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Politics in Depth Team
Answer
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Name
Amro
- Egypt
Profession
Question
Who do you interpret the discourse of Obama regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict as he did not use slippery terms, like terrorist organizations? Does it tell of a new assertive US policy in the Arab-Israeli conflict?
Answer
Yes, it does. He actually is trying to re frame US policy and as he said is saying in public what he had told Netanyahu.
Name
Muslim
- Qatar
Profession
Student
Question
Will Obama apologizes for Abu Gharib, and will he be concerned of Hizbollah's victory in the upcoming polls proves true, even though many do not expect a radical change?
It does not look like he might support democracy in the Middle East, because he said Mubarak is "no dictator". Will he exert more pressure on the Zionists on the case of the occupied West Bank?
Thank you.
Answer
I think that he does not favor Hizbollah, but I do not think he will be too concerned; he is trying to change US policy and this not easy, but he recognizes that change must be done and it takes time to institute his policies.
As for democracy, he is trying to redefine it in a way that takes culture and traditions sensitivities in regard, and stressing the rule of law, freedom of speech and transparency.
In this way, he is trying to change the course of Bush by saying we cannot impose and should not impose our system on others.
Name
osh
-
Profession
Question
What a kind of weight Obama will throw behind "promoting democracy" in the Muslim world? What measures you expect he will take?
Answer
I do not think that he is trying to promote democracy the way Bush did. Bush tried to impose it. Obama mainly calls for human respect, respect for human rights, respect of minority, transparency, elections that chose the government, who shall not suppress its people and put people's interest above theirs.
And, he calls for a dialogue at all levels. So, he went to Arab and Muslim countries, and he is calling for a dialogue at every level: civil society, student level, and government. He is stressing again the rule of law. So, this is actually the way he is talking about democracy that more or less considers cultural sensitivities.
Name
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Profession
Question
Could you give us a discourse analysis of the speech? and who do you think the Obama's policy in Iraq, Iran, Palestine, and other issues, including democracy and minorities?
Answer
I think that Obama tries to change the paradigm, or reframe American foreign policy to the Muslim world, Arab world, and everyone else. As for Iraq, he made it clear from the beginning that he is going to get out of Iraq, and he set a deadline to get out of Iraq.
As for Palestine, I think he is the first American president to recognize the suffering of the Palestinian people for 60 years. He was talking about 1948 and refuges living in refugee campuses.
And. he is committed to two-state solution. Again, he used the word" we cannot accept settlements". "Illegitimacy" has not been used for the last five or four American president. So, he said that these settlements are illegitimate, and he is committed to two-state solution. As Jews have rights, the Palestinians have the right to create their state on their own.
As for democracy, he called more for human rights, freedom of speech, freedom of expression, respect for minorities, transparency, and governments not above their people.
Name
Taha
- Morocco
Profession
Student
Question
Obama stays the leader of the country that killed thousands of Muslims in many countries. Should we trust non-Muslim leader in leading some of our Muslim affairs, such as the Palestinian problem?
Answer
We should really give him a chance. We should start from the point of trust, not distrust, because we have a new president who is trying to change course in the Middle East, and also around the world. And, we have to deal with that.
For example Morocco, it deals with non-Muslims on daily bases on terms of trade , banking, exportation, importation, communication, computer, knowledge, technology, and also tourism. And, you trust the people who do your business well. Trust these days is not personal.
There is social trust, as I define it myself, that comes through the law. If there is an agreement with him, so you are stick with the agreement and you also, and trust is created on contractual bases and mutual relationship.
The mistake with the Palestinians and the Arabs is that when they negotiate the Palestinian question is the absence of contractual agreements and trust.
We are not telling Obama, you are our leader. We will tell him, yes we accept your idea, and we have to work together. I think now that the burden is on the Arabs. We talked, so you have to do it. As we say it in English; you talk the talk and you have to walk the walk. So, Obama shall crystallize this.
Name
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Profession
Question
Do you think that Obama tries to align "moderate Muslims" to fight "extremist ones"?
Answer
No, I do not think he is trying to do that, but he is trying to say that those extremist elements are not only a threat to Americans and Europeans, but they killed more Muslims than they killed Americans.
He is saying that Americans are against everybody else. As he talked about Muslim extremist, we have also extremist in the Jewish community who are doing the same thing, and there are extremist in America, like those who are doing abortion as a doctor was killed in America. So, we have extremists on both sides. So, he is trying to say that we all shall limit extremists and fight extremism in our thought and in our behavior.
The extremist or the rejectionists know what they stand against and do not know what they stand for. They are always against everything. They do not really provide us with the program for change. This is the problem of extremist elements in both sides if they are left or right; not only the religious right, but only revolutionary sometimes and anarchists sometimes who are trying to change things without actually knowing where they are going.
Obama said that war is difficult to end. I think he wants peace. I think if extremism ends today, we as Muslims, Arabs , and the United States will always be happy with that.
Name
Editor
-
Profession
Question
IslamOnline.net's Politics inDepth apologies for delay of answers because of high technical problem
The session has ended. We would like to thank Dr. Rabie for taking the time to answer your questions, and all those who participated in the dialogue.
We apologize for not being able to answer all the questions due to time limitation.
