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.
Friday, August 14, 2009 MUMBAI: A 26-year-old woman died Thursday of H1N1 swine flu in the southern city of Bangalore, raising India's death toll from the virus to 20, authorities said.The death was the first reported in India's information technology capital, the Press Trust of India reported.Meanwhile in Pune, the worst-affected in India, two more victims of the virus died Thursday, raising the death toll in that western city near Mumbai to 12, the report said. The victims were an 11-month-old boy and a 75-year-old old woman.US media reported movie halls, schools and colleges were ordered closed Thursday for three days to a week in Mumbai, the commercial and financial capital of the country, as fear of the pandemic spread.Prajakata Lavangare, a spokeswoman for the government of Maharashtra state of which Mumbai is the capital, said similar orders were issued in Pune, which is also located in the state.The woman who died in Bangalore was identified only as Roopa, a teacher in...
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