President to Muslim World: "Americans are not your enemy"

[ProSense]

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009 at 9:48 am

President to Muslim World: "Americans are not your enemy"

In his first interview with an Arab television station, President Barack Obama offered a bold change to America's relations with the Muslim world.

"My job is to communicate to the American people that the Muslim world is filled with extraordinary people who simply want to live their lives and see their children live better lives," President Obama told Al Arabiya. "My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy."

In the interview, conducted in the White House map room, President Obama also expressed his commitment to tackling the Middle East peace process immediately.

"Sending George Mitchell to the Middle East is fulfilling my campaign promise that we're not going to wait until the end of my administration to deal with Palestinian and Israeli peace, we're going to start now," he said. "It may take a long time to do, but we're going to do it now."

The interview is part of the President’s broader outreach to the Muslim world, which includes a promise to make a major address from the capital of a Muslim nation.

Al Arabiya is a 24-hour Arabic-language news channel based out of Dubai.

[FrenchieCat]

1. This is not getting a lot of play on DU.

Odd. :shrug:

[DesertFlower]

3. that's odd.

:eyes:

[knowledgeispwr]

7. Too much of a positive change from Bush?

:shrug:

[FrenchieCat]

10. Naysayers are currently in hiding.

Don't want to give props, even when props are overdue....
as this news has been known since yesterday evening.

Now, why would that be? :eyes:

[4lbs]

13. They're like Al-Qaeda: Trying to figure out how to respond to this statement.

n/t

[mucifer]

14. I posted video of the interview this morning.

[DesertFlower]

2. great.

big difference from bush.

[maxsolomon]

4. we sure act like their enemy

i guess we could stop doing that...

[Thrill]

5. The head cleric of Bosnia's Muslims said Obama is a "gift from God"

who can help foster greater tolerance for the world's Muslims

[Forkboy]

6. This is a tall hill to climb for him.

For many Americans, we ARE enemies with the Arab world. These people's message has to be countered and minimized, while the Arab world has to try to do the same to their people who think we're enemies as well.

I give Obama all the credit in the world for even trying. A dialog like this with the Arab world is decades overdue.

[Still Sensible]

8. I think everyone must be trying to digest it, but I

thought the President was pretty clear. If you are a militant bent on destroying people and things--he is not talking to you and will hunt you down. If you are, like the vast majority of muslims around the world, wanting to better the lot of your families and live in a peaceful world, America is not your enemy. With the latter group he wants a dialogue based on common ground and respect.

Yes, it is a dramatic change from the rhetoric of the last 8 years, but the message is really quite straightforward.

[Uzybone]

9. This interview was really a big deal.

it is going right over most Americans heads but it is being very well received around the world.

[Minimus]

15. After watching the replay of the interview today with my parents I turned to my father and said

"What a breath of fresh air to hear our president speak this way." Dad wholeheartedly agreed.

I swear I was so overjoyed and emotional today when I realized bush is really gone and the eight year nightmare is over.

My mother said (of Obama) "That young man sure has a lot on his shoulders." She then went on to talk about how proud his mother would be of him but as a mother would also be worrying about him having taken on so much by becoming President. I thought it was sweet that my mom's maternal instincts came out while talking about the POTUS.

[paranoid floyd]

26. Nice

Sounds like you've got a great Mom (and Dad).

[Frisbee]

11. And with this one interview...

President Obama has already done more to make America safe than * did in his entire presidency (actually, as everyone here knows, he made it much less safe). Despite a few naysayers here, I still have high hopes for President Obama, while realizing that to expect him to be perfect (in my eyes) is ridiculous.

[LittleBlue]

12. I would take this seriously if Obama did

Ruling out talks with Syria and Hamas tells me he's not taking this seriously. I really don't see how this is any different than Clinton: include Israel's buddies, exclude those they despise.

[ProSense]

16. When did Obama rule out talks with Syria? n/t

[cali]

19. oh baloney. he's going to hold high level talks with Iran

now tell me all about how Iran is Israel's good buddy.

[Middle finga]

17. "Americans are not your enemy"

Try telling that to the impoverished people of Iraq, Afghanistan, Gaza and Lebanon who we've bombed or provided weapons for Israel to bomb. Actions speak louder than words Mr. President

[ProSense]

18. Obama speaks for a lot of Americans who aren't their enemy.

He speaks for me. These words coming out of a seven-day-old American Presidency will carry a lot of weight. At the very least, he will get people's attention, and then he can go about the business of backing up those words with action.

[Middle finga]

22. At the same time he's saying this to the muslim world

he's escalating the war in Afghanistan. A war on one of the poorest countries on earth. The impoverished Afghan people living in mud huts had less to do with 9/11 than the Saudi officials or the Pakistani intelligent agency that wired money to the hijackers. Don't just continue Bush's war just to show your toughness. If you want to get to the bottom of 9/11 go back and take a look at the 28 page that was blacked out pertaining to the Saudis. If you really want to get down to the bottom of 9/11 fund a new outside independent investigation.

[ProSense]

23. National security isn't a matter of toughness, and Bush (or the Repubs) don't own it.

The President has a job to do, and there will always be people mischaracterizing his actions.

Additional troops in Afghanistan should be about shifting strategy, not expanding war

[OwnedByFerrets]

20. I will get bashed for this, but words are cheap....we must prove it

We have done almost immeasurable damage all around the world, and especially in the Middle East. Its going to take more than words to get their trust. A good start would be a Three Cups of Tea policy. http://www.threecupsoftea.com/

[ProSense]

21. "words are cheap." Isn't that what some people say about diplomacy?

Obama has been in office seven days. Words seem like a pretty good place to start. I find it unusual that given Obama's statement, people are intent on harping on the negative (linking his words to the actions of past administrations) instead of focusing on the start of a genuine process to restore America's image and engage the world with respect.

[OwnedByFerrets]

27. Excuse me, but our President said the exact same thing.

After posting my response to this thread, I actually listened to his words and he said " Words are cheap, our actions will speak for us." I was correct in my assessment.

[noiretextatique]

24. extraordinary

when has any president said anything remotely like that? perhaps clinton, but certainly no republicans.

[Vattel]

25. Exactly what needed to be said.

I am hopeful, but I recognize that Obama is not likely to challenge the assumptions of U.S. militarism. Killing people to make the world a better place is the American way.

[treestar]

28. Also President to the U.S.

Just ribbin' ya, another bad Justice Roberts joke.

Really, this is the main stuff I voted for Obama for. The US respecting the rule of law and treating the world with equity again!