Obama Speech Not Yet Over

Mr. Barack Obama, president of the United States, called on the Islamic world to reestablish a new relationship with the U.S. Obama handed out an olive branch in his speech. Whether or not his speech will be historically significant hinges upon whether Tehran’s religious leaders and Israel’s hawkish groups buy it. To date, Israeli officials have claimed that they will not stop the construction of the river Jordan’s West Bank settlements.

Obama’s speech mainly focused on U.S. expectations in the region. These include the hope that Middle Eastern countries will halt the cycle of suspicion and conflict, the establishment dialogue with Islamic youth, the condemnation of violent extremists, the support for the establishment of a Palestinian state and the rejection of the construction of Israel’s settlement.

The goodwill and empathy conveyed in the speech had hardly been seen from other U.S. presidents in preceding years. The leaders of Islamic countries that have diplomatic relations with the U.S. clearly perceive this good will and empathy, but for the people of these countries, a speech of such is rather vague and insubstantial.

Iran will not stop its secretive weapons development simply because Obama made a public appeal. The Taliban will not cease to recruit new blood based on Obama’s condemnation.

Israeli prime minister, Natayahu, refused to endorse Obama’s stance on the establishment of a Palestinian state or the freezing of the West Bank settlement. Israeli officials announced the other day that they will tear down twenty-two illegally constructed buildings, but will not prevent the “natural growth” of housing.

In his speech, Obama quoted scripture from the Koran, trying to expound upon the profound philosophy of the Prophet Muhammad. As for the Arab world, Obama’s real challenge is, on one hand, in dealing with the radicals, who are expanding their weaponry, refuse to join in talks and regard the U.S. as the enemy. On the other hand, Obama must communicate with pragmatic groups that are willing to agree on reconciliation under terms of mutual trust and benefit.

In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, an African American civil rights leader, delivered his famous “I have a Dream” speech. This speech kindled the civil rights movement torch and eventually led to the realization of racial equality in the U.S. In 1987, late President Ronald Regan made his “Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down this Wall” address in front of the Brandenburg gate. The Berlin Wall fell in 1989 and East and West Germany united the following year.

Obama made a brilliant speech; the importance of the speech is not in terms of the tone it sets for today, but in terms of the future and whether or not his speech can be translated into policy. In others words, this speech is not yet over.