President Obama Reaches Out to the Muslim World
The US President's Message to Iran at The Persian New Year, Nowruz
Apr 9, 2009
On the traditional holiday of the Persian new year President Obama released a special video message for all those celebrating "Nowruz", which can be translated as "New Day". Nowruz marks the arrival of spring and the beginning of the year for millions of people in Iran and many communities around the world.
Obama Keeps Pledge, Reaches Out to Iran
In the short video (subtitled in Persian) the President acknowledges the strain in relations between Iran and the U.S. over the last decades, and says that he wanted to send a special message to the people and government of Iran on Nowruz .
"At this holiday we are reminded of the common humanity that binds us together" he says and by sending his video message on a traditional holiday not linked to religion he shows his respect for the Persian Nation.
Nowruz Message Addresses Iranian Leaders Directly
Barack Obama begins by committing his administration to respectful diplomacy and continues to address Iran's leaders directly: "You, too, have a choice. The United States wants the Islamic Republic of Iran to take its rightful place in the community of nations. You have that right – but it comes with real responsibilities, and that place cannot be reached through terror or arms, but rather through peaceful actions that demonstrate the true greatness of the Iranian people and civilization. And the measure of that greatness is not the capacity to destroy, it is your demonstrated ability to build and create." (www.whitehouse.gov/nowruz/)
Reactions to Obamas Message
Iran's government recognized Obama's Nowruz message as a historic departure from the previous administration's talk of "axis of evil," and "use of force". Hooshang Amirahmadi, the president and founder of the American Iranian Council (AIC) welcomed the gesture: "Obama made a smart choice when combining his message of a gracious Nowruz greeting with an ingenious political statement". Obama's message "unequivocally rejected the language of threat, replacing it with the language of mutually respectful diplomacy." (Happy Nowruz from Obama, Middle East Times,4/09)
Re-Building Relations Between Iran and The United States
The President is intent on "engaging" with Iran, as one should with any adversary. Renewed US-Iranian relations will have positive long-term results in improving security and stability worldwide.To counter those who say differences between Iran and the U.S can't be overcome, Obama quotes the words of the Persian medieval poet Sa'adi: "The children of Adam are limbs to each other, having been created of one essence." Sa'adi, was a medieval Persian Sufi poet, revered for the quality of his poetry and the depth of his social thought. Ralph Waldo Emerson translated some of Sa'adi's writings, and compared their beauty and wisdom to the Bible.
Reaching Out to Students In Turkey
During his first visit to Turkey (April 7, 2009) the American President promised Turkish students that they would find a partner and a friend in the United States. Asked how his policies would differ from those of his predecessor, Obama said only time could tell. "States are like big tankers, they're not like speedboats. You can't just whip them around and go in another direction," he said, and added that his policies on the environment and the Iraq war were certainly very different from the Bush administration.
Students praised the U.S. president for speaking to them "The message that was important for me (...) was mostly about peace in the world: in the Middle East, he talked about Iran, Iraq, all those countries, including Turkey. He just wanted peace and he told us that it [comes] through us, the young leaders of their countries," said Cinar Yesil, one of about 100 university students. The students were truly impressed that Obama took the time to listen to them.
(Turks Warm to Obama Charm Offensive, RFE/RL)
FAQ About Islam, Suite101 Article by Christine Benlafquih
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