Obama Reveals Plans To Reach Out To Muslim World

Chicago Tribune:

Barack Obama says his presidency is an opportunity for the U.S. to renovate its relations with the Muslim world, starting the day of his inauguration and continuing with a speech he plans to deliver in an Islamic capital.

And when he takes the oath of office Jan. 20, he plans to be sworn in like every other president, using his full name: Barack Hussein Obama.

"I think we've got a unique opportunity to reboot America's image around the world and also in the Muslim world in particular,'' Obama said Tuesday, promising an "unrelenting" desire to "create a relationship of mutual respect and partnership in countries and with peoples of good will who want their citizens and ours to prosper together."

The world, he said, "is ready for that message."

Read the whole story: Chicago Tribune

Comments

[windypaperboy]

09:04 PM on 12/10/2008

There is only one country to reach out with an AlPAC government­.

[Celliott]

08:27 PM on 12/10/2008

I hope Obama appoints a Muslim American to one of his cabinet posts. This would give a strong message about wanted to build relations with the Muslim world

[Sarahjan]

07:39 PM on 12/10/2008

GZLives

my friend, you know this is about Israel and the US blind support for Israel and that this has been very bad for the US of A.

Will Obama change it? Probably not.

[RightWingMarine]

07:25 PM on 12/10/2008

Now the President works everyday, he doesn't really get a day off or vacation but there was plenty of complaints about Pres Bush going to Crawford every year in August. PE Obama, in this article, states his intention of returning to Chicago every couple of months. I wonder will people here still complain about where the Pres spends his time while he's working.

[calipublican]

07:12 PM on 12/10/2008

lol sounds just like jimmy carter is back in the white house jan20, I am so glad I talked my kid out of enlisting in the marine corps, this is what we can expect from this wimp seeling out out allies pakistan and isreal to lay down with our sworn enemies.

[Petunia39]

07:24 PM on 12/10/2008

I hope you talked your kid out of enlisting 8 years ago. You might have saved his life.

[coreyishere]

12:06 AM on 12/11/2008

What's "seeling"?

[GZLives]

05:49 PM on 12/10/2008

For those who believe this is about Israel ... consider

Where are the street demonstrat­ions of thousands of Muslims angry at Sunni killing Shia or Shia killing Sunni?

Where are the demonstrat­ions of angry Muslims over the destructio­n of Mosques. market places, honor killings. sexism, homophobia­?

How about fatwas against Bin Laden or Zawahiri?

The problem is a violent strain of Islam and its followers have the faith in their grip and if there's a vast majority that disagrees, they're way too quiet.

Obama will try to reach out to them if they are there. if they aren't, he will respond accordingl­y and many here will immediatel­y accuse our new President of selling out to AIPAC or other various codes they use.

I believe our pragmatic President will discover what many of us already believe. Islamists have non negotiable demands having nothing to do with Israel, Kashmir, Chechnya or any of the other scenarios they use to recruit with but don't really care beyond that. The agenda is submit, convert or die. That is what the Jihadi will fight to the death for. If Israel disappeare­d tomorrow, it would change little.

Mumbia should have pointed that fact out.

[toddackerman]

06:26 PM on 12/10/2008

I can't believe that one of his first priorities is kissing a nations' butt that has supported countless attacks on innocent people around the world including the U.S., and who's religious doctrine clearly states that they are to wipe us out.

I wonder what Bible he will put his hand on when he takes office and is sworn in???

[Last-LiberalRepublicans]

06:43 PM on 12/10/2008

Which School Did You Attend? Rove University­?

[SadButWiser]

06:26 PM on 12/10/2008

GZLives,

There has been Fatwas against Bin Laden, Al-Qaeda and all of his gang members. But you do not get it. Fatwas are like press releases or memorandum of understand­ing, they really mean nothing any more to the man in the street.

Do not expect the Muslim world to make things better for themselves for the next few decades. But if the US is going to interfere in the affairs of the region, they better do it right, and not in the interest of certain parties. We all know what happened when when the US forgot to do that.

[betrayus]

05:26 PM on 12/10/2008

Hi,

Everyone wants to close "Gitmo"...­but no one wants to take the terrorist.­..I mean no one.

Iraq Updates:

"Strategic Framework Agreement For A Relationsh­ip Of Friendship And Cooperatio­n Between The United States Of America And The Republic Of Iraq….The United States Of America And The Republic Of Iraq:"…MUC­H MORE…KNOW THE TRUTH OF WHATS REALLY GOING ON NOW IN IRAQ!

http://ira­qsinconven­ienttruth.­com/2008/1­2/10/iraqi­-us-securi­ty-agreeme­ntstrategi­c-framewor­k-november­-2008/

____

Japan Marks End Mission in Iraq ::: With Ceremony At Al Faw Palace
Wednesday, December 10, 2008 1:39 PM

Japanese forces have made an impact on Iraq and will be remembered for the reconstruc­tion and humanitari­an missions they have conducted in Iraq. “I find that Japan and the other Coalition forces have had an outstandin­g performanc­e,” said Col. Burl Randolph, deputy C2, MNC-I. “I enjoyed working with them. Iraq would not be the Iraq it is today without the Japanese.”­...

“Unfortuna­tely, we have to end our mission here,” said Kato. “But we were able to contribute to the reconstruc­tion of Iraq.”...

Iraq’s continued security improvemen­t has allowed many Coalition forces to withdraw as Iraqi security forces take over security operations and Iraq asserts itself as a sovereign nation...

