Commenter:Mohammed This Speech is great and brilliant , and we are in cairo impressed by the speech of president obama to the islamic world , and i believe this speech already improved america's image in the muslim world and improved Obama's image too .
Commenter:anonymous bad speech, bad leader, wrong ideas
Commenter:John Hawkins, Bellingham, WA I think it will help a little. Something is needed and maybe the President has taken an important first step.
Commenter:SHAUNA I think President Obama's speech in Cairo was BRILLIANT!!!!! I have traveled to many Muslim country's and have learned somewhat about Islam and the people that believe in Allah. His speech couldn't have been more perfect. After the Bush administration and their ignorance of Muslims and fear mongering of Muslims, President Obama's speech was refreshing and intelligent. THANK GOODNESS.
Commenter:Grady Lee Howard Quit reading his lips and look at the actions of our TERR-OOPS in these occupied countries. On the Diane Rehm Show his Sec. of Transportation claimed never to have heard about the conspiracy of carmakers, oil companies and tire makers to scrap public transportation in the USA before and after WWII. The Obama Administration is a theater of feigned ignorance, just as the Bush Administration was a cabal of blatant fascists. If the Bailout plus the Occupations is a note too heavy for American laborers this empire is doomed, just like the Soviet Empire in 1989. Affordable access to quality food is a good indicator of our decline. We witness the spinning cascade failure all around us and look for refuge. I doubt health care reform or green jobs were ever on the official menu, just sweet words on Barack's lips. (See the warning about war contractors by Jeremy Scahill on Bill Moyers Journal, and realize Muslim majority nations have more access to our media than we have to theirs.)
Commenter:Greg Hey I believe our President needs to get back home and take care of business and allow no more bailouts except to families. Congress needs to be restrained with all these raises they keep giving themselves. I really don't think our country was set up this way. A few rich and self empowered people are ruining this government.
Commenter:Fahim Being a citizen of a country suffering from on-going drone attacks, I can sense that the speech could have been just the thing to start the process of reconciliation. It Could have been, but it isn't. It isn't just the 'thing' because only coupling the speech with some positive action for the targeted countries could have aroused a higher sense of trust. The image of America was improved, but people have heard lots of promises over and over again, so before trying to trust any one they need to not only hear assurances but also see assurances, not necessarily in the form of economic aid, but perhaps also in the form of visible cooperation of America trying to protect the rights of Palestinians. In any case, the speech did serve part of its purpose, to extend an olive branch to the middle east. Physically seeing the president of America in their midst talking not only about the rights of americans but also of palestinians has definitely stirred a little excitement about future prospects...showing people a beacon of hope which they really needed.
Commenter:Mike I say this as someone who voted for Obama.
I think he is an excellent wordsmith. Very
good at crafting and communicating a compelling,
and persuasive message. But like all wordsmiths,
like all ideologues, as the muslims themselves
have said, "we will wait and watch to see what
he does...".
As I have learned, and this is not news to reporters
or students of history, or of politics, there is a
difference between the view as a candidate and the
view from the office.
What candidate Obama promised has not been consistent
with what President Obama has delivered.
Candidate Obama "taught the constitution, believes in
the constitution and will abide by the constitution".
Candidate Obama left President Obama a lawyer's loophole which allows him to sidestep "enforcement" of the constitution regarding torture, privacy, equal rights as pertains to gay soldiers. President Obama, "likes to know what he's talking about before he speaks". One would then expect him, consistent with that, to speak with a high degree of certainty, not
displayed in his recent change of heart on releasing
the photos he had committed to releasing. Certainly
he is entitled to change his mind one might expect that would come prior to such statements.
President Obama has shown himself to be at odds with
the commitments of candidate Obama. At odds with himself on key issues, prior commitments.
"Change we can believe in" is subject to interpretation and explanation (perhaps rationalization).
I expect muslims, given that, are waiting, not only
because of these "certainties", but, because the record of American policy and presidents' past leaves no room for blind faith.
He is proving himself human. Promises are easier to make than they are to keep. All the more reason to be far less forthright in the making.
Something I'll be keeping in mind come next election.
Commenter:Wendy C This was the most intelligent speech given by a US President in decades; period.
Commenter:Douaa I think the speech is great and very smart. however as Arabs we are used to speeches and we had enough of them, we really need to see some actions.
although president Obama speech was brilliant it did not include any guaranties for us as Arabs especially regarding the Palestinian issues. If the U.S policies will continue to support Israeli government in everything even after the world had witnessed their crimes then there is no speech will change the way Arab feel about the U.S policies.
Douaa, Carnegie Mellon University-Qatar
Commenter:Rolando Garcia I respect what our President is willing to do with our health care system and we must give him our support. At this point in time our health care system is broken and it must be change for the good of the American People and for future generations to come. It is time to act.
Commenter:Nemer Baki i thought it was a great speech that will help us a lot in our relationship with Muslims. The only problem is that our words have changed, but our policies have not and will not change.
Commenter:Jack I think Obama is a nice guy and he presents an attractive appearance. I try to listen to both sides and be fair in my decisions. I am afraid his speech presented USA in an extremely poor light. How do you spell Grovel? He should have stressed the many ways which US actions have helped the moderate Muslim people and how the extreme Muslims have alienated reasonable people everywhere and put the decent Muslims in a very difficult position. I am afraid his words will do nothing but confuse the people he is trying to befriend as well as limit our ability to respond to future terrorist acts. (Sorry, I know we aren't supposed to use the word "terrorist". But calling these bad actors by some other euphemism doesn't change their nature.)
Commenter:Brian I'm sure. He's a great public speaker and
I think we're not thought of too highly there.
A lot of people respect his openness and
honesty on issues. I think a lot of the middle
east is fed up with the american military being
over there. Military solutions only lead to
bad blood- ask both sides of the Israeli/
Palestinian conflict.
Commenter:Shahin I haven't listened to his entire speech but I think Obama has lots of work to do to end the Arab- Israeli conflict.
Shahin, a third generation Palestinian refugee living in Jordan
Commenter:rudolph Obama will have to do a lot more than just lip service. He needs to act on the Palestinian problem, draw up a frame work of the 2 state solution, and put muscle behind it
Commenter:Mark I did not hear the entire speech, but I feel that any American president that would make a speech in a Muslim country as Obama has done would definitely help improve our image.
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