Is Obama Winning the Hearts and Minds of the Arab and Muslim World?

[Casino67]

JWR:

"It's conceivable," said then-presidential candidate Barack Obama in 2008, "that there are those in the Arab world who say to themselves, 'This is a guy who spent some time in the Muslim world, has a middle name of Hussein, and appears more worldly and has called for talks with people, and so he's not going to be engaging in the same sort of cowboy diplomacy as George Bush.'"

A 2008 Zogby International poll surveyed those in the "friendly" Arab countries of Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Eighty-three percent viewed the United States "somewhat" or "very" unfavorably.

Enter President Barack Hussein Obama, a man with a keen and learned understanding of the Arab world — a man who promised to restore our image through outreach based on mutual respect and understanding. Bush, Obama believed, governed with a swagger and aggressiveness that alienated friends and hardened the hearts of enemies. To forge a "new beginning" and find "common ground," Obama apologized for America's "mistakes."

Candidate Obama said Bush offended would-be allies in the "good war," Afghanistan, by diverting resources to the "stupid" war, Iraq. After winding down the war in Iraq, Obama expected that allies committed to Afghanistan would stay and that new ones would join. He would close down the American gulag, Guantanamo, and reverse the offensive, civil rights-subverting policies of the Bush administration. He would fight not a "war on terror," but an "overseas contingency operation."

Ronald Reagan became president at 69 years of age, having lived long enough to shed naive notions of hope and change. Reagan called the Soviet Union an "evil empire" — and acted accordingly. He increased military spending, launched the Strategic Defense Initiative and, along with like-minded leaders British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Pope John Paul II, helped consign the totalitarian regime to, as Reagan put it, the "ash heap of history."

Jimmy Carter urged Americans to ditch our "inordinate fear of communism." President Carter kissed Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev on the cheek to show his desire, as the Obama administration would put it, to "reset" the relationship. Brezhnev returned the kindness by invading Afghanistan, igniting a chain of events that led to 9/11.

Obama's first presidential meeting with a foreign leader was not with that of Great Britain — our closest ally, whose prime minister stood down opposition within his own party to join the effort in Iraq. Obama met with Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Fatah party, to stress the importance of restarting the Israeli-Palestinian "peace process" — which Obama considered essential to moderate Arab and Muslim views.

Obama chastised Israel for building "settlements" in east Jerusalem — even though, pre-Obama, the Palestinian leadership had already accepted construction in that area as part of any future deal. Obama gave his first presidential sit-down interview to Al-Arabiya television network, where he asked "countries like Iran ... to unclench their fist." He hoped to deter Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb, something candidate Obama called a "game changer" and "unacceptable."

But those daily morning threat assessment briefings can change a president.

The Obama administration, to prevent public exposure of intelligence-gathering sources and methods, used the same "state secrets" defense in court as did the Bush administration. Obama continues the policy of rendition, the much-maligned practice of transferring a terrorist-prisoner from one foreign country to another country that utilizes far harsher interrogation techniques. Guantanamo remains open because the prison contains some vicious terrorists that no country wants. The terror surveillance phone-monitoring program remains, as does the Patriot Act. Obama stepped up the use of drone attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Even Obama's declaration to halt waterboarding contains wiggle room.

To the shock of Bush-haters, the Obama Justice Department — while disagreeing with the conclusions of the Bush lawyers who drafted the so-called "torture memo," which provided a legal basis for waterboarding — cleared the lawyers of wrongdoing.

Obama negotiated "tough" sanctions against Iran, although Russia, China, India and Turkey continue to trade with that country or have announced plans to do so. Iran remains committed to its nuclear program, continues to threaten Israel, and claims to have dug mass graves in which to deposit bodies of American soldiers should the U.S. use military force to stop its nuclear program.

Despite Obama's request, NATO allies refuse to commit more combat troops to Afghanistan and some countries announced an end to their involvement. Iraq appears to be winding down along the terms negotiated by the Bush administration, but allies are no more eager to help out in Afghanistan.

Now 20 months into the Obama presidency, the question is: How does the Arab and Muslim world now view America? What percentage in the same six Arab nations — compared with Bush's last year in office — now views the United States "very unfavorably" or "somewhat unfavorably"?

The answer: 85 percent — 2 points higher than Bush.

[NCTexan]

The answer: 85 percent — 2 points higher than Bush.

It's obvious that they don't get the US MSM news over there. They really don't understand how good BHO really is.... like we do.

[NCTexan]

Just noticed this 'flashback goody' linked on Drudge.

 

Mr. Obama recalled the opening lines of the Arabic call to prayer, reciting them with a first-rate accent. In a remark that seemed delightfully uncalculated (it’ll give Alabama voters heart attacks), Mr. Obama described the call to prayer as “one of the prettiest sounds on Earth at sunset.”

