Obama's Attempt To Reach Out To Muslim World
Posted by Ashish on 12.04.2008
Why simply trying will do a lot...
Obama will apparently give a speech from a major Muslim city within his first 100 days in office. Ben Smith points out that this seems to be the start of his attempt to try and bridge the gap between the West and the Muslim world, which he talked about during the election.
"Once I'm elected, I want to organize a summit in the Muslim world, with all the heads of state, to have an honest discussion about ways to bridge the gap that grows every day between Muslims and the West. I want to ask them to join our fight against terrorism. We must also listen to their concerns."
Anyone who has travelled around the world, particularly to the Middle East, knows how important people in other countries take symbolic gestures from the U.S. Whether you actually do anything for them isn't even the point. Simply acting like you care is often enough to convince people that you care. That is what Obama is doing here.
Obviously no terrorist is going to suddenly have a change of heart just because Obama gives a speech from a Muslim city. But terrorists aren't the target here, the regular citizens of these countries are. Fighting terrorism is a longterm battle and the only way to win is to cut off the potential pool of recruits for terrorist groups. How do you do that? You make young people in these countries stop hating America, and you make the governments of these countries feel as if the U.S. actually cares about them and in turn hope that they do a little more to stop terrorist groups in their countries than they do now.
It's a slow process, but this is a step in the right direction.
... only the prelude to a larger settlement in which all Europe may find peace. This morning I had another talk with the German Chancellor, Herr Hitler, and here is the paper which bears his name upon it as well as mine. Some of you, perhaps, have already heard what it contains but I would just like to read it to you ...
"My good friends, for the second time in our history a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time." - Chamberlain
"The enemy did not expect my great determination. Our enemies are little worms, I saw them at Munich. [...] Now Poland is in the position I wanted. [...] I am only afraid that some bastard will present me with a mediation plan at the last moment."- Hitler
History is repeating...
Posted By: The Spook (Guest) on December 04, 2008 at 01:49 PM
In order for a 'history is repeating' argument to be effective, I believe that the important actors from the past need to be connected to actors in the present. That said, who is Hitler? Ahmadinejad? Because I can't see Obama choosing Tehran to do his speech, can you?
Also, are you implying that the Muslim would is planning a Holocaust?
Posted By: Bisch (Guest) on December 04, 2008 at 02:17 PM
it will probably be baghdad or tikrit.
Posted By: rey (Guest) on December 04, 2008 at 03:28 PM
"History is repeating... "
So you're saying we shouldn't even bother bringing peace to this conflict and just continue to bomb the shit of them and persecute? Nice to know all problems can be eventually solved with the bigger dic...er, weapons. And, yes, I know I may just be putting words in your mouth but you really didn't say anything.
Posted By: His Bubbliness (Guest) on December 04, 2008 at 04:34 PM
"That said, who is Hitler?"
Anyone who ever disagreed with us since 1945 is Hitler.
Posted By: J.D. Dunn (Registered) on December 04, 2008 at 04:58 PM
"Also, are you implying that the Muslim would is planning a Holocaust?"
I guess you missed it when the leader of Iran said he would bring a holocaust upon Israel, which by the way goes against the U.N. charter. But don't worry, Obama said he'll sit down without preconditions with leaders like this. I'm sure all they want is peace and love and we can reconcile our differences.... our their religion tells them that all Jews and Christians are dogs who will burn in hell and that they will go to heaven by murdering evil westerners.
Posted By: Heartbrand (Guest) on December 04, 2008 at 05:06 PM
Hey Spook, isn't what you're saying basically what Bush said before the Israeli Knesset? Nice to see you echoing the brilliant thoughts of a man famous for his flawless foregn policy record.
Posted By: KTL (Registered) on December 04, 2008 at 05:17 PM
Heartbrand,
I see you are well-versed in Islam and the teachings of the Qur'an. Have you gotten to the part yet where Muhammad rides the leprechaun strapped with explosives into the arcade?
