Informative Speeches
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Respect for Islam central theme in speech
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - The tone of respect was set from the opening lines of President Obama's address to the Muslim world.
Continue to Athens Banner-Herald - Respect for Islam central theme in speech
"Assalamu Aleikum" - Arabic for "peace be upon you" - he said, triggering applause from the crowd at Cairo University and bringing nods of approval in places like a coffee shop in the West Bank town of Ramallah, where some began calling him "Abu Hussein" - using his Muslim middle name - as a sign of honor.
Obama's ambitious speech - which sought to define a new relationship between Washington and the Islamic world - also represented an opportunity to shape his own image in the eyes of Muslims. He quoted from the Quran, paid homage to the cultural and intellectual achievements of Muslims and noted his middle name and his father's ties to the faith.
"As the Holy Quran tells us, 'Be conscious of God and speak always the truth,' " Obama said. "That is what I will try to do today, to speak the truth as best I can."
Whether political stagecraft or sincerity, his gestures resonated strongly among many Muslims who often complain their traditions and culture are devalued in the West and have become overshadowed by Islamic radicals.
"He came across as sincere and credible," said Sheik Muhammad al-Nujaimi, a member of a committee in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, that tries to moderate the radical views of jailed militants.
Obama also sprinkled his address with Arabic words that are well-known to all Muslims: "hijab" for the Islamic coverings for women, "zakat" for alms giving, which is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
Even these few references carry powerful significance in the Arab world, where the language is cherished as an important ethnic bond, revered for its connection to the Prophet Muhammad, and filled with elaborate greetings and finely crafted formalities that display respect.
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