 

NYTimes

 

I might add to Nicholas Kristof's observation... "It didn't play so well here in the rest of fly-over country either."

[Casino67]

From Christiane Amanpour:

 

ABC’s Amanpour Takes Dig at Bush: Relations with Muslim World ‘Devastatingly Damaged Over the Previous Eight Years’

By Brad Wilmouth

 

Mon, 08/16/2010 - 12:23 ET

 

It’s one thing to acknowledge that the Muslim world has had a negative reaction to America's war effort in Afghanistan and Iraq, but, when one starts referring to "the previous eight years" before the Obama administration, it starts to sound like partisan Democratic talking points. As ABC’s Christiane Amanpour appeared on Sunday’s Good Morning America to discuss President Obama’s predicament regarding his speech on the proposed mosque near Ground Zero, Amanpour at one point recounted that relations with the Muslim world had suffered during the "previous eight years" before Obama became President.

 

After host John Berman queried as to "how is this playing in the Muslim world," Amanpour at one point asserted: "But clearly President Obama from the very beginning went out of his way to try to repair relations with the Islamic world which had been so devastatingly damaged over the previous eight years."

 

The war in Afghanistan was only seven years old when Obama took office, so her "previous eight years" crack could only be interpreted as a direct reference to the Bush presidency rather than just the war.

 

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I also heard this woman say, yesterday on This Week, that the businesses who are sitting on tons of cash, because they don't know for sure where Urkel is taking them, 'have an obligation to spend the money to help with jobs'.

 

Starts at about 6:50

 

 

Wish Jake Tapper was back instead of this dingbat.

[pollyannaish]

That is so typically liberal Casino67

 

It may be your business...but you are obligated to affirm our view of the world and if you don't you are being selfish, bigoted and evil.

 

Rather than, say, cautious, thoughtful and wise.

[SrWoodchuck]

Islam, as practiced in the Arab & Muslim world, carries with it sharia law. Therefore it is not just a religion, but a societal system of economic's & government, too. The tenets of sharia law are not compatible with our Republic & it's system of constitutional laws.

 

If the Early Mayan/Incan system of religion were present today; we'd be unable to accept human blood sacrifice, no matter how "noble" or religious the concept is to the true believer.

 

Now we have a religion that brutally exterminated all Jews & Christians living in what is now Saudi Arabia [before the King of which, our President bowed in dhimmitude] between 635 & 1240AD, and which has not had since, nor will ever have; Christian churches & Jewish synagogues.

 

John Quincy Adams [Essays 1827 to 1829]:

 

".....in the 7th century of the Christian era, a wandering Arab of the lineage of Hagar [i.e.,Muhammad], the Egyptian, combining powers of transcendant genius with the preternatural energy of a fanatic, and the fraudulent spirit of an imposter, proclaimed himself as messenger from Heaven, and spread desolation & delusion over an extensive portion of the earth....THE ESSENCE OF HIS DOCTRINE WAS VIOLENCE & LUST: TO EXALT THE BRUTAL OVER THE SPIRITUAL PART OF HUMAN NATURE...." [Adam's Capital Letters]

 

In comparison to Christianity, Adam's wrote:

 

"....between these two religions, thus contrasted in their characters, a war of twelve hundred years has already raged. The war is yet flagrant....while the merciless & dissolute dogma's of the false prophet shall furnish motives to human action, there can never be peace on earth, and good will towards men..."

 

Why the closeness of the mosque to Ground Zero? Why the expected date of completion? [the tenth anniversay of 9/11] Why the name "Cordoba" house?

 

It is the name of the Spanish city that represented the high point of the Umayyad Caliphate of Islam's advance in Europe [after all of Iberia was under Islam]. The Christian cathedral was knocked down to it's foundation & Christians were compelled, on pain of death, to construct a mosque on top of the ruins. No dhimmi could live, sit, ride or even walk higher than any muslim. People that dared to raise their heads, when Muslims passed by; lost them on the spot.

 

Read more here: Martyrs of Cordoba

 

Our President, whether pursuing his own agenda, or advancing his Muslim heritage, is Dhimmi-in-Chief of the United States. He exalts the brutal [9/11] over the spiritual [our countries sensitivity to the largest loss of civilian life, on American soil-during time of war.]

 

Muslims are welcome, with the understanding that their religion is not above the Constitution of the United States; and that sharia law is not, nor will ever be accepted as a substitute. To that end I don't care whose hearts and minds Obama panders to; "creeping sharia" will not be permitted.

[Chickadee]

Islam, as practiced in the Arab & Muslim world, carries with it Sharia law.

 

Therefore it is not just a religion, but a societal system of economics & government, too. The tenets of Sharia law are not compatible with our Republic & its system of constitutional laws.

Excellent, SrWoodchuck! Enjoyed that.