Posted By: Bisch (Guest) on December 04, 2008 at 05:54 PM
The Muslims don't want peace- and anyone who thinks they should turn on the news, maybe see what just happened in India a few days ago...
Or the US on 9/11, or Israel every other day...
How about France last year during the Muslim riots, or Spain when that train blew up...
…Germany, God knows how many cells have been found and taken out…
Iraq being targeted by AQZ, until the Iraqis had enough and wiped them out…The Taliban and the way they oppressed Afghanistan and killed little girls who are raped for indecency.
Oh, but wait! It's all President Bush's fault!
That's why they tried to blow the towers up during the Clinton administration...Because of Bush.
Fucking idiot Liberals, and your selective memories.
We are at war with tens of millions of people and some of you are too stupid to understand...
Iran, Yemen, most of Saudi Arabia- the list goes on. This is not about countries fighting for boarders or resources, this about hate...
Get your heads out of your asses, quit making up conspiracies because you can't handle the truth, quit blaming Bush for a problem that’s been around before most of us were born...
This is real life, and these Muslims want to kill you.
Obama will not change that...that’s how history will repeat itself.
Obama will speak, and people will cheer and he will declare “peace in our age” and our enemies will silently plot to kill us all…
Posted By: The Spook (Guest) on December 04, 2008 at 08:34 PM
Like many religions, Islam is a religion of peace. It is the perversion of Islam that has produced the modern terrorism movement. Jihad has to do with the struggle of the mind, to better oneself. Jihad of the sword is only meant to mean self-defense.
And before you Christians get too self-righteous, let's not forget the sins that Christianity has to atone for, including the Crusades and the near total silence of the Catholic church on the Holocaust.
Yes, there are fanatical muslims who take their beliefs to the extreme, and yes, some of them are even in charge of countries. But the US foreign policy under Bush has driven away any sympathy many of the moderates might have had after 9/11. We need the moderates on our side, so that the extremists will have nowhere to hide.
Posted By: Michael L (Guest) on December 04, 2008 at 09:21 PM
I personally think that anytime someone uses Hitler/Appeasement as a cover-all "arguement" instead of actually, you know, saying something valid and having something to do with the situation being discussed, as soon as they are aboot to finish the sentence be sublected to a big Taco-Bell dump down their mouth since thats what came out of their mouth.
Posted By: Wooder (Guest) on December 04, 2008 at 09:22 PM
Before I get fragged understand the position I am coming from:
First excuse me for calling Liberals "idiots", I did not mean to insult any idiots out there.
I did not vote for Obama, and hey, kudos for trying to talk to these savages...
My point is simple: They, the Muslims, don't give a fuck about OBAMA or us...
Now for everyone who wants to blame Bush for this "problem" (I call it a war, but whatever).
1948- Israel officially "created"-backed by President Truman (democrat)(also only president to drop A-bombs on people- and good for him, he knew how to win wars! Dunn this is pointed at you). This starts a process of escalation- a conflict.
1977- President Jimmy Carter (democrat) He brokered a peace between the Muslims and Israel...right? Wrong, complete waste of time. Muslims become more militant and violence escalates to pull Lebanon into a religious civil war.
1993- President Bill Clinton (Democrat) Oslo accords signed, new treaty. This goes worse then the Camp David Accords and within days PLO leaders are calling for the destruction of Israel.
1993 WORLD TRADE CENTER BOMBED- Bill does nothing...nothing.
1998 Clinton bombs Iraq for four days, during operation Desert Fox, to degrade regime infrastructure and WMD creation ability. The Muslim world is outraged.
And Bush becomes president, and one that I believe was destined to do nothing of note until those planes struck on 9/11. How could he alone be responsible?
Now we have today- Why should Obama talk? Why discuss peace before you have won the war? Every time the Democrats sit down to talk peace with Muslims, the Muslims lie and continue to fight...
