US President Barack Obama has been clearing mess of the past from the very day he assumed the office. Now he has turned to the Middle East and North Africa to do some tough talking while shunning legacy of the past. The Blackberry addicted leader tweeted back the protesting Arab youth in his watershed speech. Mr Obama, in his measured speech, tried to address decade-old glaring contradiction of US Middle East policy.
"A failure to change our approach threatens a deepening spiral of division between the United States and the Arab world." The sentence must have come as music to the ears of young democracy lovers around the globe, the Middle East in particular.
He raised hope amongst Muslims by spelling out his administration’s clear position of Israel-Palestine conflict as well while arousing criticism in Israel and amongst its European allies.
“The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both state.” By far, the world saw him adopt a more balanced approach in US Middle East policy. However, this part has already become the most debated and controversial as well.
Only idealists would expect him to say that Israel should leave the Palestinian lands. Even if his statement may not become a game-changer, the next Pew and Gallup polls in the Arab may offer a better standing of America than the most recent one.
The US President erased fears of armed intervention in other autocratic Arab states. The administration suddenly has made itself more relevant to the developments in the region, stretching from Morocco to Iran and Pakistan. The last thing, Muslims want is a repeat of Libyan scenario.
Mr Obama avoided touching on Saudi Arabia, a key US ally and recipient of enormous military hardware. Besides an inspirational speech with some clear-cut departures from the past, the message lacked actionable steps, that could have helped sketch out a roadmap for future scenarios.
The presidential message from State Department was strong and well-meaning. Many commentators in the Middle East found Mr Obama’s reiterating his earlier statement: “America is not at war with Islam.”
Most part of his address was addressed to the emerging leaders of the Arab world. Now is the time for the Muslim world to shun suspicion and give the man a chance to deliver on his promises and wishes.
The Arab nations may now look at their European neighbors for similar expressions of political will against isolated and obsolete dictators. Mr Obama’s speech may help the west challenge their stereotypes about the Arab as well as Muslim world.
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