Cairo speech: Obama serves a super-sized bowl of pablum to the Muslim world

Obama's Cairo speech (prepared remarks here) is unremittingly awful. It will send a message of weakness, ignorance, and naivete to our enemies.

First he sets the tone by pointing out that "some" are wrong about Muslim hostility toward the West, and toward human rights:

Moreover, the sweeping change brought by modernity and globalization led many Muslims to view the West as hostile to the traditions of Islam.

Violent extremists have exploited these tensions in a small but potent minority of Muslims. The attacks of September 11th, 2001 and the continued efforts of these extremists to engage in violence against civilians has led some in my country to view Islam as inevitably hostile not only to America and Western countries, but also to human rights. This has bred more fear and mistrust.

Obama can't make a speech that isn't teeming with straw men. Count them if you can.

We just need more trust, Rodney King style:

So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, and who promote conflict rather than the cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity. This cycle of suspicion and discord must end.

We're looking for that "common ground" again. And what does he mean by justice, do you think? Here it is again:

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.

How exactly do the following demonstrate principles of tolerance and dignity: women confined to their homes, legally raped and beaten; honor killings; children used as human shields and fodder for mass murders?

I do so recognizing that change cannot happen overnight. No single speech can eradicate years of mistrust, nor can I answer in the time that I have all the complex questions that brought us to this point. But I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly the things we hold in our hearts, and that too often are said only behind closed doors. There must be a sustained effort to listen to each other; to learn from each other; to respect one another; and to seek common ground. As the Holy Koran tells us, "Be conscious of God and speak always the truth." That is what I will try to do - to speak the truth as best I can, humbled by the task before us, and firm in my belief that the interests we share as human beings are far more powerful than the forces that drive us apart.

Unbelievable. Imagine how this pap is being received by the Muslim world.

But hang on folks, let's talk about me:

Part of this conviction is rooted in my own experience. I am a Christian, but my father came from a Kenyan family that includes generations of Muslims. As a boy, I spent several years in Indonesia and heard the call of the azaan at the break of dawn and the fall of dusk. As a young man, I worked in Chicago communities where many found dignity and peace in their Muslim faith.

Time for some effusive praise for Islam's contributions to civilization:

As a student of history [a poor one], I also know civilization's debt to Islam. It was Islam - at places like Al-Azhar University - that carried the light of learning through so many centuries, paving the way for Europe's Renaissance and Enlightenment. It was innovation in Muslim communities that developed the order of algebra; our magnetic compass and tools of navigation; our mastery of pens and printing; our understanding of how disease spreads and how it can be healed. Islamic culture has given us majestic arches and soaring spires; timeless poetry and cherished music; elegant calligraphy and places of peaceful contemplation. And throughout history, Islam has demonstrated through words and deeds the possibilities of religious tolerance and racial equality.

The Islam of today isn't characterized by excellence in science, technology, medicine, or art, and even less by religious tolerance. Islam is a one-way street when it comes to converts. You may be welcome to join, but leaving isn't an option. Maybe there's something in the culture that's holding it back? You'll never hear that from Obama; all religions are equal to him, but Islam is a little more equal than others. He's more convincing when he quotes the Koran than he is when invoking the Bible.

But back to me:

So I have known Islam on three continents before coming to the region where it was first revealed. That experience guides my conviction that partnership between America and Islam must be based on what Islam is, not what it isn't. And I consider it part of my responsibility as President of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear.

[. . .]

Much has been made of the fact that an African-American with the name Barack Hussein Obama could be elected President. But my personal story is not so unique.

Much has been made of it, especially by Obama.

The middle section is on the Obama foreign policy global vision. Smarter people can comment on that. To me it sounds like more Rodney King. Our conflicts with terrorists are just a big crazy misunderstanding. We're all the same. If we can just let go of the fear and mistrust, and be better listeners, all will be well.

The enduring faith of over a billion people is so much bigger than the narrow hatred of a few. Islam is not part of the problem in combating violent extremism - it is an important part of promoting peace.

[. . .]

It will be hard to overcome decades of mistrust, but we will proceed with courage, rectitude and resolve.

It would be easier to promote peace-loving Muslims if they promoted themselves more (though not like this).

On freedom of religion, Obama mentions Muslim charitable giving:

Freedom of religion is central to the ability of peoples to live together. We must always examine the ways in which we protect it. For instance, in the United States, rules on charitable giving have made it harder for Muslims to fulfill their religious obligation. That is why I am committed to working with American Muslims to ensure that they can fulfill zakat.

