Obama: a big disappointment for Muslims and Africa
During his very much celebrated visit to Cairo in 2009 we believed him, when he said: This cycle of suspicion and discord must end........I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect; and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles – principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings........the Palestinian people – Muslims and Christians – have suffered in pursuit of a homeland. For more than sixty years they have endured the pain of dislocation. Many wait in refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza, and neighboring lands for a life of peace and security that they have never been able to lead. They endure the daily humiliations – large and small – that come with occupation. So let there be no doubt: the situation for the Palestinian people is intolerable. America will not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of their own. And when he promised the Palestinians a state within one year - we confidently believed in him.
And yet - so far, how very disappointing and what a big let down Mr. Barack Obama has been for Muslims. According to a recent Pew Research survey: respondents in predominantly Muslim countries continue to have a low opinion of Obama, and the American leader’s ratings have slipped significantly since 2009 in the five Muslim nations where trends are available, including a 13 percentage point drop in Egypt. Today - the Palestinians have never been furthest from having independence and their own statehood as they are now. With impunity, Israel continues - more than ever - to gobble up more land, expand settlements and build up more walls. From Afghanistan to Yemen - with orders from Obama, American drones continue to be used against the wishes of most people around the world: the Obama administration’s increasing use of unmanned drone strikes to kill terror suspects is widely opposed around the world, according to a Pew Research Center survey on the U.S. image abroad.
Not only do Muslims and all religious people feel that homosexuality is repugnant and unacceptable; Africans are overwhelmingly against it. Africans, have never felt so elated and elevated by the election of a foreign leader as when Mr. Obama was elected and sworn in as the first African-American president. But, that joy has suddenly turned to disappointment - not because the African-American president hasn't helped or assisted Africa economically more than his predecessors; in Kenya - not because he hasn't visited his fatherland since becoming president, so far; but, that disappointment is mainly due to Obama's recent, open support for homosexual marriages. When America's Secretary of State declares: “gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights." Africans wonder: as in Africa polygamy is very much a part of its many cultures - if America is so keen and sincere about human rights, how come "polygamy rights are human rights, and human rights are polygamy rights," not being fervently preached and pushed, too?
