Joy because I witnessed, for the first time, a U.S. president, from an immigrant, minority background, speak with justice and respect and with an understanding of the Western and Muslim worlds, and talking about a just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. His dialogue lacked hatred, violence and the destructive tendencies in dealing with "others." And envy because, why don't we see a Christian president in Muslim countries? What we see among the rulers of Muslim and Middle Eastern countries clearly today is either indifference or fundamentalism, which creates nothing other than enemies, violence, hatred and division between the Muslim and western worlds. Today, the main problem of the Muslims and Islamic countries is an internal, and not an outside problem.
Nevertheless, the serious question now is how should rulers of Islamic countries react to Obama's peaceful, moderate and fair invitation? There is no doubt that an exceptional opportunity has been presented to Muslims and Islamic rulers, thinkers and scholars to look within and seek a way out of the present difficult situation. Now, even the American government has agreed not to use negative and provocative term "terrorism," either in order to improve relations with the Muslim world or to at least not provoke the fundamentalists and hardliners. The American government has announced its readiness to assist in the economic, political and cultural development of Islamic and Middle Eastern countries.
One of the essential problems in the Muslim world and the Middle East is the Palestinian issue. I think right now is the perfect time for the Palestinians and regional Arab governments, as well as Muslims and leaders of Islamic nations to join the peace process and help in alleviating the pain of displaced and tortured Palestinians and establishing an independent Palestinian state. This plan has fortunately been supported by Obama and other leaders in the west and around the world.
With respect to Iran, also, Obama has thus far followed a humanitarian, logical and realistic path. He has extended his hand of friendship in order to build a better future marked with peace and security. Now it is upon the leaders of Iran to, in Obama's words, open their clenched fist and follow the path of peace and realizing their country's national interests - especially because in his Cairo speech, for the first time for an American president, Obama admitted to the U.S. involvement in the 1953 coup against Dr. Mossadegh and condemned the act, diplomatically but very clearly.
The Muslim world and the leaders of Islamic countries are faced with a special opportunity. Reason, experience and fairness dictate that they use this special opportunity to untangle the Muslim world's complicated web of problems. Muslim intellectuals and reformers have the duty to assist in this process as much as they can.
