Are you concerned that the Obama overture toward Islam might backfire?

This is already the case (trying to make friends, yet killing muslims). I think backfiring is more likely to come from the US than from the Muslim world. I think Obama knows how to be tough when necessary. He’s got an iron fist beneath that velvet glove. I don’t believe that all Americans will understand what he’s doing.

The message that Obama is sending (or at least trying to send) is that Americans do not hate Muslims simply for being Muslim. This is another front in the war.

I thought his speech and the overtures therein were just a right mix respect and calling out muslim governments and indiviuals to step up and meet their obligations to the world community. As a Muslim residing in US I was rather proud to be both after reading the entire text of the speech, something I recommend everyone to do, for there are many wonderful things in it which the media will never report.

I believe where the problem lies is within the extremist elements of society (Christian, Secular or Muslim). Most Muslims are not extremists and they are able to discern good faith attempts at conciliation from unintended deaths due to our need to fight a war with extremists. In other words, I don’t think your majority of Muslims really identify with the Muslims we are fighting. And I think if we fight the wars the right way….actually going after Al Quaeda, trying to get Iraq to a stable place where it can command its own security, and not taking a Christian extremist view that we need to invade countries A, B, and C to spread our way of life.

We aren’t fighting all Muslims, nor are we fighting where we are fighting because the people there are Muslim. Rather, we are trying to stop some extremists from continuing to make war on us and on their own people.

I assume that Muslims with brains will understand that Obama is saying that we all need to avoid extremism and to do the best we can to avoid killing innocent people of whatever religion and citizenship.

Obama is having his message of peace delivered to the Muslim world by all means possible including 20 million Muslims on Facebook. If they insist on hatred and war, I’m sure Obama is prepared for that scenario, but ALL efforts for peace MUST be exhausted and they will be under THIS president.

We tried to demonize Islam and refused to talk to them for 8 yrs and that didn’t work. Bad things may happen but will it be because of those overtures or in spite of them?

There’s already a supposed “bin Ladin” tape out where he excoriates Obama for what’s happening in Pakistan and charging that Obama is as against the Muslim world as his predecessors. As if anyone thought the extremist factions would give him a pass…

This whole situation gives me the vapours.

@aprilsimnel What bin Laden says is of interest because…? Does anyone think he speaks for the Muslim world any more than Limbaugh speaks for America?

@galileogirl: It seems some republicans believe both those things.

I thought Obama made it quite clear that he was making a distinction between the extremists (who happen to be Muslim) versus the regular muslim population.

On the contrary. Remember ‘I have a dream’? And it came true. Why not work for the same on an international level. It was an impressive truly historic speech today.

Yeah Obama is a F’n idiot. If you play with fire you will get burned.

@gooch: Honestly, why aren’t you leading our country?

such insight

and such an appropriate name…

Cprevite I am sorry but I am already busy with a real job instead of screwing over the American future.

@gooch Kim Jong-Il, is that you?

@gooch Your comment “Yeah Obama is a F’n idiot. If you play with fire you will get burned” is apropos of nothing. If you don’t want to be thought a complete idiot, try to at least make a reference to the topic under discussion. You sounded like those cretins on AOL comments who respond to everything from crime stories to cute animal stories by castigating Obama or Hilary Clinton or whatever bee they have in their unhinged little bonnets.

@filmfann: LOL

@dalepetrie: Cool answer.

@siren…thanx

There is nothing to backfire. Do you Obama haters honestly think that a billion Muslims are going to just think Obama is a mean, rotten guy and attack Americans? That was Bush if anyone remembers correctly. Remember you’re either with us or against us? it’s a small wonder the entire Muslim world didn’t all attack us at once with Bush in office, but thankfully the vast majority of people around the world respect each other and for the most part have learned to disregard certain idiot leaders such as Bush. We merely wait until they’re out of office or wait till they die or both.

@mram50 have you considered the fact that obama is supporting conflict in afghanistan? and that the USA might have more conflict in the middle east, somalia etc?

the ‘backfire’ i’m wondering about is the saying of one thing (“we’re new & improved americans”) and doing the same old thing (killing muslims)....

Obama is inspiring the world. Look at what is happening in Iran. Do you think that is possible under Bush/Cheney, or McCain/Palin?

@filmfann – Totally agree.