![](\"https:\/\/www.altmuslim.com\/ee_images\/alarabiya_obama.jpg\")
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/p><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n
During the eight year presidency of George W. Bush \u2013 and particularly after September 11, 2001 \u2013 a new emphasis was made on selling America to the Muslim world. Bush first enlisted advertising executive Charlotte Beers before settling on his trusted friend and advistor Karen Hughes<\/a>. Both made attempts to emphasize the positive aspects of American society through traditional media \u2013 while glossing over the foreign policy elephants in the room. New magazines and television stations were created to sell pop culture and good news stories featuring American Muslims. Though sincere in its limited approach, there was little to show for their efforts by the end of Bush\u2019s second term.<\/p>\n Now, barely one week into his new presidency, Barack Hussein Obama has rendered these positions obsolete. Obama chose, as his first formal interview, the Saudi-backed Al Arabiya<\/a> network \u2013 a calculated middle ground between the maverick Al Jazeera<\/a> network and the (widely ignored) US-backed Al-Hurra<\/a> channel. Though not revealing substantive policy differences with his predecessor, he hinted a number of changes that could lay the foundation for more pragmatic, if not dramatic, initiatives in the near future.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I want to communicate is the fact that in all my travels throughout the Muslim world, what I\u2019ve come to understand is that regardless of your faith\u2026 people all have certain common hopes and common dreams,\u201d Obama said. \u201cAnd my job is to communicate to the American people that the Muslim world is filled with extraordinary people who simply want to live their lives and see their children live better lives.\u201d Repeatedly, he pledged to listen to the Muslim world instead of dictate. He acknowledged that the US was not perfect and made mistakes. And the Saudi Peace Plan of 2002, all but ignored by the Bush administration, is given its due as a basis for negotiations. <\/p>\n Unlike the lauded communication of Ronald Reagan in the 1980s (which conveyed only bluster internationally) and the wonkish language of Bill Clinton in the 1990s (which often conveyed insincerity), Obama has managed to build his nuanced approach on a public persona bereft of stereotypes, whether they are racial, political, or religious. Skills learned on the campaign trail to manage his identity are shifting up a gear. He is careful not to overplay his hand. Conspiracy theories common in the Muslim world are crumbling. Even Al Qaeda seems somewhat spooked<\/a>. <\/p>\n During his campaign, Obama was almost hyper-sensitive about the impression that he might be Muslim, to the point where he was slow to respond to outright Islamophobia, instead leaving the task for supporters such as former Secretary of State Colin Powell. No longer. \u201cI have Muslim members of my family,\u201d he continued in the interview. \u201cI have lived in Muslim countries.\u201d More importantly, he went on to distinguish \u201cbetween organizations like al Qaeda\u2026 and people who may disagree with my administration\u2026 We can have legitimate disagreements but still be respectful,\u201d a clean break from the \u201cwith us or against us\u201d theme since 9\/11. The impact of words like this on the Muslim world cannot be underestimated. It is near astonishing.<\/p>\n And there\u2019s more. Since his election, Obama has promised to make a major address to the Muslim world from a Muslim capital (though he hasn\u2019t said where yet, Jakarta is a safe bet because he speaks \u201cpassable Bahasa<\/a>\u201c). Rather than appoint a by-the-numbers person to lead negotiations in the Middle East, Obama chose former US Senator (and Arab-American<\/a>) George Mitchell, who earned his keep brokering peace in Northern Ireland and making remarkably fair<\/a> assessments of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.<\/p>\n With these attributes and decisions, Obama\u2019s potential for constructive influence in the Muslim world is enormous. But all is not rosy. His authorisation of a missile strike in Pakistan that killed up to 22 people continues a policy started by his predecessor that has angered both the government and civilians in that country (though, as a campaign promise, the strikes should not have come as a surprise). In this, he risks bringing up memories of insincerity from presidents past \u2013 pleasant (if not nuanced) words, followed by unexpected military action. Given the events in Gaza and the global economic situation \u2013 which continues to tie America and the Arab world through oil \u2013 a further loss of goodwill could reopen old wounds and stifle progress.<\/p>\n But as it stands thus far, the military action in Pakistan is an outlier. Obama\u2019s faith in the impact of public relations on the political sphere, something that has been underestimated or ridiculed in the past, will be his big test before tough decisions are made in the Muslim world. And by making tough decisions of his own in his first week as an opening gesture \u2013 beginning the process of closing Guantanamo and drawing down troops from Iraq \u2013 the newly inaugurated PR president might actually get what he wants.<\/p>\n Zahed Amanullah is associate editor of altmuslim.com. He is based in London, England. Just one week into his presidency, Barack Obama is setting the tone for a new relationship with the Muslim world that differs dramatically from his predecessor. But success will depend on following through with his actions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":531,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2926","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-briefings","category-zahed-amanullah"],"yoast_head":"\n
\n<\/i><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"