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 Syed
Shahabuddin's statement on President Obama's Speech
PRESS STATEMENT
Joint Committee of Muslim Organisations for Empowerment (JCMOE)
New Delhi: 6 June, 2009. Mr. Syed
Shahabuddin, Convener, Joint Committee of Muslim Organisations for
Empowerment has issued the following statement;
‘As Muslims form a global community they cannot ignore a major initiative
by the President of the USA which is the only global power. President
Obama’s Cairo speech should be welcomed as a good beginning but Muslims
should exercise caution in drawing conclusion and take note of its short
comings.
The first short coming is that President Obama practically ignores 1/3 of
Muslim world which live in minority situations.
Secondly, President Obama is very soft on Israel because of domestic
compulsions. He equates Palestinian resistance with Israel’s military
invasions, expresses no commitment to press Israel to withdraw from Arab
Occupied Territories and demolish existing Israeli settlements on the West
Bank or the Wall. Neither does he offer to Israel a security umbrella or
withdrawal from the Arab areas which would meet Israel’s persistent
excuse. He has no words to condemn Israel’s recent invasion of Gaza. He
forgets to mention Israel’s nuclear arsenal, the only one in the Middle
East.
President Obama waves the flag of democracy but whether it is Palestine or
Afghanistan, its legitimacy in his eyes, depends on its pro-American
stance. He offers development resources but his generosity is limited to
those Muslim states which are friendly to the USA. On Iran, Obama offers
unconditional dialogue, and grants it right to access nuclear energy,
provided it signs the NPT, which Israel has not.
The real test of President Obama will be how far he can go to press Israel
to withdraw from the Occupied Territories and desist from changing the
geography, history and demography of Jerusalem which is a sacred city
unity for Muslim, Christians and Jews alike.
The third shortcoming is his policy on Afghanistan; continued foreign
occupation and support to an unpopular regime is bound to prove counter-
productive. Al Qaida can be tamed only by a democratic regime in
Afghanistan.
Sd/-
Syed Shahabuddin
Convener
Joint Committee of Muslim Organisations for Empowerment (JCMOE)
D-250, Abul Fazal Enclave, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi - 110 025 Phone:
2694 6780 Fax: 2694 7346
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