“Today is a bitterswee­t day where we have to say goodbye,” Ferriter said. “But, we say goodbye knowing that [The JASDF] achieved success.”

http://ira­qsinconven­ienttruth.­com/2008/1­2/10/japan­-marks-end­-mission-i­n-iraq-wit­h-ceremony­-at-al-faw­-palace/

_____

Peace!
Dan

[SadButWiser]

05:25 PM on 12/10/2008

I hit the post accidental­ly before I finished..­.

In return, the Palestinia­ns, have to stop all attacks against any kind of civilian targets. And no more suicide bombers as they have done nothing but stain a just cause, and kill many innocent people.

Once this is done, America image in the Muslim world will be better than any image you could create with Photoshop.

[SadButWiser]

05:21 PM on 12/10/2008

The image of the US is already slightly better. By leaving Iraq, and most importantl­y:

1. Pressuring Israel to withdraw from all occupied territorie­s that occupied after 1967.
2. Pressuring Israel to dismantle all illegal settlement­s that were and is being built in Palestinia­n land.
3. Pressuring Israel to tear that wall.
4. To encourage the Palestinia­ns to declare their own country, and have the US the first country to recognize it

[GZLives]

05:41 PM on 12/10/2008

You are delusional­. Hamas which represents at least half the Palestinia­ns will NEVER under ANY circumstan­ces ever make peace with "unbelieve­rs" .... NEVER. Its an Islamist group and unless you missed Mumbai, you apparently don't understand the dynamics. Islamists will not coexist or be governed by or agree to a peace with non Muslims on what they consider to be Muslim land. Until Hamas is eliminated or neutralize­d, there will never be any peace ever - and Israel is not disappeari­ng anytime soon.

The Security wall has reduced suicide bombers by almost 85% so that will not be torn down untul The Palestinia­ns can guarantee some sort of security and since (if you bothered to notice) last week some 130 rockets were fired into Israeli cities - today more then a dozen, the Arabs cannot or will not guarantee any security. Israel will not and should not take down any wall that protects their citizens. NO country would.

Finally, Israel like any country has the right to defend its people.

The problem is NOT Israel but Islamist groups who refuse to coexist with non Muslims - and this problem exists not only between Israel and Palestine but in six or seven other fronts of the same war around the world.

[SadButWiser]

06:05 PM on 12/10/2008

Fatah recognized Israel over 2 decades ago, and there is still no Palestinia­ns State. It is interestin­g that it is victim that has to give in for the demands and not the aggressor. Only with Israel exceptions are made.

For the record, Hamas did say that there was never a referendum among the Palestinia­n people to recognize Israel, and that they will hold such a referendum before they recognize Israel. That is democracy that the US does not want to see in the Middle East.

And by the way, another step for the US to improve its image is to stop calling organizati­ons such as Hamas or Hezbollah as terrorist organizati­ons. The truth is in Muslim world, they are exactly the opposite and Israel is the terrorist organizati­on. You see the gap here.

And by the way, I am just offering some suggestion­s.

I may just add now that he is elected that he should recognizes Hamas as the legitimate representa­tive of the Palestinia­n people and hold discussion with them and not the corrupt to the core Fatah.

That is the Change we in the rest of the world are looking for.

[Bitsko]

05:18 PM on 12/10/2008

Nobody loves Mr. 0bama more than me, but if Up With People are involved, then count me out.

[joetherealist]

04:53 PM on 12/10/2008

Hannity and the rest of his BHO-as-mus­lim-terror­ist audience had better bring their spare gaskets to tonight's show, they are certainly going to blow some over this...

[Jamesdean]

04:26 PM on 12/10/2008

Changing America's perception in the Muslim world is not difficult, after all Muslims don't have a problem with America but with its foreign policy.

All Obama needs a two-pronge­d strategy: be fair, and I mean really fair, in your dealings with Israel and secondly instead of forging close bonds with the autocrats, tell them in a very plain language that their autocratic­, despotic methods are not going to work anymore. That is all that is needed.

[Petunia39]

05:24 PM on 12/10/2008

yeah, it really doesn't seem to be so difficult.

[Kartoffel]

04:23 PM on 12/10/2008

Obama has already deeply offended muslims by declaring that he'll send American troops across the Pakistan border whenever he deems it to be in American interest. Is he is so intoxicate­d with his own eloquence that he thinks some pretty speeches will make muslims forget about that?

[Jamesdean]

04:24 PM on 12/10/2008

kartoffel, p i s s off back to your ha n n i t y and o r e i l ly.

[Shelly1970]

04:20 PM on 12/10/2008

I have NOT been proud of my government lately. Shame on them. Yes, for the first time in my adult lifetime, I am REALLY proud!

[white mende man]

04:10 PM on 12/10/2008

Imagine a country where anyone can become President of the United States regardless of color/reli­gion/creed aint this country great? isn't that right Ne@c@ns? say it loud! I'm proud to be an American and even prouder of our black president.

[pupbayer]

04:27 PM on 12/10/2008

Imagine a country where anyone can become President of the United States regardless of color/reli­gion/creed aint this country great? Wait, you forgot gender...y­ou forgot religious membership­...you forgot sexual orientatio­n.

But, you know what? The country is STILL great! Just don't get carried away saying "anyone" can become President because that is not true...yet­.

[BrunoDJ]

05:05 PM on 12/10/2008

All in time.