Arabs Greet Obama With Mix Of Hope, Skepticism (SLIDESHOW)

A driving question behind much of the anticipation for President Obama's Middle East trip is: how will he be received by the people? Naturally, the answers are mixed, but there appears so far to be an overall welcoming tone Wednesday in Saudi Arabia, based on Arab press reports. Arab News has a convenient round-up of statements from poll respondents in Saudi Arabia who express appreciation for Obama's Riyadh visit as a symbolic gesture, but who also issue caveats against hewing to past policies and rhetoric that alienates Muslims. One such example, from Arab News:

"President Obama's visit here is a good sign, especially when he is intending to reach out to the Arab and Muslim people; however, there has to be honesty in dealing with the Palestinian issue. Only with honesty in promoting peace in the region will he be able to win the hearts and minds of people here. My family and I watched Obama win the presidency; he seems to be a nice person and he talks of totally different plans for peace in the region. This is a good sign and I hope that he focuses on the Palestinian issue and on human rights. His message was 'hope' and I hope that he gets to spread his message to the region." -- Mohammed Abdullah.

• • • • • •

HuffPost Eyes and Ears reporter Mohamed Elshahed photographed and translated the day's top Arabic headlines from Cairo.
AlGamaheer headlines: "America makes up with Muslim world from Cairo," "Five Issues Face OBAMA," "Cairo University Face-Lift Cost 15 million Egyptian Pounds."

And according to a Wednesday report from NBC News' Tom Aspell, many in Egypt are celebrating Obama's speech because of what it means for them as a Muslim nation deserving of respect. From Aspell:

Egyptians are immensely proud that President Barack Obama has chosen Cairo University as the site for his speech addressing the world's 1.5 billion Muslims on Thursday. They see it as a gesture of respect, and an acknowledgement that their capital is the seat of Islamic-Arab culture.

Workmen cleaned the university's gates this week as students hurried across the manicured campus. Final exams are only days away, yet the talk was all about the American president's visit.

Chris Good at the Atlantic rounds up word from more outlets:

A headline from state-run Iran Daily declares, "Obama to Get Mideast Talks Back on Track," while, according to Saudi English-language outlet Arab News, Obama's trip "evokes hope for the future" in Saudis. A sub-head in Pakistani newspaper Dawn declares that Obama looks to revive peace talks "while a US confrontation steadily builds with Israel." Both Iran Daily and the Iranian Islamic Republic News Agency ran stories on Obama's discussions of Iranian nuclear-energy ambitions -- both of them posing Obama favorably.

However, some Arab media outlets paint a different picture, with a more critical tone that suggests the enthusiasm for Obama's visit is confined primarily to official quarters, and that among other groups there is more of a mixed bag. Human rights advocates, for example, have expressed concern with the administration's venue choice, claiming that the visit will condone much-criticized Egyptian policies against political dissidents, Al-Ahram Weekly notes.

Al-Ahram's report also includes statements from a rather cynical taxi driver named Anwar, who may represent a viewpoint held in more unofficial quarters:

For Anwar, the Obama visit is not particularly reason to rejoice. In fact, Anwar, is not interested in the speech that Obama will deliver. "What message and what speech? And what will we do with his words when Iraqis are being killed and when Israelis are killing Palestinians?" Anwar asked. He added that Arabs should expect nothing from Obama or from anyone, "no matter what they tell us".

And Rami G. Khouri, writing in an op-ed in the Lebanese Daily Star Wednesday, expresses a toned-down version of this sentiment:

Public speeches are not good platforms for policy-making. However, they are suitable for articulating values. No offense, but nobody in the Middle East really cares about Obama's ancestors or youth years, or his views on other religions. What we care about - and what the US president should explain on this trip - is whether the US government believes that habeas corpus and the Fourth Geneva Convention, for example, apply with equal force to Arabs as well as to Israelis.

The disparity is perhaps explained by Huffington Post Contributor Noha Khattab, a vice president at Amwal Al Khaleej Investment Co. in Cairo, who writes:

Egyptian society is segmented along very clear lines dictated by cultural and socioeconomic metrics. Among other things, discussions in the upper quartile of society center around Obama's visit being a 'fresh start' to US relations with the Middle East, while discussions in the 'blue collar' segment of society center around how much scolding of Egypt the speech will carry.

