The historic speech delivered by President Obama in Cairo is uplifting for those who have been agonising over the horrible impact of the war on terror on relations between the Muslim world and the West. Such people, of course condemn in the strongest terms the acts of terror that slaughtered thousands of Americans and others right before everyone's eyes on that brutal Tuesday morning on 9 September 2001. Terrorism no doubt had to be combatted. But the experience of the Bush years, particularly the practices at Guantanamo Detention Center and the invasion of Iraq and its aftermath clearly showed that the right thing can be done in an awfully wrong manner.
How much of Obama therefore is real change and how much of Obama is an attempt to recover the lost moral high ground? The Muslim world will judge Obama not by glowing speeches but by what happens on the ground, especially by what happens in the Middle East. To be exact, by what happens to the Palestinians. Obama clearly is showing real interest in resolving the issue, but it would be foolish to think that he can put a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict ahead of his own re-election. But that still does not mean that he cannot pursue a more balanced Middle East policy.
But that balance will be tipped not just by those who would be lobbying on Israel's behalf. They could just as well be tipped the wrong way by the Arabs. There is a fundamental dilemma in US policy towards the Muslim world, in particular towards the Middle East. Too often, autocratic governments in the Middle East win the hearts and minds of the American strategists while the demos in the Arab streets frighten US policy-makers. Jeane Kirkpatrick's apt phrase alluded to dictators and double-standards.
Will Obama be able finally to throw caution to the wind, ditch friendly dictators and embrace the Islamist parties in the Middle East? Clearly, such an approach requires a more nuanced understanding of Muslim communities and greater confidence in dealing with Muslim communities. Everything we have seen and heard from Obama to date seems to suggest that he might have the right mindset to just do that.
Bridges are not built from just one side; they must be built on both sides and meet half way. Alignment and symmetry, in terms of height, width, direction, design and material clearly help. The Muslim world must also therefore reach out to the West. There are increasing noises in the Muslim world about democracy, human rights, tolerance and global peace. Even in Saudi Arabia there are powerful voices for reform, moderation and human rights. But there are also disturbing trends and frightening noises.
The Maldives is no longer marginal to this great emerging civilisational discourse. Obama's speech elicited considerable interest in the Maldives, for both the government and the opposition to comment on it. The local media took a lot of interest in the speech delivered by UK Foreign Secretary Miliband calling for fresh engagment between the Muslim world and the west. The US too has taken a lot of interest in the democratic transition in the Maldives, awarding the Foreign Minister with the prestigious Muslim Democrat of the Year Award, a sign that powerful people wish to hold the Maldives as an example for the Muslim world. From Indonesia to Maldives and Morocco, the Muslim world is embracing democracy.
As these countries show, and as Larry Diamond powerfully argues, there is no reason why Muslim countries cannot embrace democracy. Perhaps, all too often, the powers that be found common and convenient strategic convergence with dictators in the Muslim world to the detriment of popular democratic movements.
But with a more confident and nuanced approach to the Muslim world by the US, there is greater prospects for demcoracy in the Muslim world. As many Muslims know, there is nothing inherently un-Islamic in good governance, rule of law and democracy. If Obama keeps up, and if other countries join the Maldives, then a real new beginning between the Muslim Ummah and the West is a real possibility.
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Welcome back to OSA! And congratulations to Dr Shaheed on winning the prestigious Muslim Democrat of the Year Award. He deserves it well. The Obama speech was a great speech. But it is unlikely to lead to anything significant-- centuries of mistrust, prejudice and warfare cannot be erased by one speech. Even so, it was a fantastic speech!
Obama does not represent a new beginning. Look at what is happening in Pakistan, Muslims are killing Muslims, only to please the US; look at Sudan and Somalia, and nobody cares about them. What is happening is that American foreign policy was literally given the boot in the Middle East and Obama simply wants to get a boost to his international stature. Have we forgotten the power of the Military-Industrial Complex that Eisenhower warned about? Have forgotten about the power of the American bureaucracy that Graham T Ellison taught about? If Obama wants to run a well-oiled government machinery, America must continue to court Arab dictators and support the hawks on Israel. America may be a young country; but the Middle East is an old place with intractable conflicts.
One speech cannot make the difference! Obama says US is not at war with Islam; may be, but most of the victims of US policies today are Muslims.
Maldives must welcome the call for a two-state solution, and also welcome the offer made by Netanyahu for a demilitarised Palestine and a Jewish Israel-- but must also demand international status to Jerusalem.
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