Now that President Obama has announced that Egypt will be the site of his much-awaited speech to the Muslim world, Egyptians have begun to react.
Reflecting the odd mixture of skepticism toward America and appreciation for President Obama’s style that has gripped much of the Muslim world, this article, written by an opposition member of Egypt’s parliament, warns Muslims not to put too much stock in Obama’s ‘beautiful words.’
For Amal Al Ummah, the newspaper of the Muslim Brotherhood, lawmaker Mostapha Mohammad writes in part:
“Bush Administration practices reveal the true essence this government, which has been motivated by the pursuit of its own interests and not the principles and values it pretends to defend. … Operating on the same principles as the Bush Administration and pursing the interests of America rather than the victory of any principles or values – or love for Arab and Muslim peoples – President Obama and his administration are working to beautify America’s image in the Arabic and Muslim worlds. ”
“President Obama will visit Egypt – the heart of Arabism and the Islamic world – and direct an address to Muslims. But the real target is America, its people, its interests and its image, even if his speech is packaged with the outlines of principles and values. For Obama’s beautiful words will bring no real benefit to the people he addresses.”
By MP Mostapha Mohammad*
Translated By Nicolas Dagher
May 12, 2009
Egypt – Amal Al Ummah – Original Article (Egypt)
The administration of President George W. Bush has the distinction of managing to pit Arab and Muslim opinion against the America regime and its policies, while simultaneously, with its arrogant, stupid, selfish policies, generating the highest state of animosity and hatred between the Arab and Muslim world and people in other countries.
[Editor’s Note: The name of this publication, Amal Al Ummah, means, The Hope of the Nation, and is the official newspaper of the Muslim Brotherhood. According to Wikipedia, the Muslim Brotherhood is a “trans-national Sunni movement and the largest political opposition in many Arab states, particularly Egypt. It is the world’s oldest and largest Islamic political group, founded by Egyptian schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna in 1928.” The author of this article, Mostapha Mohammad, like all Muslim Brotherhood members in Egypt’s parliament, run as independents, since the group was declared illegal as a political party in the 1950s. During parliamentary elections in 2005, these “independents” won 88 seats (20 percent of the total) to form the largest opposition bloc.]
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