And for his part, Huffington Post Blogger Omid Memarian reports Wednesday on the implications of Obama's venue choice, citing rather vocal critics:

"It is a mistake to speak about Islam in the framework of any given country but, to me, Cairo may be the worst choice," explains Olivier Roy. "Addressing Muslims from Cairo is supporting [President] Mubarak who has a political agenda; it means to endorse his political agenda and it means also makes the issue of Islam hostage of the Middle East crisis, which for me is a mistake. So, in this sense, Indonesia would have been better."

Get HuffPost World On Facebook and Twitter!

Comments

[SergeantRoss45]

every Arab media mentioned is funded by an Arab oil dynasty (or by Mubarak's police state).

[TheyCalledMeSandN]

not true. very lazy response on your part. the photographed papers are almost all private or semi-private oppositional papers not tied to the state or big oil.

[farru83]

his words are great, but like many are saying in the Muslim nations, "Actions speak louder then words"

He keeps on saying the USA wants to see an end to settlements in the west bank, and yet Bibi told him flat out that is unreasonable, and the "natural growth" will continue.
More innocent people will continue to be killed by the unmanned drones in Pakistan and Afganistan.

what good are these speeches, if there is no change??? I know he needs more time, and lets give it to him, but lets also not get wowed by this speech made in Egypt. Although a fine speech it was, many people are still waiting for an actual change.

[workingliberal]

Can't wait to see what the wingnuts will say about the pic of President Obama as Saladin. I'm sure this will for once, prove in their little paranoid minds that he is, indeed, a Muslim.

[harriettubman]

Mending fences may be easier than asking that part of the world to respect women. I don't think that's even a thought to them.

[TheyCalledMeSandN]

maybe you should book a flight and visit the part of the world you think you know so well. and if you have been and still maintain this view then you are not very perceptive.

[NPA]

Osama is pissed somewhere in his cave! The worlds attention isn't on him and his henchmen.

[dwright]

I am going to change my picture from the heartless Cheney Tin Man and brainless Bush in honor of this occasion and celebrate my religion - Buddhism.

How is that for a first step?

[paulalex]

Wanna know what's really cool?

Our President is walking around Egypt with burgers from Five Guys still floating around in his transom :-)

[FORMERMARINE]

Suprisingly no single assassination attempt at Obama from overseas but he got tha most death threats of any president here in the U.S.A. I wonder why they rated us number 84 the world peace list.

[Hedonist88]

Obama's visit to Cairo is more about acknowledging Egypt's central role in Arab-Islamic culture and it's importance to the Arab-Israeli issue, than anything to do with Mubarak.

Wise decision by the President and his advisors.

[Macready]

well said Hedonist88

[harriettubman]

And one has to know the culture in order to do that. Bush didn't.

[ZimboChick]

Long live the Prez

[Weirdwriter]

Muslims regard Cairo as an important center of culture, not just a dictator's seat of government. It's appropriate that President Obama speak from there.

[ZimboChick]

indeed,,,happy nao?

[TinTinEnAmerique]

I agree.

[Archivist1000]

weirdwriter ????? Egypt is not a dictatorship.

[essbird]

No, you're right, it's a democracy with state-run media, destruction of opposing press, jailing and assassination of political opponents, and a president who's been in office for 28 years. Thanks for correcting us.

[pragmaticdallasite]

Then what it is it? I'm just curious, not much knowledge on the subject.

[TheyCalledMeSandN]

you're right. its not "dictatorship" as we understand it. It is rather unique. the state has actually sedated the average citizens then their children to believe that it is the best they could get so they intern support it blindly and don't even dream of opposing it. so yes it is not a dictatorship but it certainly is no democracy.

[timberdoodle]

There was one comment that is in most people's minds all over the world and that is what will Obama do about the war crimes that were committed as well as the prisoners being held captive.

War crimes have to be prosecuted and prisoners have to be given a fair trial and if there is no evidence to convict the defendants then release them immediately just the same way they would treat any U.S. citizen.

You can't address the world and world problems when you won't address your own and that will eventually be the stumbling block if justice is ignored.

[mimigrammy]

The whole world should be hoping for good to come from this speech.

[Deadgnome]

"President cites Muslim heritage ahead of Egypt speech to apparently encourage dialogue with Islamic nations"

Apparently that is a headline on FOX.com right now.

[Spiderxx1]

We all must stop listening to the extremist in every country. They don't want anything to work. President Obama is the right leader at this time. I believe that the people in the middle are tired of living the life created by the extremeist.