Hmm. I don't know much about this. But I bet it has something to do with regulations that make it more difficult for money to reach terrorists abroad.

On women's rights in Arab countries:

I know there is debate about this issue. I reject the view of some in the West that a woman who chooses to cover her hair is somehow less equal, but I do believe that a woman who is denied an education is denied equality. And it is no coincidence that countries where women are well-educated are far more likely to be prosperous.

Now let me be clear: issues of women's equality are by no means simply an issue for Islam. In Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia, we have seen Muslim-majority countries elect a woman to lead. Meanwhile, the struggle for women's equality continues in many aspects of American life, and in countries around the world.

Our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons, and our common prosperity will be advanced by allowing all humanity - men and women - to reach their full potential. I do not believe that women must make the same choices as men in order to be equal, and I respect those women who choose to live their lives in traditional roles. But it should be their choice. That is why the United States will partner with any Muslim-majority country to support expanded literacy for girls, and to help young women pursue employment through micro-financing that helps people live their dreams.

He slides right past the brutal reality of the repression of Muslim women, ludicrously equating their status as chattel with the American woman's "struggle for equality." Muslim girls and women lack more than education; they lack basic rights and freedoms.

The Obamatopia, well underway in the US, will soon be coming to the Muslim world (at US taxpayers' expense, of course) and it will be awesome! Government programs will make them whole.

On education, we will expand exchange programs, and increase scholarships, like the one that brought my father to America, while encouraging more Americans to study in Muslim communities. And we will match promising Muslim students with internships in America; invest in on-line learning for teachers and children around the world; and create a new online network, so a teenager in Kansas can communicate instantly with a teenager in Cairo.

On economic development, we will create a new corps of business volunteers to partner with counterparts in Muslim-majority countries. And I will host a Summit on Entrepreneurship this year to identify how we can deepen ties between business leaders, foundations and social entrepreneurs in the United States and Muslim communities around the world.

On science and technology, we will launch a new fund to support technological development in Muslim-majority countries, and to help transfer ideas to the marketplace so they can create jobs. We will open centers of scientific excellence in Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, and appoint new Science Envoys to collaborate on programs that develop new sources of energy, create green jobs, digitize records, clean water, and grow new crops. And today I am announcing a new global effort with the Organization of the Islamic Conference to eradicate polio. And we will also expand partnerships with Muslim communities to promote child and maternal health.

The conclusion is cringe-inducing.

The issues that I have described will not be easy to address. But we have a responsibility to join together on behalf of the world we seek - a world where extremists no longer threaten our people, and American troops have come home; a world where Israelis and Palestinians are each secure in a state of their own, and nuclear energy is used for peaceful purposes; a world where governments serve their citizens, and the rights of all God's children are respected. Those are mutual interests. That is the world we seek. But we can only achieve it together.

[. . .]

We have the power to make the world we seek, but only if we have the courage to make a new beginning, keeping in mind what has been written.

The Holy Koran tells us, "O mankind! We have created you male and a female; and we have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another."

The Talmud tells us: "The whole of the Torah is for the purpose of promoting peace."

The Holy Bible tells us, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."

The people of the world can live together in peace. We know that is God's vision. Now, that must be our work here on Earth. Thank you. And may God's peace be upon you.

And the lion shall lie down with the lamb. The lamb would be the US. Things won't go so well for that lamb when it oversleeps and the lion wakes up with a ferocious appetite.

I'll update with other reactions as the day goes on.

*Updates:

Peter Daou of the HuffPo finds the speech "empty":

1. Aside from a few platitudes, it is disappointingly weak on human rights and specifically women's rights.

2. It betrays a naiveté, perhaps feigned, about how the Arab world works.

On the women's rights section:

Is that a joke?

With women being stoned, raped, abused, battered, mutilated, and slaughtered on a daily basis across the globe, violence that is so often perpetrated in the name of religion, the most our president can speak about is protecting their right to wear the hijab? I would have been much more heartened if the preponderance of the speech had been about how in the 21st century, we CANNOT tolerate the pervasive abuse of our mothers and sisters and daughters.

Me too. But so far, the Obama administration has been weakness itself on pushing for civil rights (a la Hillary in China). Read the rest of Daou's piece.

Michelle Malkin's take here, with lots of links.

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