Obama Seeks 'New Beginning' for US, Muslims

Why? 'He is decidedly not' his predecessor

(NEWSER) - President Obama’s speech in Cairo sounded a lot like President Bush’s 2006 speech to Muslims—yet Obama’s manages to carry far more weight, writes Michael Crowley in the New Republic. Both spoke of respect for “the history and traditions of the Muslim world”; both suggested governmental systems can’t be “imposed.” But Bush’s speech was “forgotten,” while Obama’s “seems to offer the potential of making millions of Muslims reconsider their view of America,” Crowley writes. More»

(NEWSER) - President Obama skillfully made the case for women's rights in the Muslim world during his Cairo speech today with the help of the hijab, or head scarf, writes Tracy Clark-Flory in Salon. "I reject the view of some in the West that a woman who chooses to cover her hair is somehow less equal," he said, demonstrating tolerance and respect before reaching his main points: that women must have the right to education and the right to reject "traditional roles." More»

Hovering from on high, he finds fault with US: Krauthammer

(NEWSER) - "He's sort of God," a Newsweek writer said of Barack Obama on MSNBC recently, which for Charles Krauthammer is only a mild overstatement of how the president sees himself: "hovering above mere mortals, mere country, to gaze benignly upon the darkling plain beneath him." In his Cairo speech, Obama took his "gospel of understanding" to an extreme, equating brutality in the Muslim world with mild American foibles, writes the Washington Post columnist. More»

Supreme leader slams US before Obama speech

(NEWSER) - President Obama’s speeches may be “beautiful,” but it’s not enough to win over the Muslim world, Iran’s supreme leader said in his own speech today, Reuters reports. “The nations of this part of the world...deeply hate America because during many years they have seen violence, military interference, rights violations, discrimination" from it, said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. More»

(NEWSER) - Most of America wasn’t even awake when it happened, but Barack Obama’s Cairo speech got people talking anyway, the Washington Post reports. The New York Times says Obama delivered a "sweeping and forceful—at times scolding and combative" message, which included what the Wall Street Journal called a “shrewd” statement about women's rights. But overall, it was part of Obama’s détente with the Muslim world, and earned a standing ovation from the crowd. More»