Bush's Excellent Speech in Cairo -- What Might Have Been

Obama's speech reminds us that 9/11 needn't have led to a conflict between the West and Islam. It's a reminder of the road not taken.

Remember, after the attacks, the whole world -- including the Muslim world was on our side. America was innocent. Much of the Islamic world didn't much like Al Qaeda, whose agenda had as much to do with fighting the Saudi Arabian hierarchy as it did fighting America.

George Bush got off to an excellent start. He made a forceful case that Islam was not the enemy, but a peaceful religion that had been hijacked by extremists.

"The Islam that we know is a faith devoted to the worship of one God, as revealed through The Holy Qur'an. It teaches the value and the importance of charity, mercy, and peace." (November 15, 2001)

"[I know] that the Muslim faith is based upon peace and love and compassion." (September 28, 2001)

"The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That's not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don't represent peace. They represent evil and war." (September 17, 2001 )

He gathered together a global coalition to topple the Taliban, made more effective because it included Muslim nations.

In fact, today's speech by Barack Obama is one that George W. Bush would have felt ideologically comfortable giving in 2002.

So how did we get to the point of America being hated or distrusted by the Muslim world?

First, there were a few innocent, but damaging, slip-ups, like Bush referring -- just once -- to the efforts as a "crusade."

More significantly, while he maintained a generous attitude toward Islam, the base of his party, religious conservatives, did not -- and Bush went along. A major Protestant leader referred to Muhammad as a "demon-possessed pedophile," another called Islam a "vile, wicked religion." Bush's spokesmen would occasionally aver that the president disagreed with such sentiments but their was no indignation and before long anti-Islamic rhetoric became absolutely commonplace in evangelical circles.

When General Gerry Boykin made his famous comments that his God was "a real God" and that of Islam "was an idol." Boykin was not fired and, indeed, was involved in torture policy. It turns out, during this time, the military intelligence briefings were arriving on Bush's desk adorned with Bible quotes. Muslims who believed this was a Holy War against them, it turns out, had at least some evidence for that notion.

All of that paled in comparison to the prolonged Iraq war and the photos from Abu Ghraib -- including evidence that torturers specifically used mockery of Islam as a torture technique.

But just as important is what didn't happen. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were not combined with a major effort to win the hearts and minds of young Muslims through efforts like the Peace Corps or international aid -- or efforts to help establish schools in Pakistan not dedicated to teaching fundamentalism.

Bush, who supported domestic service programs and faith-based service, could easily have proposed every single one of the ideas that Obama proposed today:

"Around the world, we can turn dialogue into Interfaith service, so bridges between peoples lead to action - whether it is combating malaria in Africa, or providing relief after a natural disaster....

On education, we will expand exchange programs, and increase scholarships, like the one that brought my father to America, while encouraging more Americans to study in Muslim communities....

And we will match promising Muslim students with internships in America; invest in on-line learning for teachers and children around the world; and create a new online network, so a teenager in Kansas can communicate instantly with a teenager in Cairo.

We will create a new corps of business volunteers to partner with counterparts in Muslim-majority countries...

The United States will partner with any Muslim-majority country to support expanded literacy for girls, and to help young women pursue employment through micro-financing that helps people live their dreams...."

America's real mistakes were exaggerated or exploited by America's enemies in the Arab world to cast us as hostile to Islam and Muslims. Without any American counter-examples -- young men and women helping to build Muslim societies -- the vile anti-Americanism could take root easily.

Most anti-terrorism experts believe this anti-Americanism helps Al Qaeda recruit. Instead of 9/11 becoming a moment for America and the Islamic world to coalesce around a mutual goal, it became a clash of civilizations. Instead of having a relatively small enemy, we found ourselves with a big one.

Comments

[skippypicasso]

Wow, and I thought the Bible was a fantasy story.

[demigod]

Amazing that this article - ticking off events that alienated Muslims during the Bush Administration - failed to name the biggest one - Bush's complete capitualtion to Israel. He let the "peace process" rot for 8 years.

[Chris]

Steven this statement is accurate for people who beleive that these is only one god.

When General Gerry Boykin made his famous comments that his God was "a real God" and that of Islam "was an idol." Boykin was not fired.

