THE SUNDAY TIMES: BARACK OBAMA is planning to reach out to the Islamic world, seeking a rapprochement with Muslim opinion alienated by the Bush administration.
He believes a personal initiative will dramatise his wish to reassure Muslims, and intends to give a speech in an Islamic capital during his first 100 days in office as a sign of his engagement.
He has not said where. Egypt and Pakistan are obvious possibilities, but there has been speculation that he could choose Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, where he spent part of his childhood.
Obama will be sworn in as president with his full Muslim-sounding name of Barack Hussein Obama, in keeping with White House tradition.
“This Tuesday, we can reaffirm our own veneration and love for our country and our democracy,” he said yesterday in a radio address. “We can once again provide an example to the world.”
His inauguration presents a “unique opportunity to reboot America’s image in the world and also in the Muslim world in particular”, he said in an interview. >>> Sarah Baxter in Washington | Sunday, January 18, 2009
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2 comments:
BHO's so-called reaching out will be interpreted by the ummah as a sign of weakness. Anyone who knows even a smidgen about Islam should know that. Literate people have read Kipling's poem about showing strength to gain respect from Moslems.
As for Muslim opinion alienated by the Bush administration, GWB was buddy-buddy with the Saudis.
Besides, Muslim opinion is alienated in and of itself.
Just imagine this scenario, Always: Circa 1939/40 – Churchill reaches out to Nazis in the hope of rapprochement and reconciliation!
That's how stupid it is!
And yes, I agree with you: It will be interpreted as a sign of weakness. How else could it be interpreted?
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