Daing S. Nasir
Western Herald
President Barack Obama gave a speech at Cairo University in Egypt on June 4, where he addressed American-Muslim relations. The speech, making good on a long awaited campaign promise, was highly anticipated across the Arab world.
President Obama acknowledged the fact that the United States had failed in its ideals by fighting the current war in Iraq. With no mention whatsoever of the words ‘terrorism’ or ‘terrorist’, Obama welcomed forming new ties with the Middle East.
“It was definitely a positive thing for the U.S. to gain some legitimacy among Muslims,” said Western Michigan University student and Kalamazoo Peace Center Director Benjamin Ayer. “It’s perhaps the first time the U.S. president expressed any care for Muslims, and perhaps the first time a president has expressed concern for the liberty for Arabs and other people of color.”
“However,” Ayer said, “I believe that actions speak louder than words and we should examine the ways that these words line up with new foreign policy and the ways they contradict it, as with the situation in Afghanistan.”
The current Israeli-Palestinian conflict began after World War II with the creation of Israel. In 1947, the United Nations and Great Britain, who controlled Palestine, divided Palestine into two states, one Arab, one Jewish. The Jewish community accepted the separation agreement, but the Arab League did not. This led to the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, where Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq launched an attack on Israel. After the year-long war, new boundaries were agreed upon.
The main issue of the conflict is that there is no official Palestinian state. Arabs say that the land Israel is built on belongs to them, while Israelis say that it is their right to have a Jewish state. After two failed peace summits, lead by Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, in 1980 and 1993, respectively, many hope that the Obama administration will blaze a new path toward peace in the Middle East.
In recent weeks, there have been new developments in the conflict. In May, Obama publicly condemned the expansion of Israeli settlements on Palestinian land. Then, on June 14, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyah, endorsed a legitimate Palestinian state that borders Israel. Many believe that a real peace agreement is at hand.
In his Cairo speech, Obama spoke of peace, and how it would serve in Israel’s, Palestine’s, and the United States’ interest. The current ‘stalemate,’ as Obama puts it, is that of “two peoples with legitimate aspirations.”
“Religion matters because it is a wonderful feeling as a Jew [and] a minority to walk streets in Israel and believe that everyone on the block is celebrating Shabbat with their family,” Ayer said. “It’s quite an extraordinary feeling compared to the constant isolation and otherness that Jews feel in all other places around the globe.”
“This feeling leads me to desire a Jewish state; one that is next to a Palestinian state, though I don’t think a one-state or two-states solution is viable. In the case of a two-state solution, as long as one side has access to recourses that another wants, there will always be conflict; whether it be land, water or et cetera. This is true across the globe, not just the land west of the Jordan River,” Ayer said.
“I think we need a ‘No state solution.’ We need the incorporation of anarchist ideals and principles such as respect and autonomy.”
Amit Harris, a member of WMU chapter of the Jewish organization Hillel, strongly believes that the Obama’s speech will not have any impact on the situation in the Middle East.
“The ongoing conflict and instability in that region is not something that can be solved by a one hour speech,” Harris said. “The president will have to do a lot more if he wants to assist progress between Arab nations and Israel,” Harris said.
“I support a two-state resolution where Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace. I share this view with an overwhelming majority of Israelis,” Harris said. “My whole life, I have been raised to accept others and work towards peace. My name, Amit, literally means ‘peace between nations.’ In the past, Israel has given up land for peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan.”
“In 2005, we saw Israel’s unilateral disengagement from Gaza to satisfy her Palestinian neighbors. It is my belief that the Palestinian people want a just and lasting peace as well. It is their leadership that often sends them in the wrong direction,” Harris said. “It may take time, but the voice of the moderates will prevail, and the state of Israel will be at peace with a Palestinian state.”
According to Biomedical Sciences major Fazila Jafri, the president’s speech was incredible.
“The reason it communicated so well and effectively to the Muslim audience was the way the president quoted verses from the Holy Quran to express and acknowledge the fact that Islam promotes peace and not violence. Just what millions of Muslims around the world like me were waiting to hear,” Jafri said.
“He shared history of Muslims, America, Jews and Palestinians and managed to strike a balance between the interests of all of them, promoting peace for the sakes of dignity and respect to humanity,” Jafri said. “I was specifically persuaded when he promoted the idea of peaceful co-existence of the children of Prophet Ibrahim [Abraham] – Muslims, Christians and Jews. I really hope this attempt of growing mutual understanding between nations, as well as faiths, turns into a success.”
Obama ended his speech asking people to “question whether we spend that time focused on what pushes us apart, or whether we commit ourselves to an effort — a sustained effort — to find common ground, to focus on the future we seek for our children, and to respect the dignity of all human beings.”
“I was very pleased when our president spoke as someone who respected and knew something about Christianity, Judaism and especially Islam,” said WMU history professor Bruce Haight.
Haight said that the president appealed to the faith and goodwill of people of all three traditions in his speech and also provided moderates in all traditions with inspiration to once again try to work out a reasonable solution to what are in reality very complex and difficult situations.
The Muslim Student Association at WMU said they will not comment on anything regarding religion or politics.
About Carman