Muslims do not recognize a christian god. Jews do not refer to Christ as a diety.
So why would a what ever religion Boykin's is (i assume christian) recognize the muslim God? To belive in multiple Gods would be agaisnt their beliefs

[CellarDoor]

Because, in this instance, he's not representing the religion itself but he is representing the American military. Even if not formally, there is no escaping the view that this man represents the American military and for a leader of our armed forces to dismiss the religious views of the highly religious opposition in public, isn't just practicing freedom of religion but implying through word or silence that this is a religious war. Even if you wouldn't think that, you are not relevant to the perspective of the peoples of the middle east. And perspective, as it is so often said, is reality.

Privately, and in his own head...he can be and think as he wishes. But when you are a member of military leadership, you're doing infinitely more than simply bringing your religion along with you. You're also bringing the perception of both the men and women under your charge as well as the nation for which you fight.

[proudcalib]

I particularly resented the Bush administration's characterization of anyone who disagreed with them on anti-terrorism policies as having a "pre 9-11 mindset." The implication that this one isolated horrific incident trumps our history and constitution is deeply offensive.

[potjustice]

The right got just what it wanted.

WW3

Now they're prayin for Armageddon.

[Cautious]

I think what is equally important is that BHO has publicly acknowledged that colonialism and use of those countries as proxies during the Cold War is in large part what led to the current situation.

It appears that BushCo did not want to go through the sturm and drang of reducing our dependence on foreign oil and the economic retooling that is now happening anyway. They saw an opportunity to have a "colony" that supplied us with oil for a long time, and they tried to take it. And America sacrificed blood and treasure and an immense amount of global political capital for that.

Obama showed that he recognizes "why they hate us", that is, because of the colonialism and the use of the Middle East as proxies in the Cold War. AQ is now saying that they have a "Wise Enemy". If BHO keeps acknowledging legitimate grievances, like the abomination that is Zionist fundamentalism, AQ might have to start looking around for another enemy. Early feedback on the speech has it that since BHO is physically the same color as a lot of Egyptians, and he is recognizing legitimate grievances, he may start to be accepted as a homeboy on the more moderate Arab street and drain a lot of energy out of the Islamic extremist movement. "Enemy? Me? You've got the wrong guy. I recognize legitimate grievances."

[jsgaetano]

This is more like a reminder that we had a part-time president for eight years who surrounded himself with "fiscal conservative" criminals.

Less a reminder of "what might have been", and more a reminder of the consequences of putting conservatives into positions of power.

Obama is going to spend eight years cleaning up after 30+ years of conservatives looting America and plundering foreign countries using our reputation and armies.

[jamesdaddio]

As suggested the goal is for all people to enjoy the right of freedom of religion and speech without being subjected to criticism from the other and to coexist with out prejudice toward another’s ideas this can be accomplished, drop your ego at the entrance of an attitude or political career and begin to enjoy true coexists. If this sounds hokey or unrealistic then you are prejudices. It takes an effort of intellect to accept differences, most in the know play the game but have a laugh at the end eg. Televisions broadcasts of opposition.
The issue is when the blank headed individuals march a crusade in one direction; that kind of direction is driven by fear and the worst part is that they aren't even truly threatened they just believe they are. John Lennon like Barak Obama expressed the audacity of hope yet still people are offended or sacred.
Let’s move forward your time is limited to enjoy the advances of mankind and this beautiful world.

[Joethepauper]

Bush was apparently planning to invade Iraq in 1999!

"He was thinking about invading Iraq in 1999," said author and Houston Chronicle journalist Mickey Herskowitz. "It was on his mind. He said, 'One of the keys to being seen as a great leader is to be seen as a commander-­in-chief.' And he said, 'My father had all this political capital built up when he drove the Iraqis out of Kuwait and he wasted it.' He went on, 'If I have a chance to invade…, if I had that much capital, I'm not going to waste it. I'm going to get everything passed that I want to get passed and I'm going to have a successful presidency.'"

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2005/06/20/why_george_went_to_war.php

I know this is old news, but I pay attention and either forgot about it or never heard about it. Could this be the reason for 9-11? Thermite, towers falling straight down, WTC-7, etc. That's a good reason to start a war you intended to start anyway.

[dogwatch]

A president needs a broad intellectual capacity. The errors in the office that can occur without it and the excellence that that can follow when it exists in the chief executive are manifest in our recent past officeholder and in our present one.

