Politics and prose

A speech as publicised and eagerly awaited as US President Barack Obamas keynote address at Cairo University on Thursday was bound to be built on the tension between setting the bar high and the prospect of failure and consequent disappointment. Obama succeeded in Cairo; not through rhetoric,not through avoidance of significant fault lines. His success lay in a fine touch; in a speech utterly realistic,but with an idealistic sweep. In seeking the common ground of mutual interest and mutual trust between America and the Muslim world,in urging to break mutual stereotypes,Obamas speech itself was a new beginning in that this dialogue was long-needed and long-awaited,given the intractable differences steadily entrenched over the last eight years. On the key issues of violent extremism,Israel-Palestine,nuclear weapons,democracy,religious tolerance,womens rights and economic progress,Obamas ace was the juxtaposition of the historical context against the current one to admire and solicit understanding,to remind all of their duties. This was visible with regard to Israel-Palestine,extremism,or Iran and the nuclear threat. The speech was a careful balancing act,with an encompassing worldview that moved from the personal to the universal,with a calibrated toughening of tone on problem areas.

That Obama didnt apologise for but acknowledged US mistakes (such as the overthrow of Irans democratically elected government in 1953),that he refused to blame his predecessor but indicated how his administration would be different was just as well,for he spoke from a position of authority,an authority he needs. Americas soft power should do what its military prowess could not,and Obama is doing a lot on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan,on torture,in offering Iran talks,in wanting to deal directly with Israel-Palestine. Yet,its a fact that even liberal Iranians can be ill-disposed towards America,and clearly theres a long way to go.

There are grounds the speech did not cover. Obama seemed to conflate the Arab and Muslim worlds. He failed to ask the Arab world to bolster Iraq when the US leaves it. Most disappointing of all was his weaker emphasis on democratic institutions,despite seemingly veiled references to his host,Hosni Mubarak. Obama could have devoted more time and nuance to the issue. In the last analysis,what was really groundbreaking about the speech was the occasion itself. These good words will come a cropper without concrete action from all sides.