Obama speaks to the muslim world

To renew our faith in Obama that he might just really be what we all hoped he would be, yesterday he addressed the muslim world from Kairo, Egypt, in what many talking heads around the world already likens to historic speeches like I have a dream and I am a berliner in terms of impact.

While this might be an exaggeration (we’ll know in a decade), it was an insanely impressive speech utilizing Baracks mastery of rhetoric in a way we haven’t heard since the campaign days.

What is quite interesting is that he passionately states the necessity of a two state solution, which surprisingly received massive applause from a skeptic muslim audience that consisted of quite a few groups that, as many extremist portions of islam such as Hamas, usually disregards the Israeli states existence.

With gripping use of his own life history and constant referrals to the bright side if Islamic traditions and teachings (yes, there are those!) and calling out for finding common human ground instead of pursuing political differences, this is surely a message that firmly brings this mideast situation one step further in the right direction. In fact, his very respectful and understanding tone rewarded him with actual standing ovations in the end. This must surely be one of the most impressive moments in his career, without a doubt.

“Tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims, and a Cold War in which Muslim-majority countries were often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations. And I consider it part of my responsibility as president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear,” said the president, who recalled hearing prayer calls of “azaan” at dawn and dusk while living in Indonesia as a boy.

At the same time, he said the same principle must apply in reverse. “Just as Muslims do not fit a crude stereotype, America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire.”

See the whole speech here (and actually see the whole thing – it’s worth it):

Story on Huffington Post
Story on NYTimes

California supported Obama in last year’s election, and Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger endorsed the president’s stimulus package, which will bring a state with a double-digit unemployment rate more than $30 billion in federal help. 

But an angry populism fed by the financial crisis is rising in the country, including among moderate Republicans, whose support for Obama in this state was important to his success. Here in traditionally conservative Orange County, where he will hold a town hall-style event tonight, his visit is as much a show of solidarity as sales opportunity.

Story on Washington Post

Reuters also reports that Obama plans to visit drug war-scarred Mexico in April.

Story on Reuters

ON EDIT (March 3, 2009 @ 09:45 EST): The old video player started automatically and crashed Safari browsers, so I replaced it with better-behaved YouTube code.

2/7/09: Your Weekly Address from White House on Vimeo.

President Barack Obama presented a humble and conciliatory face of America to the Islamic world Monday in the first formal interview since he assumed office, stressing his own Muslim ties and hopes for a Palestinian state, and avoiding a belligerent tone — even when asked if America could “live with” an Iranian nuclear weapon.

Story on Yahoo News

• Obama To Launch Website For Tracking Tax Expenditures

internationalflights tips news that Barack Obama, in his first weekly address as President, has mentioned plans to set up a website for tracking “how and where we spend taxpayer dollars.” Details about the website, Recovery.gov, are available within the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (PDF). The website “shall provide data on relevant economic, financial, grant, and contract information in user-friendly visual presentations to enhance public awareness of the use funds made available in this Act,” and will also “provide a means for the public to give feedback on the performance of contracts awarded for purposes of carrying out this Act.” The site itself currently contains a placeholder until the passage of the Act.
- Story on Slashdot

• Obama breaks from Bush, avoids divisivenes.

Barack Obama opened his presidency by breaking sharply from George W. Bush’s unpopular administration, but he mostly avoided divisive partisan and ideological stands. He focused instead on fixing the economy, repairing a battered world image and cleaning up government.
- Story on MSNBC

Obama inauguration speech on youtube:

Also:
In his first official act since taking the oath of office, President Barack Obama issued a proclamation, calling on Americans to serve one another and our common purpose on this National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation. Link to official proclamation