnden misconstrued President Obama’s statement to further his agenda as a critic. What the president says in full is as follows (and the actual words speak for themselves): “Around the world, the Jewish people were persecuted for centuries, and anti-Semitism in Europe culminated in an unprecedented Holocaust. Tomorrow, I will visit Buchenwald, which was part of a network of camps where Jews were enslaved, tortured, shot and gassed to death by the Third Reich. Six million Jews were killed -- more than the entire Jewish population of Israel today. Denying that fact is baseless, it is ignorant, and it is hateful. Threatening Israel with destruction -- or repeating vile stereotypes about Jews -- is deeply wrong, and only serves to evoke in the minds of Israelis this most painful of memories while preventing the peace that the people of this region deserve”.

4. "The U.S. government has gone to court to protect the right of women and girls to wear the hijab, and to punish those who would deny it. I reject the view of some in the West that a woman who chooses to cover her hair is somehow less equal, but I do believe that a woman who is denied an education is denied equality." Harnden describes this as the worst passage of all from the speech. Again, Harnden misconstrues what President Obama was trying to convey and he takes the President’s words out of context. It is a fact that there are bigots in the west who may view Muslim women as unequal. That is a fact. So President Obama was not incorrect in discussing the unequal perception that some people have towards women who may cover their heads for example. In fact, President Obama went further and stressed the right of women in the Muslim world and elsewhere, to education i.e. to be accorded the same rights and freedoms as the males.

5. "I am honoured to be in the timeless city of Cairo..." In discussing this point, Harnden states “It's one thing to go to the heart of an autocracy in the Middle East and to deliver hard turths. It's quite another to describe President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt as a "force for stability" and then go to Cairo and soft pedal on human rights abuses there”.
I disagree with Harnden’s viewpoint. The fact that President Obama chose Cairo as a venue could as well have been for security reasons or it could be because he wanted a venue that has both moderate and extremist Muslims so as to drive his point home. No matter, the important thing is that President Obama reached out to the Muslim world in a Muslim city. This gesture does NOT amount to endorsing any human rights abuses that may have occurred in Cairo. Such a view is simplistic and just plain wrong. Does President Obama’s speech in Germany last year amount to endorsing the Nazis? Obviously not. Does President Obama’s speech at Arizona State University amount to endorsing the KKK groups that might be present in Arizona? Obviously not. Once again, Harnden has taken a small aspect of president Obama’s speech and built it into something that it isn’t.

6. "Unlike Afghanistan, Iraq was a war of choice that provoked strong differences in my country and around the world. Although I believe that the Iraqi people are ultimately better off without the tyranny of Saddam Hussein, I also believe that events in Iraq have reminded America of the need to use diplomacy and build international consensus to resolve our problems whenever possible." By highlighting the disagreements caused by the war in Iraq and the lessons that America has drawn from it, President Obama is right on point. As many in America have stated, things could have been done differently. The fact is that mistakes were made by the past administration and acknowledging that while recognizing the lessons learnt is something worth celebrating.

7. "No single speech can eradicate years of mistrust, nor can I answer in the time that I have all the complex questions that brought us to this point." Harnden criticizes President Obama’s speech as lacking “concrete proposals”. It is quite obvious that Harnden and other critics who share that view have missed the significance of President Obama’s speech to the Muslim world. Millions of people have hailed it as a success because it was a powerful, deeply moving and persuasive call to the Muslim population and the rest of the world to work steadily and diligently towards a more peaceful world. The speech decried the use of violence against innocent people. The speech outlined the new approach that the Obama administration has in charting the course of peace in the Middle East. All these are pretty concrete issues raised in a speech that has resonated with all manner of people around the world. To dismiss the impact and significance of this speech is a mistake.

8. "And finally, just as America can never tolerate violence by extremists, we must never alter our principles. 9/11 was an enormous trauma to our country. The fear and anger that it provoked was understandable, but in some cases, it led us to act contrary to our ideals. We are taking concrete actions to change course. I have unequivocally prohibited the use of torture by the United States, and I have ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed by early next year."
I believe that in stating this, President Obama reiterated the views that he had expressed during his campaign. That, in its response to 9/11, America may have compromised some of its most admirable ideals. In my view, these words represent a determination to rebuild America’s position as a symbol of freedom and peace around the world. The fact of the matter is that torture is prohibited. The prohibition against torture is non-derogable. By recognizing this fact and highlighting the efforts that the current administration has made in putting an end to ‘alleged’ torture, President Obama was once again reiterating everything that is good about America. That even though the country may sometimes make mistakes, it will strive not to lose sight of the values and principles that have made it great.

9. "I know there has been controversy about the promotion of democracy in recent years, and much of this controversy is connected to the war in Iraq. So let me be clear: no system of government can or should be imposed upon one nation by any other." This was another triumphant point made by President Obama’s speech. This point does not diminish any real progress that has been made in Iraq. President Obama was simply emphasizing the importance of sovereignty for all countries. There are many countries around the world who will appreciate these words.

10. "For instance, in the United States, rules on charitable giving have made it harder for Muslims to fulfill their religious obligation. That is why I am committed to working with American Muslims to ensure that they can fulfill zakat."
In making this point, President Obama was not in any way suggesting that efforts to crack down on terrorist financing will be compromised as implied by critics. There may be certain aspects of the law that are not being fairly implemented perhaps and these may need to be revisited – not to compromise the fight against money laundering or terrorist financing but to ensure that the law is applied in an effective manner that captures the bad guys without punishing the good ones. It’s really quite simple.

In conclusion, I would like to restate my view that President Obama’s speech in Cairo was an important step towards bridging the gap between America and the Muslim world. It is hoped that the speech will be viewed with an open heart and a willingness to work towards securing world peace. President Obama reminded us, as always, why America has long been considered a beacon of peace, freedom and prosperity. Its ability to help secure world peace through diplomacy and mutual respect has never been more glaring than it was when President Obama spoke to the world from Cairo. It was a speech that will inspire millions for generations to come.