JEDDAH/DAMMAM: There were mixed reactions from Saudis and expatriates across Saudi Arabia to the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to US President Barack Obama, announced by the Norwegian committee on Friday. The committee said he is being given the prize “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”
“We are honored that our new president has been chosen for an award that captures the desire of the world for peace,” American Ambassador to Saudi Arabia James B. Smith told Arab News. “This desire and vision was first shared by President Obama with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah in June and then publicly expressed in his seminal address to the world in Cairo entitled ‘A New Beginning.’”
In that speech, Obama said that the US seeks a new start with the Muslim world that is based on mutual interest and mutual respect — “one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles, principles of justice and progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.”
The Nobel Committee recognized the window of opportunity that Obama helped create, and said that the prize is at times awarded to encourage efforts rather than to reward actions.
But BMG Financial Services Chairman Basil Al-Ghalayini questioned why Obama was awarded the prize, whose deadline for nomination had been less than a month into Obama’s term in office. “I am surprised that such a highly-regarded peace prize is handed to a sitting American president this early in office, the Nobel peace committee needs to compare him to other international leaders and their accomplishments for world peace. King Abdullah’s Interfaith Dialogue Initiative is something that the committee needs to consider. Obama has initiated some moves toward changing the world view about the Muslim world, but the results are needed.”
Abdul Karim Y. Munshi, president of the Jeddah-based Abdul Karim Yahya Munshi Est., said he is pleased with the decision.
“Although Obama has been in office for just over eight months, he has made his intentions clear — about promoting peace the world over and so we welcome the award to him,” said Karim.
Leading businessman Yasin Alireza brushed off the move, saying the Nobel Peace Prize lost its credibility years ago. “When they could give the Peace Prize to former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, Obama is comparatively an angel,” said Alireza. “By the way, the Nobel Peace Prize lost its value since the time Begin was awarded it.”
In 1978, Begin and Egypt’s Anwar Sadat were jointly awarded the prize for establishing peace between the two countries.
Journalist Abdul Hadi Al-Habtoor said the prize should be issued for “tangible” results.
“I was always under the impression that the Nobel is given to somebody who has done something tangible,” he said. “I hope this award will propel him into doing something noteworthy.”
Another endorsement for the prize for King Abdullah came from a Dammam-based real estate developer Abdullah Saad Al-Qahtani.
“This award should have gone to our beloved king,” he said. “The king has taken initiatives of far-reaching consequences. Through his interfaith initiatives, he has turned the spurious philosophy of the clash of civilizations into a dialogue of civilizations.”
(K.S. Ramkumar, Siraj Wahab and Sultan Al-Tamimi)
