By Gotham and Mallika Chopra
For centuries Cairo University in Egypt has been the home to progressive thinkers, provocative activists, and dynamic policy-makers that have had a profound impact on the course of Human history from the days of Cleopatra to Anwar Sadat to President Obama’s historic speech there today. In it, he focused on the evolution of the West’s relationship with the Islamic world, and his fundamental declaration that our collective fates are inextricably tangled together.
In his speech, President Obama used the word peace – what Islam means in Arabic – 29 times. Much to the chagrin no doubt of Limbaugh and Osama alike (how’s that for irony?), the President laid out his own connection to Islam, from his father’s heritage to living in Indonesia, and stated eloquently both the contributions Muslims have made historically, as well as the many made by Muslim citizens of the US. By engaging people with dignity, respect, candor and a basic understanding that our fates are fundamentally intertwined and linked, he made yesterday’s “us vs. them” discussion largely irrelevant. Osama-like rhetoric voiced just the day before in the whimpering cleric’s latest tired dispatch from wherever he is held up has never seemed so archaic and primitive.
Our hope is that Obama’s message of reconciliation, peace, and collective prosperity is a planetary one, the ethos of which transcends not only the relationship of the US with the Islamic world, but also encompasses every nation on Earth and the next stage of evolution between all of them.
Ironically, at the same exact time as Obama’s historic speech, two American journalists – our friends Laura Ling and Euna Lee – were being tried in a North Korean court room, charged with “hostile acts” that could land them in the North’s infamous labor camps for up to 10 torturous years.
Because of Obama, we now live in an era of unprecedented optimism, one where we hope it is not unreasonable for us to expect that he will take his same strategy of strength, integrity, and candid engagement to the likes of North Korea’s leadership, both in the short term to secure the release of Laura and Euna back to their families, but also over the long term to facilitate the nuclear disarmament of North Korea, as he has pledged to push all nations – including the US – to do over the next decade.
President Obama’s greatest achievement (and possibly his curse) over his short presence in the White House is his tremendous raising of expectations and elegant portrait of leadership for the 21st Century. It’s not good enough just to remedy the chronic relationship between Americans and Arabs.
Our expectation now is that President Obama will take his same transcendent message of conflict resolution to all corners of the globe. Bring North Korea’s long isolated leadership to the negotiating table and reverse the mounting tensions between them and us, which threatens to become just as toxic and virulent as what it has become with the Arab world.
Sure – it’s a lot to ask, but – after all – we’re just following his example.
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Image of President Obama in Cairo by The Official White House Photostream
dear gotham, mallika,
Thanks for this beautiful post, it is best for the entire human civilisation that we wake up to our responsibility towards the entire world.
thanks for again and again speaking for this through your posts and every one of intents. god bless you.
i will pray with whole heart that the girls are spared and sent home and some light of wisdom reaches these people who still think that they will survive as a single nation.
Wish you love, peace and happiness.
Trisha
Thank you for this wonderful article about hope and peace throughout the world! I pray that all of our firm intents will fuel President Obama’s efforts at helping to finally make the will of the people — all peaceful people everywhere — a reality.
Peace and love,
Dr. Deb
Dear Mallika and Gotham,
this article is just being published:
Best regards from Margot
S. Korea Needs a Defense System Beyond Nuclear Weapons
The Seoul Times – ?2 hours ago?
http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?…
Dear Margot, thanks for that article
Here is another angle on the ideal "defense system": http://www.intent.com/aurora/blog/nothing-more-im…
Love, aurora
President Obama was fantastic in Cairo. What makes him special is that he is honest about his respect and openness to the Muslim world, he is not faking it. This honesty will do a lot of good for international relationships. I pray that he can stand above all pressures to conform to the old way of behaving. Just like all other leaders of nations have to find new ways.
When it comes to the USA, one man interviewed on the streets of Cairo put it very simply: "America needs to stop playing world police. It is high time" he said.
I sincerely hope that president Obama doesn't put his efforts in bringing anyone else to the negotiating table (how would he do that if not in the old way of force or possibly manipulation?), but focuses on bringing his own open mind and honest desire to- as he said in Cairo- listen more. If he is honestly ready to listen, many might come forth to talk. I hope he understands that cooperation happens much better from good will than from force, and I hope that all nations in this world soon come to the realization that when all is said and done… nobody can play righteous anymore. We have all been sinners and saints too many times and in too many ways to continue that game. And as for fighting for the position of superpower… such power comes and goes, from what history has taught us. There is another kind of power which doesn't fade and is truly great. This is what I see growing through Obama.
I feel it took great courage for Pres. Obama to recall his Muslim background and claim it as a positive influence in his life. These are not welcome words to many. I agree it will take much more to reach out to other nations and cultures we have ostracized. I believe the US has to examine its history of instilling fear by aggressive and condemning behavior. Looking further into the causes of terrorism and threat, such as poverty, oppression and trauma, is in order.
Linda M
Thank you, Aurora! Compassion is certainly an essential and beautiful quality. But it blossoms more easily in a nervous system that is not so much stressed and meditation can help release deep layers of stress – even in collective consciousness – and in this way contribute to people feeling more compassionate, less needy to defend their own status (as they are grounded more in their own stable innermost Self and feel not threatened so much by others in their dignity anymore). It also leads to the lessening of misunderstandings, readiness for talks and negotiation, feeling of unity on the basis that we are all human beings, are all connected to each others and share common challenges – the pain of one is also in a way the pain of the other.
Creating a greater sense of freshness, freedom from bad moods, sense of renewal, harmony, inner peace, optimism in a society is possible by using the field effect of consciousness (we are all correlated on finer levels of our minds). A group of individuals of the size of the square root of one percent of the whole population, together diving deep into the transcendent, absolute value of life, the state of BEING, experiencing the innermost Self (called Atma in Indian philosophy or pure consciousness in most of the traditions of philosophies of the world) using an efficient meditation technique, can create more harmony, peace and orderliness in a society and act like a washing machine to wash away the hostility and high levels of stress and the lack of progress resulting from this stress, negativity, rigidity and lack of creativity in national consciousness.
Yes, compassion is necessary – but it comes more easily from a not so much stressed brain and heart.
Best regards,
Margot
Dear Margot, I completely agree with you. It's just that even if not everyone is going to start meditating, everyone has abundant opportunities every day to widen their compassion, if they decide it is important and choose to allow it.
We have the same goal so good luck to us all
love, aurora
Yes, I agree, Aurora. There are always opportunities. Yes, now we have so good role models – even in the President. Everyone feels encouraged now to allow change, tolerance and peace to overtake. Thank you! Margot
I sincerely hope that president Obama doesn't put his efforts in bringing anyone else to the negotiating table (how would he do that if not in the old way of force or possibly manipulation?), but focuses on bringing his own open mind and honest desire to- as he said in Cairo- listen more.
dogs
What a awesome 6 hour, thankyou to Dave and all the crew at Roudtuit Caravan park for all the work that went to running this event, well worth marking in the dairy for next yearZayıflama Lida Fx15 ve Biber Hapı zlfvbh burmeh yaza lida fx15 biber hapı ile formda girin burmeh yaza lida fx15 biber hapı ile formda girin Trakya Üniversitesi tabiii en önemliside bize baya bi para getirecek. his family and particularly the children he had artificially created will be happier and far better off without him, not to mention wealthier. Remember and play his music if you want..it was pretty good but don't for get what an absolute failure as man he was. He dies a whiny drug addicted loser.. Save your sorrow for someone worthy