Why Did Obama Choose Cairo For His Muslim Speech?

Why Cairo?

Egypt is constantly being criticized left and right for its human rights violations. Rights violations that they keep promising to clean up but never do. Why would Obama pick Cairo knowing full well that we have been involved in similar human rights violations?



How can he overlook Egypt's torture and abuse of Muslims but constantly bring ours into the spotlight?

Gibbs called Egypt "a country that in many ways represents the heart of the Arab world" and said the speech won't be aimed at Muslim leaders so much as it will be at the populace.

It represents "a continuing effort by this president and this White House to demonstrate how we can work together to ensure the safety and security and the future well-being through hope and opportunity of the children of this country and of the Muslim world."

The State Department's most recent human rights report said that Mubarak's regime routinely abuses human and political rights, employing torture, detaining hundreds of people without charges or trial, including political opponents, restricting freedom of speech and the press, and rigging elections.

"The government's respect for human rights remained poor, and serious abuses continued in many areas," said the report for 2008.

Gibbs acknowledged that "the issues of democracy and human rights . . . are on the president's mind," and said "we'll have a chance to discuss those in more depth on the trip."

news.yahoo.com...

I doubt Obama will bring up Egypt's abuse history during his speech. Rice did it in one of her speech and it didn't fare too well.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice famously angered the Egyptian government when she gave a speech in Egypt in 2005 in which she targeted its human rights record.

Obama administration officials said Obama would not hesitate to raise "civil society and democracy issues" in talks with Mubarak, while his speech would address the "full range of issues" such as the importance of prosperity and freedom.

www.newsdaily.com...


What does his visit send to pro democracy groups in Egypt?

While US President Barack Obama's decision to send his much-awaited message to the Muslim world from Cairo is a testimony of Egypt's position as a key Arab/Muslim heavyweight, many of the country's political activists and pro-democracy groups are dispirited.

"By his plan to come here, the American President is sending freedom fighters and political activists the world over many signals that are all frustrating," Abdel Halim Qandil, an Egyptian political activist, told IslamOnline.

"It stifles all illusions about American support for democracy in this region."

www.watan.com...


I understand that the US has done some horrible things to Muslims at Abu Ghraib and Gitmo and maybe even within the wars themselves. I understand that we should own up to our mistakes and make things rights. I understand that we should improve our relationship with the Muslim world.

But what I don't understand is why the US government keeps apologizing for the way we have treated Muslims over the past few years, but have little to say about Muslim countries, like Egypt, who torture their fellow Muslims in the same way the US did or even far worse.

Maybe it is time for some of these abusing Muslim leaders to join Obama on his apology tour.

IMO, Obama could have picked a better venue to have given his Muslim speech.

reply to post by jam321


Does it matter? Everything that he says are all lies.
You might want to take a look at your country before you criticize what you think goes on in Egypt. Not the mention the millions of Muslims that are killed, tortured and raped by your own people. What they do is there business.

You're both engaged in a petty slur contest. Grow up.

He was elected on a platform of engaging with the world and with US enemies. Obama was given an overwhelming political mandate to do this in a free democratic process.

If you two guys don't like democracy, then I suggest you take out North Korean citizenship.

reply to post by jam321


Just out of curiousity, where do you think Obama should deliver his speech to the Muslims (other than Cairo)?

As I recall, he was originally to deliver it in Indonesia, where he lived--but his handlers thought it would be too far way from the Mid-East Muslims.

reply to post by Petchy29

What they do is there business.

So with your line of reasoning, what we do here is our business. So if it is our business, why the hell are we apologizing?

Originally posted by jam321
reply to post by Petchy29

 

What they do is there business.

So with your line of reasoning, what we do here is our business. So if it is our business, why the hell are we apologizing?

The hypocrisy never ends. But Egypt won't air it's dirty laundry to the world, probably because it's leaders like the country and don't want to weaken it. Unlike the U.S.

reply to post by sonjah1


If he was calling people out for mistreating Muslim and putting it into comparison with what we did, I would say Cairo or Saudi Arabia.

