Obama/Muslims

"Throughout our history, people of different faiths have shaped the character of our Nation. Islam is a peaceful religion, and people who practice the Islamic faith have made great contributions to our Nation and the world. As Americans, we cherish our freedom to worship and we remain committed to welcoming individuals of all religions. By working together to advance freedom and mutual understanding, we are creating a brighter future of hope and opportunity."

President Obama realized that we needed to break away from the Bush years and acknowledge that Muslims have made many contributions to the world and that Islam is a peaceful religion. This premise of the President's speech is nothing new. The quote above is from a speech made by President Bush in 2003 on the Muslim religious holiday of Ramadan.

The ideal of building a better relationship with the Muslim people is good, who could argue that. The problem is the media's drooling over everything this man does no matter how insignificant or non-original it may be. I do, however, take exception to a few items:

1. The President is going out of his way to make friendly with the Arab world. Once again, he apologized for all the evils the U.S. has perpetrated upon the world but apparently he has forgotten all the times the U.S. has gone to bat for Muslims. Americans have gone to war and died protecting Muslims, Kuwait, Kosovo are all examples of this.

2. Radical extremist Muslims are at war with the western world. This was not as the result of anything the Bush administration has done. "Death to America" has been a common chant of Muslim extremists since before the Carter administration. There is no way to make friendly with these people. They have taken a position that leaves no room for negotiation. They want the destruction of Israel. How do you negotiate with that? Kill only some Jews? No, you cannot make friendly with these people no matter how much you apologize and try to "start anew."

3. We have one alley in the Middle East, other than the new Iraqi government, and that is Israel, although Obama threw the Israeli people under the bus. He is basically siding with the Muslim world at the expense of our relationship with Israel. Obama feels strongly that Israel needs to give up any settlements in Gaza but it has been proven that this will not appease the extremists. He calls the settlements in violation to peace agreements but so are the bombing by the Palestinians but that won't stop. The Palestinians were given 95% of what they wanted in peace talks in 1999 but Arafat walked away because the hatred of Israel is how these leaders maintain their power. Without the conflict they would have no purpose. Basically, Obama is trying to appease a people who have no desire for peace and the general Muslim world has no power over the extremists. This has been proven time and time again.

He compared the holocaust, the slaughtering of 6 million Jews to the suffering of the Palestinians wandering without a homeland. His point was to try and show both sides have been wronged but to compare the holocaust to Palestinians can do nothing but incite ill feelings with the Israelis and is just plain wrong.

4. Obama reached out to the Iranian leaders and made it known he is willing to forget the past and look to the future. Build a new relationship with the leaders of Iran. These are the same leaders who denied the holocaust ever happened. Claims Israel will be annihilated. Israel is "doomed" to collapse. This is also the leaders who claim their nuclear program is peaceful and for energy purposes only while tests long range ballistic missiles that can reach Israel. The leader of Iran cannot be trusted especially by the Israeli leaders. What if we trust them and they prove, once again, to be lying? Israel cannot take that chance and as an ally and only world superpower nor can the U.S. Sounds good but impractical. Maybe the new Iranian elections will change the tone but they still must answer to their people and their neighbors who feel the same.

5. Women's rights. He credits several Muslim countries for electing women leaders but discusses the troubles of women's right in America. Are you kidding me? In some Muslim countries women can be stoned to death for being raped. I know what his point was but to compare the rights of women in America to women of the Middle East is absurd.

President Obama started by acknowledging all the accomplishments of the Muslim world. Crediting them with algebra, compasses and navigation tools, pens and printing, understanding how disease spreads and how to heal as well as praising them for their contributions to the arts with poetry and architecture. Just a whole lot of very nice (although sometimes exaggerated) thing to say about the Muslim culture. Wouldn't it be nice to hear him occasionally say some nice things about his own country?

The Speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaxZPiiKyMw