Reaching for Hearts and Minds (AUSTRALIA)

Barack Obama has made a bold, characteristically eloquent attempt to appeal over the heads of the gatekeepers of official opinion in the Muslim world to the great mass of moderate Muslims.

Obama called for a new partnership between the US and Muslims. He firmly restated his determination to combat extremism and violence. He admitted some mistakes in US policy. He committed himself to working for a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. He supported human rights and specifically women's rights in Muslim countries. He skilfully drew on his life experiences to convey an appreciation of the richness of Islamic culture and history.

He also defined and defended what America is. To an audience of Muslims all across the world, many of whom sadly still believe the weirdest conspiracy theories about 9/11, Obama spoke in plain language: al-Qa'ida murdered 3000 civilians on 9/11. He defended US actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most importantly, he spoke of the US's "unbreakable" bonds to Israel. People tend to overlook this, but Obama has been just as forthright as George W. Bush in his public commitments to Israel.

FULL ARTICLE