But since he isn't, I think he should have picked Turkey.

As I recall, he was originally to deliver it in Indonesia, where he lived--but his handlers thought it would be too far way from the Mid-East Muslims.

Which goes to show that it isn't about all Muslims, just Arab Muslims.

reply to post by jam321


Turks and Arabs have had issues in the past. Plus Obama has already spoken in Turkey, to the best of my recollection.

He can't speak in Al Arabia Saudia, because they are a kingdom.

Really, if you think about it, the only so called "democracy" in the Muslim/Arab World is Egypt...

The problem is it is a *puppet/fake* democracy, and if more Americans had to live over in that area for a little while, they might see that we don't have it even close to anything that hideous here *yet*.

What do you think Obama's goal is via this speech?

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reply to post by sonjah1

What do you think Obama's goal is via this speech?

I believe his goal is to convince the Muslims that we are not at war with them, but rather the terrorists that are trying to give Islam a bad name. He will also state that the US knows it did wrong and will do everything in his power to treat Muslims with respect.

He will tie it in to the Palestinian-Israeli two state solution. This is his ultimate goal. He wants to be the first one to bring peace to this area.

reply to [url=http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread468503/pg1#pid6425530]post by jam321[/burl]

I believe his goal is to convince the Muslims that we are not at war with them, but rather the terrorists that are trying to give Islam a bad name. He will also state that the US knows it did wrong and will do everything in his power to treat Muslims with respect.

He will tie it in to the Palestinian-Israeli two state solution. This is his ultimate goal. He wants to be the first one to bring peace to this area.

This is a good thing, yes?

Secondly, Arab fundamentalism started in Egypt, in my opinion.

The apparent ring leader of Alqaeda started out in Egypt, express his anti-west views. He was tortured in Egypt and eventually fled to Sudan where he met Osama.

What Arab nations would really welcome a US president to deliver a speech to Muslims?

Saudi? where the royals would much rather do without the anger and uprising it would cause, being there's already much violence there?
Iraq?, need I say any more
Iran?
Kuwait? a nations so raped and pillaged by the US through this war?

Egypt’s really a pinnacle of Arab life. Good on him I say,

8 years of Cheney's stubborn stone walling and off the bat action has brought us to the brink of a dangerous world, I think everyone needs someone who wants to talk and reason first, and act later.

If we offer terms which cannot be refused, and yet are still met with a means of anger and violence I think it will show the world who the bad guys are.

Which is what I think the US government is doing.

[edit on 1-6-2009 by Agit8dChop]

reply to post by Agit8dChop

This is a good thing, yes?

What I stated would be a good thing. I have no problem with him reaching out to make peace with Muslims. My problem is how the world demonize us for what happened under Bush's watch but tolerate or keep quiet about the way Muslims are tortured in their own country. If this is truly about treating Muslims with respect then Obama should make it clear that all nations, not just the US, should live by the same terms.

What Arab nations would really welcome a US president to deliver a speech to Muslims?

IMO, many would and from articles I read many tried. Obama is given the benefit of the doubt because of his background. I also feel that what Muslim country wouldn't want him knowing he is going to say good things about Muslims.

8 years of Cheney's stubborn stone walling and off the bat action has brought us to the brink of a dangerous world, I think everyone needs someone who wants to talk and reason first, and act later.

I guess the act later will ultimately determine how successful or unsuccessful his plan is.

You bring up some good points.


Found this article and it brings up some interesting points. Not that I agree with everything it says.

Obama, the White House press office told reporters last week, will address among other issues the Arab-Israeli issue. What does it imply to raise this issue in a speech to the "Muslim world"? Nearly 700 million of the world's 1.4 billion Muslims live in Indonesia, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, countries which share no linguistic or cultural affinities with the Arabs, and have only religion in common.

www.atimes.com...