June 4th, 2010 by Farid

Today marks the anniversary of President Barack Obama’s remarkable speech to the world’s Muslim communities in Cairo. While the speech received widespread positive reactions from Arabs, Muslims, and Americans at the time, now, a year later, many observers are disappointed that the speech did not in fact bring the “new beginning” that it promised.

According to a Washington Post op-ed by Michele Dunne and Robert Kagan, a year later Egyptians have lost much confidence in Obama. As Dunne and Kagan see it, the U.S. has continued to unconditionally support a highly unpopular regime under President Hosni Mubarak and has failed to adhere to the voices of the Egyptian populace. The Obama administration has cut democracy spending by half in Egypt and has not pressed the Egyptian government over its human rights record. They describe the Obama administration as succeeding in engaging with governments in the Middle East, but not its people. As Egypt prepares for upcoming elections, the U.S. has an opportunity to end this trend and save America’s image in the Middle East by privately and publicly pushing for free and fair elections.

The Foreign Policy Middle East Channel features three interesting articles looking at U.S. engagement with the Muslim world in the year since the Cairo speech.  Kristin M. Lord and Marc Lynch caution that although the administration has finally begun to deliver on the promises made in Cairo through a number of initiatives, its broader engagement with the region is severely undermined by the lack of progress on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, underscored by this week’s Gaza flotilla crisis.  They warn that if President Obama fails to seize this crisis as an opportunity to reinvigorate the peace process and address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, then this will defeat any hope of new engagement with the Muslim world.

Fawaz A. Gerges is more hesitant to put all the responsibility on the American president, instead calling for Arab populations and leaders to understand that one man in the White House is not omnipotent and that they too must help to steer Obama in the right direction. Peter Mandaville explains that to reverse the negative perceptions and disappointment across the region, the U.S. must focus on three broad areas: First, the U.S. must genuinely act to establish peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. Second, Obama must show his support for moderate Islamist parties. And third, the U.S. must avoid the danger of exceptionalism in its relations with Muslim communities, but must aim to normalize and integrate these relationships into its broader global outreach.

Posted in Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Elections, Human Rights, Islam and Democracy, Israel, Mideast Peace Plan, Palestine, US foreign policy |