Muslim World Has High Hopes For Obama

Eager For A New U.S. Approach, Middle Eastern Leaders Take Wait-And-See Attitude

(CBS/ AP)  Iran reacted coolly Wednesday to the inauguration of Barack Obama, while some Arab leaders immediately called on the new American president to dive into Mideast peace efforts.

On the streets of the Muslim world, from Arab capitals to Palestinian refugee camps, some greeted Mr. Obama's first hours as president with pessimism, others with hope. Newspaper editorials and political commentators laid out the challenges facing the new U.S. administration, from the wreckage in Gaza to how to end the war in Iraq and confront a strengthening Taliban in Afghanistan.

A Jordanian doctor of Palestinian origin said the moment was right for the Middle East, as well, to take steps to build better ties with the United States.

"Arabs, both ordinary people and their leaders, should stop their defiance and insults of the U.S. administration and the American people," said Jihad Barghouti.

In Iran, the government was waiting to see what practical steps Mr. Obama would take toward a country that the Bush administration shunned. In recent years, the two nations have been deeply at odds over Iran's nuclear program and what the U.S. says is its support for Shiite militiamen in neighboring Iraq - a charge Iran denies. Mr. Obama has spoken of a need to engage the country.

Iran's foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, urged the new president to change American policies in the Middle East. For now, though, Iran would wait to see what "practical policies" Mr. Obama will adopt before making any judgment about his stance toward Iran, Mottaki said, according to the official IRNA news agency.

He said Mr. Obama needed to take action to correct a bad image of America in the world and to employ new advisers who would tell the "truth" about the Middle East.

"A new Middle East is in the making," IRNA quoted Mottaki as saying. "The new generation in this region seeks justice and rejects domination. A change in Mideast policy is one of the areas ... if the new U.S. government claims to follow a policy of change."

CBS News' Leily Lankarani in Tehran asked a close aide to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Tuesday whether the Iranian leader was going to watch Obama's inauguration ceremony. "The tragedy of Gaza is so deep that it has overshadowed this inauguration for us in Iran," replied the aide.

"Perhaps nowhere in the world does Barack Obama's slogan, 'change you can believe in,' meet with more cynicism than here in the shattered streets and neighborhoods of Gaza," wrote CBS News correspondent Allen Pizzey in the World Watch blog.

The U.S. is widely seen as the only outside player that counts in Gaza, but few people believe America cares. Certainly the victims of Israel's three-week bombardment are having a hard time believing it, said Pizzey.

And few Palestinians believe any significant change in America's approach to their situation is likely under a new U.S. president, reported CBS News correspondent Robert Berger.

In Egypt, President Hosni Mubarak pressed Mr. Obama in a congratulatory cable to make the Middle East - in particular the Palestinians - a priority.

"I would like to stress that the region has high hopes that your administration will deal with the Palestinian issue from its first day as an immediate priority and a key for solving other issues in the Middle East, which faces shaking crises," Mubarak wrote.

Mr. Obama used a few words in his inaugural address Tuesday to reach out to the Muslim world, saying the U.S. was seeking "a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect."

"To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist," Mr. Obama said.

In Pakistan, where there has been anger at U.S. military strikes on militant strongholds along the border with Afghanistan, one hard-line Islamist welcomed Mr. Obama's words of outreach.

"We can also anticipate good hope provided Obama really takes a new course of action toward injustices the Muslim world is facing at this moment," said Qazi Hussain Ahmed, leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami, a major hard-line Islamist party.

Responding to Mr. Obama's message, Ahmed said the new president would have to reverse the "biased policies of Bush if he is really interested in seeking a new way forward with Muslim world." A new way forward, he said, can be based only on equality and justice.

[truthin2009]

Marx said it best: :Religion is the opiate of the masses."
Posted by NObsEver

What Marx probably didn''t realize is He''s RIGHT! Because the answer has never been "religion", the answer is Jesus Christ!

But it''s no shocker that you''re a marxist.

[truthin2009]

You can point out countless things from the Bible too, acceptance of slavery for example, but that doesn''''t mean current day Christians believe that slavery is acceptable!
posted by nolalou

That''s because slavery is not a command to Christians, it was a thing practiced by the Old TESTAMENT ISRAELITES at the time.

The Quran however SPECIFICALLY INSTRUCTS the slaughter of all Christians and Jews, as does their Hadith, and Muhammed, their "prophet" Himself had thousands of Jews and Christians slaughtered himself, under his orders.

You can ignore history all you want, but ask yourself this question:

How many people did Jesus Christ kill when He was on earth?

Then ask yourself how many Muhammed killed or had killed.

IF you think objectively about this, you should be able to see the light. BUt you have to let go of your stubborn pride.

[truthin2009]

There ain''''t no jebus in the sky looking down on 7.75 billion people, and there ain''''t no jebus looking down telling you what to do. You''''d be better off thinking for yourself.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by NObsEver at 01:47 PM : Jan 22, 2009

Translation of what you just said: "I''m scared to death that I''m wrong about Jesus Christ, so I have to pawn off my fears by cowardly attacking the faith of millions of Christians worldwide because I am a little scaredy cat and I don''t want to be wrong"

[truthin2009]

Jesus lived and died,
posted by NObsEver

And He resurrected and Lives.

