By all accounts, Muslims are cautiously optimistic after hearing President Obama’s speech to Muslims, which he delivered last week from Cairo. But according to Kader Abdolah of the Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant, their biggest concern is that he’ll never succeed in accomplishing his goals due to resistance from Americans and Israelis.
For de Volkskrant, Abdolah writes in part:
“Obama put himself in a vulnerable position. His speech was a relief for millions of Muslims, but I also heard other sounds: ‘He can’t do it. Those in America won’t let him. He doesn’t get it.’
“He is a unique person being, but he doesn’t know America and he’s in too deep to see it. If you sit too close to a rock, you can no longer see the mountain. Obama hasn’t seen America from a distance; so he doesn’t understand this mountain.”
“Obama will need the magic rod of Moses and divine power of Jesus to breathe life into Palestinian sovereignty. … Muslims had tears in their eyes when Obama spoke to them from Egypt, but the overriding feeling was: ‘Obama doesn’t yet know Israel.'”
By Kader Abdolah
Translated By Meta Mertens
June 8, 2009
The Netherlands – de Volkskrant – Original Article (Dutch)
Obama has kept another of his election promises; he went to Egypt to speak to the Muslim world. Thanks to him, America has a new character. His presence in the White House has given easterners a good feeling.I expected Obama’s words of reconciliation to the Muslim world, and especially Iran, to soften Iran’s powerbrokers toward America. But just the opposite occurred – their reaction was even tougher than during the Bush Administration.
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