[justsaynosarahp]

hear, hear

[earlyautumn]

What is brought out by the entire stupid "holy war", or as Bush called it "crusade", is ignorance.

1) The Christian Fundamentalists (including most of the GOP) who are of the opinion that there is no room in the world for anything but Christianity. Barack Obama is not completely free of this, although Bush was destroyed by it.

2) The muslim fundamentalists who are so radical that they do not want half of their population to get an education (women), depriving themselves of the talent, skill, and wisdom of half their population.

Both sides need to infuse their governments with a great number of atheists, who can tackle the problems of today, without being sidetracks with their stupid beliefs about "the hereafter".

[Joethepauper]

Exactly! I don't know why we choose people who believe in fictitious fairytales to solve real problems. If they believe that nonsense, how can they be trusted with facts, evidence, and reality? There is also the possibility of conflicts of interest. If a person believes the "end times" are near, they aren't going to vote for regulations that would keep global warming in check because they think it's too late already and don't trust science anyway. The same goes with just about everything. If they generally don't like science, they are likely to vote wrong every time. Religion is a disease for weak-minded followers of fiction.

[Chris]

Why the need to insult people who appear to think differently than you?

[ImaVeteran]

Great post. Makes one think.

[gotompo]

OK The anti Americanism that has flourished in the Muslim world has been fomented by the "ineptitude of the Bush administrations ability to control the message coming from his own party". What about the hundreds of thousands of civilians caught in the crossfire. I have a feeling that villages getting bombed and weddings getting rocketed and the corpses of their children and the missing arms and the pain and suffering and disease that comes with the aftermath of a military campaign that destroys the infrastructure that supports a society has as much to do with the anger and hatred that fuels the recruitment of soldiers into the extremists halls. The words of a handful of lunatics here in the states isn't going to make headlines in the muslim world but a a predator strike that kills a dozen children will.

[Majid Sabour]

Add to that. Washington used its veto 32 times to shield Israel from critical draft resolutions to shield Israel from international criticism, censure and sanctions between 1972 and 1997. This constituted nearly half of the total of 69 U.S. vetoes cast since the founding of the U.N.

[zanzig]

No doubt. But the words of the handful of lunatics in Washington led directly and inexorably to the predator strikes. Cause and effect.

[3fingerbrown]

Bush could've said the same things Obama did, but I wonder if they'd have had any traction in the Muslim world, even in the brief post-9/11 era of good feelings.

A black man with a Muslim father, Obama has street cred in the region Bush could never hope to attain. Also, Obama is a youth-oriented leader in a way Bush never was, and yesterday's speech was clearly aimed at the next generation of Islam's leaders--not by accident was the speech given at a major university. Young people around the world want to believe in Obama. Yesterday we saw him cashing in on some of that political capital. That's the revolutionary aspect of the speech: In the Bush worldview, it's our old men talking to their old men; Obama yesterday ignored the old men and spoke to educated young people in the East and the West, whose hearts and minds can still be won.

Sometimes who you are and where you're from is as important as what you say.

[ApolloSpeaks]

OBAMA'S NO WIN SITUATION

Isreali Jews with practically one voice have said "NO" to Obama on freezing settlement activity on the West Bank as a first step in a renewed peace process with Palestinians. And unless Obama forces Israel to make this concession he will look weak and impotent to the Moslem world and lose the good will and credibility that he gathered from yesterday's speech as Islam's new American friend-thus further damaging US-Moslem relations. It looks to me that Obama has foolishly raised unrealistic expectations in the Moslem world while placing himself in a no win situation as Israel under Netanyahu will not change its policies on settlements. In short, yesterday's speech will likely go down in history as a well-meaning but shortsighted attempt by an inept US leader to achieve great and difficult things by words alone.

[tck29]

Unconditional support for Israel is the root of America's international problems. Why is Israel never challenged?

[melodramy]

I winced during Obama's speech when he felt the need to assert our undying devotion to Israel. Israel should be judged on their policy and actions in the world as we would any other country. This again is an example of what slavery to religious ideas - the believed necessity of Christian loyalty to Judaism to stay on the side of "god's chosen people" - does. I can't speak for Obama's personal belief about that I'm sure that his is more pragmatic but I do know American Christians are raving fanatic in their support for Israel for this fairytale reason and this reason alone.