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"I would have expected Obama to say something [about Gaza] rather than to remain silent," Jama told IOL. |
WASHINGTON — American Muslims were probably, in terms of percentage not numbers, one of the biggest voting bloc for Barak Obama.
A few hours before his inauguration, many of the community leaders evaluated Obama's statements and actions, or lack thereof, since giving him their votes on November 4.
For many, his deafening silence during Israel's deadliest-ever onslaught against the sealed-off Gaza Strip, home to nearly 1.6 million, was the most troubling.
"The silence of President-elect Barack Obama has disappointed the seven-million strong American Muslim community," Abdus Sattar Ghazali, Communication Director of the American Muslim Voice Foundation, told IslamOnline.net.
Obama, who takes the oath of office on Tuesday, January 20, as America's 44th president, remained silent for long days as the Israeli war machine wrecked havoc on the Palestinian coastal enclave and its civilian population.
Obama and his transition team repeatedly dodge questions on the crisis, insisting there was only one US president at a time.
"The silence of Barack Obama on Gaza has disappointed the majority of the Muslim community," said Muhammad Ahmad, 60, standing outside the Islamic Center in Washington DC.
"Silence on any injustice, where force is used against civilians and where there are a lot of casualties, is inhumane," agreed Muhammad Scercy, 40.
The Israeli onslaught killed nearly 1,300 Palestinians, nearly half of them women and children, and left the coastal strip in ruins.
"I would have expected Obama to say something rather than to remain silent," fumed Abdul Kareem Jama, President of Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center in Virginia.
Like other American Muslims, Jama is anxious to see what Obama will say or do in a few hours when he becomes the new master of the White House.
"Let’s wait."
Cabinet
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| "The choices are good, credible, and hardworking," said Dr.Omeish. |
Apart from Gaza, US Muslims have mixed views on Obama's new team.
"Unfortunately…the cabinet formation process has disappointed the Muslim community as far as foreign policy issues are concerned," said Ghazali, of the American Muslim Voice Foundation.
"He has appointed Rahm Emanuel, a well known pro-Israel, as his chief of Staff," he contends.
"This says a lot for Muslims."
Emanuel has apologized for the Arab community after his father had mocked Arabs in an interview with Israeli daily Maariv.
"Obviously, he will influence the president to be pro-Israel," Benjamin Emanuel said, referring to his son.
"Why wouldn't he? What is he, an Arab? He's not going to clean the floors of the White House."
Ghazali also believes Obama's handpicked foreign policy team, topped by Hillary Clinton, is equally worrying.
"The team suggests that his administration would continue biased policies in the Middle East."
But not all Muslims agree with such an argument.
Dawud Walid, Executive Director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), is very satisfied with Obama's cabinet choices.
"Obama has diversified his cabinet thus far picking a range of people from different ethnic and ideological backgrounds."
He is hopeful that the foreign policy team would bring the long-awaited change to American policies.
"Based upon the recent testimony of Hillary Clinton at her confirmation hearing, it appears that Obama has set a tone that diplomacy will be the cornerstone of his administration’s foreign policy."
Dr. Esam S. Omeish, a Virginia surgeon, is equally pleased by Obama's cabinet selection.
"The choices are good, credible, and hardworking."
Inclusion
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| "It is disappointing for the seven-million-strong Muslim community that Obama has not appointed any Muslim in any senior position," said Ghazali. |
Some Muslims had hopes that the new cabinet, which features many black and minority representatives, would have included a Muslim as well.
"It is disappointing for the seven-million-strong Muslim community that Obama has not appointed any Muslim in any senior position while representatives of other communities are there," said Ghazali, of the American Muslim Voice.
He argued this suggest that Obama is still keeping a distance from the Muslim community, as was his trend during the election campaign.
But Walid, the CAIR leader, disagrees.
"Obviously, we would have liked to see a Muslim in his cabinet."
But, he insisted, "we should also not be hasty to think that there was a pre-set criterion," that blocked picking Muslim officials.
Walid notes that Obama's cabinet contains primarily Washington insiders.
"That there has been a historical deficiency of Muslims in such insider positions is the most plausible reason for not having Muslims in his cabinet," he explained.
"[This] should be a signal for us that we need to become more involved and spend more resources towards our socio-political empowerment."
The CAIR activist believes US Muslims should not jump to conclusions about how Obama will fair whether towards their community or towards any other aspect.
Jama, of the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center, also favors the "wait and see" approach.
"I think a lot of people have a lot of expectations. [But] it is too early to say anything. We should be patient."
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