[nobsever]

-So the conclusion that people who actually think logically and objectively ......

Posted by Truthin2009 at 07:53 AM : Jan 22, 2009
_________________------

"People who think logically and objectively" don''t believe in some ghost in the sky looking down on them. Jesus lived and died, so did Mohammed. Neither is in the sky looking down on each and every living person. Marx said it best: :Religion is the opiate of the masses."

[nobsever]

The so-called "Holy Talmud" of the Jews says:

Baba Kamma 113a. Jews may use lies ("subterfuges") to circumvent a Gentile.

[nobsever]

Jesus is the answer. NOT "religion"

Posted by Truthin2009 at 08:25 AM : Jan 22, 2009
_________________---

There ain''t no jebus in the sky looking down on 7.75 billion people, and there ain''t no jebus looking down telling you what to do. You''d be better off thinking for yourself.

[nolalou]

Rephrase:

"Explain how pointing out things that are in the Quran is saying "awful" things.

The cold-hard facts are out there. You just don''''t want them exposed, apparently.

Posted by Truthin2009

You can point out countless things from the Bible too, acceptance of slavery for example, but that doesn''t mean current day Christians believe that slavery is acceptable!You can point out all you want in the Quran, it doesn''t mean a majority of Muslims agree with it!

[truthin2009]

Rephrase:

"Explain how pointing out things that are in the Quran is saying "awful" things.

The cold-hard facts are out there. You just don''t want them exposed, apparently.

[truthin2009]

religion ruins everything.

Listen to the awful things you are saying here.
Posted by surreal64

Explain how bringing up facts from the Quran is pointing out awful things.

Also, I agree, religion does indeed ruin everything, which is exactly why the answer has never been "RELIGION", but rather Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the answer. NOT "religion"

[surreal64]

religion ruins everything.

Listen to the awful things you are saying here.

[truthin2009]

Check out www.thereligionofpeace.com

There''s a picture right on the front page of a Muslim child on her parent''s shoulder holding a sign that says "Vote Obama".

Also check out www.muslimsforobama.com

Wake up world.

[truthin2009]

No TRUE Muslim would ever support Obama, who SAYS (and I stress that word) that he is a "Christian".

No TRUE Muslim who is actually abiding by their "HOLY" book, the QURAN, could embrace Obama, based on what he "SAYS"(Again stressed) about being a Christian, and this is why:

The Qur''an:
Sura (5:51) - "O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people."


-So the conclusion that people who actually think logically and objectively on subjects instead of being blinded by Obama''s pretty speeches, know that there is something being hidden here and that there is more than meets the eye.

[truthin2009]

Act
ually I''''m part of a kike supremest group. We hate the world.
Posted by NObsEver

Yes we know you Muslims hate every day of your life. It''s because of your Quranic and Hadith teachings.

Do you think we can''t research your religious indoctrination or something?

Good thing some former terrorist Muslims finally woke up and came to know the Truth about the lies and hatred they were taught via your religion of Islam.

Walid Shoebat, a former Muslim terrorist, did, and now he exposes you and the rest of you liars and evil haters:

www.shoebat.com

[truthin2009]

Even the Muslim "holy" book clearly states that the land belongs to ISRAEL:

THE QUR''AN SAYS:
"To Moses We [Allah] gave nine clear signs. Ask the Israelites how he [Moses] first appeared amongst them. Pharoah said to him: ''Moses, I can see that you are bewitched.'' ''You know full well,'' he [Moses] replied, ''that none but the Lord of the heavens and the earth has revealed these visible signs. Pharoah, you are doomed.''"
"Pharoah sought to scare them [the Israelites] out of the land [of Israel]: but We [Allah] drowned him [Pharoah] together with all who were with him. Then We [Allah] said to the Israelites: ''Dwell in this land [the Land of Israel]. When the promise of the hereafter [End of Days] comes to be fulfilled, We [Allah] shall assemble you [the Israelites] all together [in the Land of Israel]."

[truthin2009]

"Muslim World Has High Hopes For Obama"

-LOL! Gee, there''s a shocker.

[nobsever]

For someone to hate people as you do, you have be part of a supremacist group or an Islamist crazy group. Normal people don''t carry that kind of disgusting hate around in their heads for people who have done nothing to them.

Posted by jowand at 04:12 PM : Jan 21, 2009
___________________________

Actually I''m part of a kike supremest group. We hate the world.

[actornaught]

Well GWB was pretty much the Red Headed Step Child of World Leaders.
Posted by MatrixRX2003 at 04:50 PM : Jan 21, 2009

You''re being pretty tough on red headed step-kids.

Does somebody have a list of countries that w and his buddies can''t travel to, unless they want arrested?

[nobsever]

for people who have done nothing to them.

Posted by jowand at 04:12 PM : Jan 21, 2009
_____________________

You have no idea what the kikes might have done to me, do you, idiot.

[displeased]

They deny that the Koran (Qua''''ran) acknowledges Israel. They say that Muhammad was high on drugs when he wrote that. But everything else is true...
Posted by ToolMangler

*** that opium...always twisting reality. Of course, we are talking about religion so I guess it doesn''t really matter.