Friday, June 05, 2009 CHICAGO: For eight years, US Muslims cringed at the rhetoric coming out of the White House and the divisions created at home and abroad by terms like "Islamo-fascism" and "Islamic terrorists." On Thursday, many here breathed a sigh of relief at the major shift marked by President Barack Obama's call for a new beginning with the Muslim world in a much-anticipated Cairo speech. "The speech has done more to undermine Al-Qaeda than anything (former president George W.) Bush did," said Ahmed Rehad, executive director of the Chicago branch of the Council on American Islamic Relations. "The greatest fodder Al-Qaeda had in the past was to say, 'the US hates you.'"There is a power to language, Rehad said. But Obama's speech contained more than just promising rhetoric and a shift from cowboy diplomacy to a display of "humility" and respect. Obama also offered concrete plans to work with the Muslim world to fight polio and expand cultural exchanges and economic development projects. "There is a clear feeling within the Muslim audience that President Obama is genuine," Rehad told media as he fielded calls in his bustling Chicago office where employees crowded around a television set to watch a replay of the speech. "President Bush at times said the right things but he never seemed genuine."Amina Sharif was touched by Obama's recognition of the contributions of Muslim Americans and his willingness to acknowledge the suffering of the Palestinian people."What he's doing will help to break stereotypes Americans have of their Muslim neighbors and of Muslims in other countries," said Sharif, who coordinates communications for CAIR."There will always be demagogues who try to criticize all his actions," she added. "But I think the American people are intelligent enough to ignore those rabble rousers and understand he's bridging the gap and he's enabling us to mutually understand one another and forging partnerships that will make our country safer." Similar sentiments were expressed across the country.
BEIRUT: Thousands of people converged Saturday on central Beirut to mark the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Lebanese former premier Rafiq Hariri.Waving Lebanese flags and carrying pictures of the slain leader, men, women and children gathered under sunny skies in Martyr's Square where members of the parliamentary majority were to address the crowd. The rally comes as final preparations are underway in The Hague for the launch of the international tribunal set up to bring Hariri's killers to justice. It also comes as the country prepares for legislative elections in June that will pit Western-backed political parties against a Hezbollah-led alliance backed by Syria and Iran.Hariri died in a massive car bombing on February 14, 2005 that also killed 22 others. The assassination was widely blamed on then Lebanese power-broker Syria, which has denied any involvement. The attack on the Beirut seafront was one of the worst acts of political violence to rock Lebanon since t...
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