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Inside Obama's Speech in Cairo
What you need to know about the historic speech.
By Christy Harvey, Mic Check Radio
June 4, 2009
(Source: Think Progress)
Know Five Things
1. The Speech
- Bottom Line: Barack Obama outlined seven issues that must be confronted to reach greater understanding between the United States and the Islamic world. According to the BBC, these seven were: “violent extremism, the Israeli/Palestinian dispute, nuclear weapons (with a reference to Iran), democracy, religious freedom, rights of women and economic development. He finishes with a flourish about the future.” [BBC News]
- Back Story: Dan Gilgoff, U.S. News & World Report: “The White House did something it hasn’t previously in preparing Obama to engage Muslims abroad: It called on American religious leaders and experts, including many Muslims, for advice.” [US News]
2. What Obama Said
- President Obama used the word “peace” 29 times. [CNN]
- President Obama carefully reached out to the Arab Street. “Near the beginning of the Cairo speech, he broke out some Arabic to offered the traditional Muslim greeting of ‘assalaamu alaykum’ or ‘peace be with you.’ Barack Hussein Obama proudly recited his full name, offered a quote from the Quran and spoke of hearing the call to prayer when he lived in Indonesia as a boy.” [Politico]
- “Obama called on those who would seek to deny the Holocaust – a clear reference to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, without naming him – to stop denying it, or Israel’s right to exist.” [Politico]
3. What Obama Didn’t Say
- Politico points out that, in his 6,000-word speech, President Obama “managed never to utter the one word that comes to mind most often when many Americans think about Islam: terrorism.” [Politico]
- Laura Meckler, The Wall Street Journal: “The White House said Obama’s speech contained no new policy proposals on the Middle East, and he issued an evenhanded call to Israel and Palestinians alike to live up to their international obligations.” [WSJ]
4. Reaction From The World
- “Imam Alvin Shareef of the New Medinah Islamic community outside of Sumrall, Miss., said Obama’s ‘tone of peace’ was a welcome departure from the saber-rattling of the Bush administration, which he said only made America’s enemies stronger in the Muslim world.” [USA Today]
- The Israeli government, in a statement, said: “We share President Obama’s hope that the American effort heralds the beginning of a new era that will bring about an end to the conflict and lead to Arab recognition of Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people, living in peace and security in the Middle East.”
- Emad el-Din Adib, one of the Middle East’s famous media personalities: “President Obama’s charisma is unquestionable, but it’s the substance and depth of his speech that made the hall roar.”
- Nabil Abu Rudeineh, adviser of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas: The speech was “very encouraging, and this is a new start and different American policy.” [CNN]
- Reza Aslan, the best-selling Iranian-American author of “No God But God”: “Wow!” and “If the purpose of the speech was to forge a new beginning between the U.S. and the Muslim world, he did that.” [CNN]
5. Reaction From The Right
- Former US ambassador to the UN under Bush, John Bolton: “This is another Obama blame-America-first moment.” [Politico]
- Sean Hannity: “This is an extension of what has become an apology tour, that America is an arrogant country.” [The Note]
- Ari Fleischer: “Bottom line — the speech was balanced and that was what was wrong with it. American policy should not be balanced.” [CBS News]
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