Obama Speaks to the Muslim World

"America is not - and never will be - at war with Islam," declared Barak Hussein Obama in a speech billed as his administration's attempt to mend fences with the Muslim world.

In the last few days and weeks leading up to the speech in Cairo today, President Obama has spoken proudly of American Muslims, even talked about his heritage as the son of a Muslim man.

Obama's openness about his own Muslim heritage comes as a pleasant surprise to Muslims, especially after his presidential campaign last year went to great lengths to keep him away from Muslims, including an incident where a hijab-wearing American Muslim woman was denied a spot on the stage at an Obama rally, but the president showed long ago that he is comfortable talking about his roots, which are addressed in his two biographical books, "Dreams From My Father" and "The Audacity of Hope."

Now, Obama appears to be citing those roots to mend fences with the Islamic world, and persuade elements of Islamic society to rise up and join with the United States against al Qaeda.

He referred to his childhood in Indonesia in an interview with the BBC ahead of his trip. Adviser Denis McDonough did the same on Friday.

Speaking about America's strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Obama said, "We also know that military power alone is not going to solve the problems in Afghanistan and Pakistan. That is why we plan to invest $1.5 billion each year over the next five years to partner with Pakistanis to build schools and hospitals, roads and businesses, and hundreds of millions to help those who have been displaced. And that is why we are providing more than $2.8 billion to help Afghans develop their economy and deliver services that people depend upon."

On Arab-Israeli conflict, Obama asserted, "For decades, there has been a stalemate: two peoples with legitimate aspirations, each with a painful history that makes compromise elusive. It is easy to point fingers - for Palestinians to point to the displacement brought by Israel's founding, and for Israelis to point to the constant hostility and attacks throughout its history from within its borders as well as beyond. But if we see this conflict only from one side or the other, then we will be blind to the truth: the only resolution is for the aspirations of both sides to be met through two states, where Israelis and Palestinians each live in peace and security."


He opened with greetings of gratitude and peace -- "Shukran" and “As-Salaam-Alaikum."

Please read the full-text of the Obama speech at http://www.riazhaq.com/2009/06/obama-speaks-to-muslim-world.html

As American Muslims, let us all acknowledge that President Obama is saying all the right things, and hope that his words will soon translate into good deeds on the ground. He's only been in office just a few months, let's give him a little more time before we pronounce judgment on his performance.