The speech of Barack Obama in Cairo on June 4 was a beautiful speech. The American president has tried to patch the tear with the Muslim world created by the unfortunate and criminal Bush presidency and the excesses of Israel self-defence. Obama recalled how the relationship between the West and the Arab world cover centuries of coexistence and cooperation, not only misunderstanding and war.
He said he came to seek a new beginning between the United States and the Islamic world, spoke about the cultural and scientific contribution of Muslims to the world. He then talked about Afghanistan, saying that America does not want to settle troops but only to fight terrorism. He recalled the verse from the Koran that says "whoever kills an innocent, it's as if he had killed all humanity" to make clear that terrorists have killed mostly innocent people, and for the most part Muslim.
He admitted that military force is not solving the problem and promised investment to help the civilian population in Pakistan and Afghanistan. If the audience in the Muslim world welcomed these words there is still some skepticism. In the case of Afghanistan the fight against the Taliban must be set in a different way, avoiding to kill "by mistake" innocent civilians as happened too often.
He spoke of acts contrary to the ideals of America that have taken place since 11 September 2001, referring to the torture of prisoners, and promised to close Guantanamo. But has yet to happen, as the president faces an opposition in his own party. The latest news regarding this is not very positive, given that the administration is considering the idea of allowing 5 prisoners to declare guilty without trial as they themselves wish to go for martyrdom, that is the death sentence . They want to do it because they are crazy fanatics, the Americans will permit it because without a public trial would not come to light the different types of torture that have been submitted to. Not very edifying.
Obama also spoke of the Palestinian issue, saying that the aspirations are legitimate by both sides and there is the need to create two states, but this will only be possible if the U.S. will pressure the Israeli Government to stop encouraging the construction of settlements in the Palestinian territories and stop responding with disproportionate force and indiscriminate bombing of innocent civilians for every attack. And this will not be easy with the government of the right and the extreme right of Nethanyahu and Lieberman. Obama urged the Palestinians to abandon the use of violence as a means of political struggle, citing the success of Afro-Americans with their non-violent struggle for civil rights, but the governments of the segregationist Southern states, as racist as they were at least didn't bombed black people. Obama has called on Israel to halt settlements in Palestinian territory and the trade embargo, stating that if it cannot be denied the right of Israel to exist cannot be denied either that of the Palestinians. It's the first time an American president express himself so clearly in favor of Palestinian rights, but only in the coming months we will see if this will be translated into concrete political action.
Obama has also urged the leaders of Arab countries to act responsibly for peace, without exploiting the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as an excuse to distract the population from internal political and social problems.
The American president gave a major olive branch also to Iran, promising efforts to reduce nuclear weapons in the world and allowing the possibility of having civil nuclear energy with the respect of international treaties.
In the final part of his speech Obama spoke of respect for religious freedom and women's rights, especially the right of women to access education even in Islamic countries. In conclusion, the American president quoted phrases from the Koran, the Talmud and the Bible that ask for peace. A choice that wasn't liked by secular people, Muslims and not, who would have preferred an appeal to reason and law rather than religion. But if the United States of Obama is truly committed to promoting peace in the world didn't matter much how is inspired to do so. It would be a historical absolute novelty, since before 1989 the fight against communism mattered more than peace and even after always prevailed American geopolitical interests and the war on terrorism at all costs. Obama has promised a big change. The whole world, not only the muslim one, hopes that this change will really happen.
Francesco Defferrari
He spoke of acts contrary to the ideals of America that have taken place since 11 September 2001, referring to the torture of prisoners, and promised to close Guantanamo. But has yet to happen, as the president faces an opposition in his own party. The latest news regarding this is not very positive, given that the administration is considering the idea of allowing 5 prisoners to declare guilty without trial as they themselves wish to go for martyrdom, that is the death sentence . They want to do it because they are crazy fanatics, the Americans will permit it because without a public trial would not come to light the different types of torture that have been submitted to. Not very edifying.
Obama also spoke of the Palestinian issue, saying that the aspirations are legitimate by both sides and there is the need to create two states, but this will only be possible if the U.S. will pressure the Israeli Government to stop encouraging the construction of settlements in the Palestinian territories and stop responding with disproportionate force and indiscriminate bombing of innocent civilians for every attack. And this will not be easy with the government of the right and the extreme right of Nethanyahu and Lieberman. Obama urged the Palestinians to abandon the use of violence as a means of political struggle, citing the success of Afro-Americans with their non-violent struggle for civil rights, but the governments of the segregationist Southern states, as racist as they were at least didn't bombed black people. Obama has called on Israel to halt settlements in Palestinian territory and the trade embargo, stating that if it cannot be denied the right of Israel to exist cannot be denied either that of the Palestinians. It's the first time an American president express himself so clearly in favor of Palestinian rights, but only in the coming months we will see if this will be translated into concrete political action.
Obama has also urged the leaders of Arab countries to act responsibly for peace, without exploiting the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as an excuse to distract the population from internal political and social problems.
The American president gave a major olive branch also to Iran, promising efforts to reduce nuclear weapons in the world and allowing the possibility of having civil nuclear energy with the respect of international treaties.
In the final part of his speech Obama spoke of respect for religious freedom and women's rights, especially the right of women to access education even in Islamic countries. In conclusion, the American president quoted phrases from the Koran, the Talmud and the Bible that ask for peace. A choice that wasn't liked by secular people, Muslims and not, who would have preferred an appeal to reason and law rather than religion. But if the United States of Obama is truly committed to promoting peace in the world didn't matter much how is inspired to do so. It would be a historical absolute novelty, since before 1989 the fight against communism mattered more than peace and even after always prevailed American geopolitical interests and the war on terrorism at all costs. Obama has promised a big change. The whole world, not only the muslim one, hopes that this change will really happen.
Francesco Defferrari
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Comments
Per quanto riguarda le donne, ha detto di trovarsi d'accordo sul diritto delle donne di coprirsi i capelli (cito testuale: to cover her hair). Questa non è una apertura, l'utilizzo di foulard per i capelli è normale nel mondo ebreo e cristiano da sempre. Il Velo musulmano è tutt'altra cosa.
Mi dispiace ma secondo me questo discorso non è un evento storico come molti lo hanno definito. Sicuramente ha chiesto la partnership, ma lo ha fatto in maniera stereotipata. L'unica nota positiva rappresenta l'atteggiamento di nuova apertura dopo la gestione Bush.