"President Barack Obama missed the opportunity. He spoke well but I was expecting more substance. His tone could have been different and better," said Arif Mohammed Khan, India's liberal thinker told rediff.com minutes after the US President speech to the Muslim world in Cairo, Egypt.
"Remember, Obama was speaking from the Arab heartland. In and around Egypt there is a kind of disconnect between the people and the government that rules over them. Obama's speech will be well received because he spoke on Muslim women's rights, democracy and rights of minorities. He was talking about the aam admi of the Islamic world. This talk could really connect in the society where governments are not elected by the people," Khan said.
Khan added, "In the Arab world where governments deny many types of freedom, Obama's speech is a big thing. People who are fighting against autocratic regimes will be emboldened by it, but his speech didn't satisfy me because some important things were missing in it."
"Eighty percent of Muslims live outside the Arab world. Around 50 percent live in the Indian subcontinent. I think Obama didn't address the progressive Islamic people who think that their beliefs don't obstruct development and progress. He didn't address the religious but progressive class of Muslims," Khan flet
Ehtasham Khan, a young correspondent with a news channel and his friend Iqbal Ahmed had marked the day to watch Obama's much-talked about speech. They took the day off to watch the speech.
After watching it Ehtasham was emotional and overjoyed. He thinks, "Obama will connect with young Muslims. I liked the way he stressed the need of genuine democracy in the Islamic world. Obama spoke from the heart. He was genuine. It didn't appear to me that an American was speaking!"
Iqbal said, "Obama didn't use the word 'terrorism' ever. He said 'violent extremists'. I really appreciate it. I know there are people in Muslim world who justify 9/11. Obama addressed them also. He balanced his speech. He talked about the humiliations of Palestine and supported Isreal's right to exist. He also said that US is in Afghanistan and Iraq due 'to compulsions and not out of choice'.
Ehtasham found the speech balanced and realistic."Obama touched all subjects. He said give women the choice to decide. He did some hard talk as well. He said Israel is reality. But, he recognised Palestine's issues."
However, Arif Mohmmed Khan thinks Obama's address will not substantially affect the issues affecting the Middle East. He explains,"On the issue of the Middle East, I don't think much is going to change because unless America addresses the issue of security of Israel, Jews are not going to budge. And, surely Israel has got disproportionately more technological power and that hurts the Arabs. It's the power of the population versus technological supremacy in the region. Unless Obama addresses the real issue of security the Middle East issue is not going to go forward."
