Obama's Speech

I haven't written anything here since December, but I feel motivated to add something here. The reception of Obama's speech in the Arabic world has been one of muted optimism, which I think is important to note. Too many Americans think that the Arabic population is unalterably opposed to America as a concept, but the response to the speech shows otherwise. Many Muslims, including members of such "terrorist organizations" as Hamas and the Iranian government spoke highly of Obama's speech - qualifying it with requests for action to match the words - and seemed willing to work with him on the issues he raised. A number cited Hillary Clinton's wearing of a headscarf as an important concession to Islamic values, which, considering the legacy of Bill Clinton in the Arab world - where a man's actions often influence the prestige of the wife - is a considerable acknowledgment. The day before the speech a number of editors of important Arabic dailies and television networks were skeptical of the concept of Obama's speech, but today many seemed to approve of his speech and passed it on verbatim to their audiences. We need to stop supporting Israeli colonization of Palestinian land, and certainly we need to stop bombing Pakistan (in violation of numerous UN treaties), but if Obama is able to fulfill his promises (which include the quite heady requirement of getting Netanyahu to stop settlements and accept the concept of a Palestinian state) we may be facing a new day in the relation between Westerners and Arabs. Few remember that most Western technology rests, ultimately, on the great Islamic Golden Age and that Islam is not such a barbaric religion as many in the West assume it to be. As a case in point, the Byzantines initially regarded Islam as a Christian heresy, so similar was it to Christianity. I didn't vote for Obama (Nader), and I have disagreed with many of his decisions but I have to give him credit for his speech yesterday. It is, as many have been saying, something unprecedented for an American president. Combine this with the overtures to Cuba, and the United States might finally be entering an era where it attempts to treat other people as human beings - a rarity since World War II.