US President’s Speech

Anyone who likes the simplicity of American English, both spoken and written cannot but express his admiration of the lucid speech given by President Barak Obama at Cairo. Although we all understand that almost all politicians are good in oratory, one cannot deny that this one hits a chord somewhere in your psyche. It is not only the speaking style  and rhetoric that impresses the audience, but also the carefully chosen sequence of words, sentences and messages that make the whole speech somewhat extraordinary.

We may consider the literary aspect of the speech first.

To carry conviction, A good speech has to provide relevant and correct information, facts and historical accounts at the right context. To begin with, Obama reminded the audience that the first country to recognize United States was Morocco, which is a Muslim country. He mentioned the name of Keith Eliison, the first Arab to be elected to the Congress, who took oath of office on a copy of the Koran that was in the personal library of a past President of the US, thus tacitly projecting the catholic outlook of the American people. 

A speaker has to feel the pulse of the listeners and carefully modulate his style and delivery of the talk. He placed the facts about his Muslim ancestry at the start of the speech in an appropriate context to impress the audience that the person conveying the message was closer to the audience than they thought. Obama has clearly demonstrated that he is an adept in most aspects of oratory, leave alone his adroit diplomacy.

By providing appropriate quotations from eminent past presidents as well as from Islamic scripture, he has reinforced his arguments and added substantial credibility that is crucial to the task undertaken. He has also shown how simple words and little sentences used with emotional appeal could give a thrust to his arguments and stike a positive chord with the Muslim audience.  Read this:

“Islamic culture has given us majestic arches and soaring spires; timeless poetry and cherished music; elegant calligraphy and places of peaceful contemplation. And throughout history, Islam has demonstrated through words and deeds the possibilities of religious tolerance and racial equality”.

The following passage of the speech gives a very simple and quick account of the US history and the broadminded approach of his people without causing hurt to anyone:

“We were born out of revolution against an empire. We were founded upon the ideal that all are created equal, and we have shed blood and struggled for centuries to give meaning to those words – within our borders, and around the world. We are shaped by every culture, drawn from every end of the Earth, and dedicated to a simple concept: E pluribus unum: “Out of many, one.” “

Now, consider the second aspect, the tenor of the speech reflecting the sincerity of the speaker.

Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown”, says a popular adage. It is all the more so when you get to the top to lead a very wealthy and dominant country, as then the task becomes almost superhuman. All the more so when so many powerful voices are always ready to criticize or thwart your every move whether you are supporting their cause or not. And there are conflicting critics who cause maximum confusion by giving false or concocted information about facts and events. It requires enormous psychological strength and a very high level of emotional intelligence to combat forces which are always waiting eagerly to scoff at you even when there are trivial slips. It is in this perspective that we have to examine the message that has been given by President Obama to the Muslim World.

A talk would be considered sincere in its tenor when the leader exhibits a measure of humility and confesses his own or his people’s mistakes in an outspoken manner unafraid of impending criticism back home. Obama, presents in the following para the correct thinking on the issue of Iraq and frankly expresses his views reinforcing his opinion with a remarkable quote from Jefferson:

“Let me also address the issue of Iraq. Unlike Afghanistan, Iraq was a war of choice that provoked strong differences in my country and around the world. Although I believe that the Iraqi people are ultimately better off without the tyranny of Saddam Hussein, I also believe that events in Iraq have reminded America of the need to use diplomacy and build international consensus to resolve our problems whenever possible. Indeed, we can recall the words of Thomas Jefferson, who said: “I hope that our wisdom will grow with our power, and teach us that the less we use our power the greater it will be.”

He further confesses the mistakes committed by the US in the subsequent passages.

Thus, we find that a substantial measure of sincerity is revealed in this historic speech.