NYTimes: Obama To Speak in Islamic Capital in First 100 Day

[kpete]

On The White House
Looking for the Ideal Spot to Make a Speech

By HELENE COOPER
Published: December 4, 2008

.............

President-elect Barack Obama’s aides say he is considering making a major foreign policy speech from an Islamic capital during his first 100 days in office.

So where should he do it? The list of Islamic world capitals is long, and includes the obvious —Riyadh, Kuwait City, Islamabad — and the not-so-obvious — Male (the Maldives), Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), Tashkent (Uzbekistan).

...........


more at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/us/politics/04web-coo...
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/12/4/122121/203/...

[BumRushDaShow]

1. If this is true, he could go to Jerusalem and kill 2 birds with one stone.

Or go to Cairo.

[leftynyc]

6. Anywhere they can keep him safe

if fine with me.

[denem]

2. Jakarta

Indonesia is the most populous Muslim nation on earth.

[TeamJordan23]

5. I think somewhere in the Middle East would send a stronger message. nm

[TuxedoKat]

9. Agreed.

This was my first thought as well, especially as he has roots there too.

[beachmom]

15. Plus, Obama lived in Indonesia during his childhood, and is beloved there.

I wholeheartedly endorse Indonesia.

[Ishoutandscream2]

3. Excellent idea. We have a lot of wounds to heal

Thanks to the Worst. President. Ever. Obama is going to be such a breath of fresh air. We may end up having fewer people hate us! Imagine that!

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

4. I'm guessing Jakarta.

Indonesia's the fourth biggest country in the world.

And Obama speaks fluent Indonesian.

[Whisp]

10. nah. too many idiots would take that as 'his coming home' kind of thing..

not that I care what idiots think, but it'll take up too much talking space.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

11. And they wouldn't say the same about any muslim capital?

[nsd]

12. Does he speak Indonesian?

He left there when he was only 10.

In any case, as the NYT article notes, going to Indonesia might seem more like a homecoming than a bold gesture to the Islamic world, especially if he speaks Indonesian and not Arabic.

Going to an Arab country or to Pakistan would be more dramatic.

[Posteritatis]

16. The Arab world is only one-quarter of the Islamic world

Indonesia's about one-fifth on its own, I think. Enough people conflate "Muslim" and "Arab" as it is; I don't think it would hurt much to have Obama point out that there's several hundred million of them who aren't in the Middle East.

[nsd]

17. I know that, but the Arab culture is symbolically closer to the heart of the Muslim world.

The Prophet was an Arab. The language of the Koran is Arabic. The holy cities of Mecca and Medina are in an Arab country.

Indonesia may be a huge country and I'm not suggesting it's at the periphery, but it's certainly not at the heart of the Muslim world. Cairo is and has been for centuries.

If one wants to reach out to the entire Muslim world, an Arab location will seem more symbolically universal than Turkey or Iran or Indonesia or Pakistan. I'd consider Pakistan only because it's right now at the center of conflict between America and Muslim countries. But Cairo is better.

[Posteritatis]

21. Point; fair enough

You're right about Cairo and I'm grumbling at myself for not remembering that.

I do hope people do a little more to keep the rest of the Islamic world in mind over the next few years, though. There's way too many people as is who think that, say, Saudi Arabia is the standard example.

[ClarkUSA]

7. Cairo may be a good choice.

Egypt is the largest, most stable - and most storied - country in the Middle East.

[DerekJ]

19. Seconded. N/T

[jberryhill]

31. At Sadat's tomb

Sadat's tomb is at a nice big plaza, right down the street from the airbase.

[ClarkUSA]

32. Nice symbolism there.

Is that you in the photo or Steven Spielberg?

[ErinBerin84]

8. sounds like a great idea to me.

Oh, and is it wrong that I'm enjoying the freepers' heads exploding at this?

Here's a choice one from their thread: "WTF? Maybe the "broader Muslim world" should stop running around the world murdering people if they want to mend rifts with the US. Screw 'em!"

[RollWithIt]

13. Uh... Baghdad?

Just saying that would make the most sense.

[Uzybone]

26. nah, Baghdad would send the wrong message

that our entire foreign policy towards the Muslim world is colored through the lens of Iraq. Plus we currently occupy the country.

[RollWithIt]

29. What if we change the dynamic of the occupation into a plea for the muslim world to change thought?

I mean, lets say Obama gave a huge speech in front of the Iraqi Congress to express US desire for Iraqi's to come to some form of a reconciliation and then broadened it into a speech about the similarities between Christianity and Islam? Obama is special in that he can talk about the taboo.

[Uzybone]

30. It's a great idea, but should not be in Iraq IMO

Giving that sort of speech in Iraq would be like dancing after scoring a touchdown on the opposing teams home field. Not that bad but Iraq is still an open sore that we are pouring salt into.

[jenmito]

14. Maybe that's when he'll declare Sharia Law for the U.S. just like the freepers said!

[AspenRose]

I knew someone from Ouagadougou

Maybe he should consider going there

[AspenRose]

18. I knew someone from Ouagadougou

Maybe he should consider going there

[jesus_of_suburbia]

20. Good idea. We need to let the World know that we want peace.

[Thrill]

22. He's a Brave Man

[Clio the Leo]

23. ... and a bold man. And that's why I voted for him.

One of the many, many reasons.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

24. Sounds like a grand gesture

But I would be painfully dishonest if I were to say that I wasn't worried about his security. Heck, I'm fearful for his safety in THIS country, what with a bunch of Palin-inspired whackos running around sporting an ever-expanding cache of guns and federal authorities that don't seem to take what seem to be obvious threats against Obama very seriously (at least they didn't during the GE).


Wherever he goes, I hope he has "pope-level" protection.

[Demeter]

25. Sounds Like a Really Stupid Idea Floated By A Low-Level Moron

[harun]

27. Probably Kuwait City or Amman. I would like to see Istnanbul but they aren't

Arabs and this is probably a message to Arab Muslims more than just Muslims in general.

[tritsofme]

28. Baghdad?

Would such a thing even be possible at this time?

[Kashka-Kat]

33. My mom thinks already thinks Obama is a secret Muslim terrorist

If he goes and speaks to those Ay-rabs face to face that'll clinch it for sure!

I try to tell her, if you were trying to be a "secret" Muslim terrorist, wouldn't you change your name to Bob Smith or something like that?