July 15, 2009
Why does Obama treat Africa and the Arab world differently?
Does President Barack Obama (D) treat Christian Africa differently from the Arab/Muslim world?
Writing in Forbes , Anne Bayefsky, professor and director of the Touro College Institue on Human Rights, thinks he does. In a series of revealing vignettes she compares and contrasts his words and deeds to these two areas concluding "Stroking Muslim and Arab nations has become the hallmark of Obama's foreign policy."
Some vivid examples.
Speaking in Ghana on Saturday President Obama lectured Africans on local repression, corruption, brutality, good governance and accountability. (snip) In Egypt, he chose not to utter the words "terrorism" or "genocide." In Egypt, there was nothing "brutal" he could conjure up, no "corruption" and no "repression". In Ghana, with a 70% Christian population, he mentioned "good governance" seven times and added direct calls upon his audience to "make change from the bottom up." He praised "people taking control of their destiny" and pressed "young people" to "hold your leaders accountable."
He made no such calls for action by the people of Arab states--despite the fact that not a single Arab country is "free," according to the latest Freedom House global survey.
Before the Muslim world Obama donned the role of apologist-in-chief.
(snip)
In Ghana he pointed to specific heroes that had exposed human rights abuse, singling out by name a courageous investigative reporter. In Egypt, though journalists and bloggers are routinely threatened, jailed and worse, no such brave soul came to mind.
(snip)
From Ghana he chided Africans: "No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery. That is not democracy, that is tyranny, even if occasionally you sprinkle an election in there. And now is the time for that style of governance to end."
Compelling proof indeed that he does treat the two regions differently. But there is still no answer to Ms. Bayefsky's question "Why does he treat the two so differently?"
Why indeed.