This will be no different.
Obama should do what Democrats have been best at- dropping Atomic Bombs on assholes who don't know when to quit!
That's change we can all live with.
Posted By: The Spook (Guest) on December 04, 2008 at 09:40 PM
I lol every time I read anything tainted with bigotry by "The Spook" - the KKK imagery is astounding.
This is a great "Character Commenter" here at 411mania.
I wish we could also have "Chris Hansen" from Dateline MSNBC's "To Catch A Predator" start commenting around here too.
Posted By: Sammy (Guest) on December 04, 2008 at 10:51 PM
Well, I'm not KKK and I don't think that anyone is less of a person then anyone else, but I'm happy you are entertained by my little rants.
I find them entertaining to write at my office desk or in my home office- usually when my wife is watching that fucking Grey's Anatomy.
But I'm not a racist. I'm a republican. There is a difference.
Posted By: The Spook (Guest) on December 04, 2008 at 11:50 PM
Is there a difference?
Posted By: Kent Baker (Guest) on December 04, 2008 at 11:54 PM
I'm sure dropping the A-bomb on the middle east will solve everything. Didn't Israel belong to the palestinians before jews came in and claimed it was theirs and got support because of american jews? The only reason jews are potrayed as being persecuted is because of american jews supporting them who project the image of jews being innocent in everything they did and that every arab is a bad bad man.
Posted By: Guest#2446 (Guest) on December 05, 2008 at 12:23 AM
Alright Obama; Hypnotize em!
Posted By: Bandler (Guest) on December 05, 2008 at 01:00 AM
"But I'm not a racist. I'm a republican. There is a difference."
That's true: Just because all Republicans are racists, doesn't mean all racists are Republicans.
Posted By: poffo316 (Guest) on December 05, 2008 at 01:03 AM
Repent.
Posted By: To Michael L. (Guest) on December 05, 2008 at 02:39 AM
Israel belonged to the Jews in the beginning.
Palestinians got Israel in a major war centuries ago and they claim they that before that war doesn't count. Obviously that logic fails.
None of it matters though, no one should be fighting. The two sides consider the land their Holy Land...so then they should be HOLY and stop fighting.
Posted By: To Guest#2446 (Guest) on December 05, 2008 at 02:45 AM
Killing millions of people in a country that had already offered to surrender.
Yeah real noble Spook.
Isn't strange with actions like that some parts of the world doesn't think America is the greatest thing ever?
Posted By: Rich (Guest) on December 05, 2008 at 06:58 AM
"also only president to drop A-bombs on people- and good for him, he knew how to win wars! Dunn this is pointed at you)"
Why?
Posted By: J.D. Dunn (Registered) on December 05, 2008 at 09:12 AM
1993 WORLD TRADE CENTER BOMBED- Bill does nothing...nothing.
Other then Catch and imprison the people who actually did it, yeah, they did nothing
Posted By: ult (Guest) on December 05, 2008 at 10:12 AM
The POINT is that every time a Democratic President sits down with the Muslims to talk peace they get lip service.
It won't work. These fuckers don't care about peace.
It's the modern culture they are surrounded with. They hate the west and everything it stands for...they hate each other. We can't stop that- their religious leaders are more influential than our President.
The Adolf Hitler appeasement quote is simply the best example of what I am talking about: If a group of people are committed to doing something then their enemies will not be able to persuade them.
Dunn, I mealy pointed you out so you could use some of what I am saying in your next Royal Rumble review (Honestly, I mixed your post up with the guy's above yours...sorry, I'm not above mistakes and will admit them).
Should Obama try? Sure, why not? Should we trust people who have said time again that we are Satan and we should be wiped out- hell no.
That's my point.
