I attended the historic speech President Obama gave in Cairo to the Muslim world. One speech cannot change the past, but it’s an important first step in setting the framework for dialogue and reconciliation. I walked away with five important lessons from the speech:
1. We must act boldly, together
It is up to us to improve the community where we live and work; he said “out of many – one. Basically, he is saying we are all in this together.
When one fails, we all fail. And this is evident most recently with the financial crisis and the flu outbreak – we are an interconnected world. We have common interests and mutual concerns. The challenges we face are shared challenges. Failure to meet them hurts all of us. Obama emphasized that we cannot continue to be prisoners of our past history, we must face the key issues squarely, not ignore them.
2. Messenger is just as important as message
Obama took the time to understand the key issues that have held us back as Muslims and as Arabs. He articulated what no other US president did before and he used language and words that matter to us. One described it to me as sincere, practical and relevant. Often we judge people on their intention (el-neyya) and everyone I spoke to said he spoke with sincere intentions, goodwill, confidence and credibility. For the first time in years, we can say the US president “gets it – he means what he says and he says what he means. There was no double talk; what is said in public is said in private. Obama spoke of personal experiences and with empathy.
3. Speeches Cannot Be Judged Today
This speech is one that sets the stage and tone for dialogue. Indeed President Obama has got us all talking and the conversation is very important. The success of the speech, however, cannot be judged today. If peace in the Middle East moves forward, we will look back and say this speech helped facilitate that and it moved us forward; setting the tone as a milestone. Similar to the US presidential inaugural addresses, their meaning makes its mark in history when the relevance of the message has transformed into real change on the ground.
4. Islam and Muslims Have a Vital Voice in Society
It is not easy to ignore 1.5 billion Muslims – there is comfort in numbers, the fastest growing religion in the world, the second largest constituency in the global population. Obama pointed out the cultural and intellectual achievements of Muslims and spoke with respect. He didn’t just mention the Quran, he referred to it as the “Holy Quran. He spoke at 1:10 consciously after the call for midday prayer. He recited the debt to civilization that Islam has paid and talked to us as equals – as partners. He has taken the necessary first step to say what Islam is and what it is not to reverse the damaging stereotypes waged against Muslims.
Now that the speech is over – it’s time for action. It’s time for deeds, not words. Obama made his call to the Muslim world and we took the time to listen. He extended the olive branch and left a wonderful first impression on everyone I spoke to. Now it’s up to all of us to collectively deliver.
Maha Abouelenein is a Communications Strategist and Principal of Organizational Consultants, a local based communications firm.
