US President Barack Obama was very eloquent in his speech to the Arab and Muslim world. He addressed seven major issues that are of major concern to all Arabs and Muslims. However, the first two issues are the main sources of tension and are obstacles to peace, mainly America’s policy toward Islam and its policy toward the Arab/Israeli conflict.
The American president’s address indicated a new policy that would reverse the negative attitude toward Muslims. “I have come here to seek a new beginning between the US and the Muslim world,” he said, and acknowledged Muslim contributions and showed genuine good will when he stated, “America is not — and never will be — at war with Islam.”
These words were well received by Muslims everywhere who are eager to see an end to the war that was waged on Islam by George W. Bush. For eight years Bush’s administration adopted a policy of applying collective guilt on all Muslims and conducted a smear campaign against Muslim ideology and way of life. This angered and alienated Muslims and made America lose all its allies in the Arab and Muslim world. Obama promised to reverse this policy and said, “I consider it part of my responsibility as president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear.” This statement was highly appreciated and commanded the president great respect and trust by the majority in the Muslim world.
Obama also promised an end to the cycle of suspicion and discord that were generated by false accusations and distorted information of the Bush administration. Referring to the trauma of 9/11, he said: “The fear and anger that it provoked ... 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 US, and I have ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed by early next year.”
Again another statement that could help us erase the painful memory of the innocent who were dragged to Guantanamo from all over the world or the humiliation of the proud Iraqi people at the hands of American soldiers in Abu Ghraib. Obama later spoke about another source of tension, “the situation between Israelis, Palestinians and the Arab world.” However, this is where Obama lost the hearts and minds of many Arabs and Muslims. He was right when he said that, “No single speech can eradicate years of mistrust,” but neglected to add, and years of abuse and deception.
Obama lost many of us when he chose to stress that “the Palestinians must abandon violence,” but omitted to show any condemnation of Israeli atrocities and war crimes. Instead he described Palestinians’ legitimate resistance as violence, which he thinks would lead to a dead end. He said, “It is a sign of neither courage nor power to shoot rockets at sleeping children, or blow up old women on a bus.” Again we were reminded of the continued American double standards and American insensitivity to the killings of women and children in Gaza and the Palestinian territory.
What about Israeli use of lethal weapons and the destruction of Palestinian homes and schools? What about Israeli use of F-16 fighter planes and Apache helicopters to slay a wheelchair-bound cripple or to deliberately target Gaza schools and bakeries?
President Obama also should realize that it is neither a sign of courage nor power to keep thousands of innocent women and children in jails for many years and deprive them of their freedom and dignity. It is inhumane and against all human rights to evict a people from their lands and destroy their homes, deprive them of food and water and leave them to die a slow death without medical help or proper sanitation. Which situation deserves more sympathy and attention?
Clearly Obama has demonstrated once again that the American bias toward Israel will never stop and that the US can never be an honest broker in this conflict. The US president said that Hamas must put an end to violence, recognize past agreements and recognize Israel’s right to exist. If he is really a man of his word and is genuinely working for a peaceful solution he also should have said Israel must likewise put an end to violence, recognize UN resolutions 242 and 338, to which the US is a signatory, and abandon its expansionist plans. Israel must understand that Palestinians are there to stay, and they will not abandon their homeland. The new American administration must recognize that the Muslim people’s bond with Palestinians will continue to grow with or without its support. This bond is also unbreakable. It also is based upon religious, cultural and historical ties and that the aspirations for a Palestinian state is rooted in a religious and historical conviction that cannot be denied.
Having said that the majority of the Arab and Muslim states will continue to pursue peace and support the Arab peace initiative, Obama reiterated that the US does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements, and he stressed that the only way to end the Arab-Israeli conflict is through a two-state solution where Israelis and Palestinians live in peace and security.
There are still many questions that demand clear answers. Will Obama fulfill his promise to put an end to Israeli violence and expansion? Will the US continue to supply sophisticated weaponry and vetoes that support Israel? Will there be more positive American policies toward the Middle East and the Muslim world? Many Muslims are still very skeptical and have little faith in America’s will to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict. They remain wary of President Obama’s ability to halt Israel’s atrocities and deliver peace to the Middle East.
— Samar Fatany is a Saudi radio journalist.
