Reflections by Comrade Fidel Obama’s speech in Cairo

Reflections by Comrade Fidel Obama’s speech in Cairo

Continued From Wednesday

Obama’s African roots, his humble background and his amazing ascent awaken hope in many who like shipwreck victims try to hold on to a piece of wood in the middle of the storm.

His statement that “any world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail” is correct; or when he declares that “people of all faiths reject the killing of innocent men, women and children” or when he reaffirms to the world his opposition to the use of torture.

Generally speaking, several of his abovementioned statements are theoretically correct; he clearly perceives the need for all countries, with no exceptions of course, to give up nuclear weapons.  Well-known and influential personalities in the US see this as a great danger, as technology and science generalize access to radioactive material and ways of using it, even in small amounts. It is still early to pass judgment on his degree of commitment to the ideas he presents, and up to which point he stands firm in sustaining, for example, the proposal of looking for a peace agreement built on fair bases, with guarantees for all the states in the Middle East.

The current president’s main difficulty lies in the fact that the principles he is advocating contradict the policy the superpower has pursued for almost seven decades, from the end of the last battles of World War II in August of 1945.

I put aside at this moment the aggressive and expansionist policy it applied on the peoples of Latin America, especially Cuba, when it was still far from being the most powerful nation in the world. Each one of the norms advocated by Obama in Cairo contradicts the interventions and the wars promoted by the United States.  The first of them was the famous Cold War which he mentions in his speech, unleashed by the government of his country.

Ideological differences with the USSR do not justify the hostility towards that state which contributed more than 25 million lives in the war against Nazism.  Obama would not be remembering in these days the 65th anniversary of the Normandy landings and the liberation of Europe if it were not for the blood of the Soviet troops.  Those who freed the survivors of the famous Osviecim concentration camp were Soviet army soldiers.  The world was unaware of what was happening there even though quite a few among Western official circles knew the facts.

How millions of Jewish children, women and old people were atrociously murdered, and millions of Russian children, women and old people lost their lives as a result of the brutal Nazi invasion in a quest for living space.  The West granted concessions to Hitler and conspired to launch him and they finally pushed him to occupy and colonize Slavic lands.  During World War II, the Soviets were US allies, not enemies. They dropped and tested the effects of two nuclear bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, two defenseless cities.

Those who perished there were mainly Japanese children, women and old people. If one were to analyze the wars promoted, supported or waged by the United States in China, Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Kampuchea, among the millions of people who died, many were children, women and old people. The colonial wars of France and Portugal after W.W. II had the support of the United States; the coups and interventions in Central America, Panama, Santo Domingo, Grenada, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, Peru and Argentina were all promoted and supported by the United States. Israel was not a nuclear power.

The creation of a state in territory from which the Jews were driven into an exodus by the Roman Empire 2000 years ago was supported in good faith by the USSR as well as other countries in the world.  At the triumph of the Cuban Revolution we had relations with that state for more than a decade until its wars of conquest over the Palestinians and other Arab peoples led us to severe them.

Total respect for religion and Jewish religious activities has been maintained without any sort of interruption. The US never opposed Israeli conquest of Arab territories, nor did it protest the terrorist methods used against the Palestinians.  On the contrary, it created a nuclear power there, one of the most advanced in the world, in the heart of Arab and Muslim territory, creating in the Middle East one of the planet’s most dangerous places. The superpower also used Israel to supply nuclear weapons to the armies of apartheid in South Africa, to be used against Cuban troops which alongside Angolan and Namibian forces were defending the Peoples’ Republic of Angola.

These are fairly recent events which the current US president surely knows about.  Thus we are not foreign to the aggression and the danger the Israeli nuclear potential represents for peace. After the three initial points of his speech in Cairo, Obama starts philosophizing and lecturing about US foreign policy: “The fourth issue that I will address is democracy”, he said. “So let me be clear: No system of government can or should be imposed by one nation on any other.” “America does not presume to know what is best for everyone, just as we would not presume to pick the outcome of a peaceful election.”