Posted By: The Spook (Guest) on December 05, 2008 at 10:52 AM
When will people learn that animals cannot be reasoned with? These terrorists and nations that support it should be wiped off the map. We have tried peace talks for decades and THEY DO NOT WORK!! It will NEVER work! How many more people have to get attacked and die before we learn? Are we so stupid that we will allow the same shit to happen over and over again?
9/11, the USS Cole, the WTC bombing in the early 90s...come on and wake up!
Islam is the religion of peace? HA! More like the religion that gives the excuse to kill anyone who is not like them. The only good animal is a dead one at times and we need to get rid of the ones who cannot be reasoned with.
Posted By: Ladynaye (Guest) on December 05, 2008 at 11:40 AM
these are the most rediculous posts that i have ever read. ashish, you should be ashamed for letting most of these approved. most of them do nothing but add to the fire of bi-partisan ways. and yes, i'm aware that my screen name is anti-messiah.
Posted By: anti-messiah (Guest) on December 05, 2008 at 12:12 PM
This is all starting to sound like a Jeff Dunham routine.
Posted By: JMAC (Guest) on December 05, 2008 at 02:00 PM
these are the most rediculous posts that i have ever read. ashish, you should be ashamed for letting most of these approved. most of them do nothing but add to the fire of bi-partisan ways. and yes, i'm aware that my screen name is anti-messiah.
Posted By: anti-messiah (Guest) on December 05, 2008 at 12:12 PM
i.e. you disagree with opinions posted and you want to muzzle them.
You must be a liberal.
Posted By: The Constitution (Guest) on December 05, 2008 at 04:08 PM
"These terrorists and nations that support it should be wiped off the map."
Soooo... Israel, then?
Posted By: UkraineNotWeak (Guest) on December 05, 2008 at 04:08 PM
"The only good animal is a dead one at times and we need to get rid of the ones who cannot be reasoned with."
And keep the animals that can be reasoned with? Your ocelots, your lemurs. Some of your larger critters and varmints, I suppose.
Posted By: J.D. Dunn (Registered) on December 05, 2008 at 04:13 PM
And keep the animals that can be reasoned with? Your ocelots, your lemurs. Some of your larger critters and varmints, I suppose.
Posted By: J.D. Dunn (Registered) on December 05, 2008 at 04:13 PM
Well, yeah, except for the mooselambs, those bastards are crazy.
Posted By: Goonie (Guest) on December 05, 2008 at 04:49 PM
I'm a Muslim living in Southeast Asia. I love the West, because it has given me so much. Pro Wrestling, Marvel and DC, wonderful music and literature and culture. I want to visit Washington D.C. and tour the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and Kennedy Arts Centre as much as I want to go to Mecca. I pray 5 times a day, and watch Scrubs and Heroes at night. I consider the Emancipation Proclamation, the Kennedy Moon Speech and Reagan's challenge to Gorbachev to be just as significant as the hadiths of the Prophet.
Why am I saying all this? Because there are people in this world who would have you believe that you can take an entire group of people and tar them all with the same brush. People like Spook here would have you believe that all people who share a religion must automatically share other ideologies.
These people are wrong.
I am a Muslim. I love America for what it represents. I don't care that some Americans would as soon shoot me in the head as shake my hand simply because of my religion. They don't deserve their country, its ideals and its freedoms. I still love America.
Between you and me? We aren't your biggest problem. You should be thinking ahead and figuring out how to deal with China. They're going to be your number one enemies once you've gotten tired of us.
Posted By: Finn (Guest) on December 06, 2008 at 04:24 AM
You people just don't get it. It's Barack Obama. Just HIM doing the peace talks, will make the world right. If you don't believe me, just ask his supporters, who think he can walk on water. These peace talks WILL work, because it's Obama.
Posted By: gwpbrian (Guest) on December 06, 2008 at 10:10 AM
...and then he throws down the NWA belt to raise the ECW belt and... oh wait, what section am I in again?
Posted By: demOcratic (Guest) on December 08, 2008 at 11:39 AM
STAY CURRENT