“But I do have an unyielding belief that all people yearn for certain things: the ability to speak your mind and have a say in how you are governed; confidence in the rule of law and the equal administration of justice; .”

“These are not just American ideas; they are human rights. And that is why we will support them everywhere.” “The fifth issue that we must address together is religious freedom.”

“Islam has a proud tradition of tolerance . I saw it firsthand as a child in Indonesia, where devout Christians worshiped freely in an overwhelmingly Muslim country.” “Among some Muslims, there’s a disturbing tendency to measure one’s own faith by the rejection of somebody else’s faith.” “.fault lines must be closed among Muslims, as well, as the divisions between Sunni and Shia have led to tragic violence, particularly in Iraq.”

“.it is important for Western countries to avoid impeding Muslim citizens from practicing religion as they see fit – for instance, by dictating what clothes a Muslim woman should wear. We can’t disguise hostility toward any religion behind the pretence of liberalism.” “I reject the view of some in the West that a woman who chooses to cover her hair is somehow less equal, but I do believe that a woman who is denied an education is denied equality. And it is no coincidence that countries where women are well educated are far more likely to be prosperous.”

“.the struggle for women’s equality continues in many aspects of American life, and in countries around the world.” “I am convinced that our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons. Our common prosperity will be advanced by allowing all humanity – men and women – to reach their full potential.” “The Internet and television can bring knowledge and information, but also offensive sexuality and mindless violence into the home. Trade can bring new wealth and opportunities, but also huge disruptions and change in communities.”

“.invest in online learning for teachers and children around the world; and create a new online network, so a young person in Kansas can communicate instantly with a young person in Cairo.” “.we have a responsibility to join together on behalf of the world that we seek – a world where extremists no longer threaten our people, and American troops have come home; a world where Israelis and Palestinians are each secure in a state of their own, and nuclear energy is used for peaceful purposes .”

“That is the world we seek. But we can only achieve it together.” “It’s easier to start wars than to end them. “that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us “We have the power to make the world we seek, but only if we have the courage to make a new beginning, keeping in mind what has been written. “The Holy Quran tells us: “O mankind! We have created you male and a female; and we have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another.”

The Talmud tells us: “The whole of the Torah is for the purpose of promoting peace.” The Holy Bible tells us: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Applause.) The people of the world can live together in peace.” As you can see, tackling the fourth topic in his speech at Al-Azhar University Obama stumbles into a contradiction.  After beginning his words with a maxim as is his custom, stating that:

“No system of government can or should be imposed by one nation on any other”, a principle in the Charter of the United Nations as a fundamental element of international law, he immediately contradicts himself with a declaration of faith that turns the United States into the supreme judge over democratic values and human rights. Then he refers to subjects related to economic development and equal opportunities.  He makes promises to the Arab world; he points our advantages and contradictions.

It would really appear to be a public relations campaign carried out by the United States with the Muslim countries; in any case, this is better than threatening to destroy them with bombs. At the end of the speech there is quite a mix of subjects. If one takes into account the length of the speech, without using paper, the number of lapses is negligible as compared with his predecessor who used to make a mistake in every paragraph.

He is a very good communicator. I tend to observe historical, political and religious ceremonies with interest. This one at Al-Azhar University seemed to be to be an unreal scene.  Not even Pope Benedict XVI had declared such ecumenical phrases as Obama did. For a second I imagined the pious Muslim, Catholic, Christian or Jew, or someone from any other religion, listening to the president in the spacious hall of Al-Azhar University.

At a certain moment I couldn’t tell whether he was in a Catholic cathedral, a Christian church, a mosque or a synagogue. He left early for Germany.  For three days he toured politically significant sites.  He participated and spoke at commemorative ceremonies.  He visited museums, received his family and dined at famous restaurants.  He has an impressive working capacity.  Some time will go by before we see anything like it again.

Fidel Castro Ruz June 8, 2009 7:12 p.m.

Concluded