President Obama delivered his much-awaited speech at Cairo University today, paying tribute to the Egyptian people and the contribution of Islam to the history of science and culture. He called for an end to the tensions between Muslims and the United States that have been caused by historical forces, including colonialism, the Cold War and the changes brought by modernity. He explained his goals in Iraq and Afghanistan, addressed Iran's nuclear aspirations and cited the Koran in a call for speaking truth after years of mistrust. Did he reach young people on the Arab street? Will his words make a difference to Israelis and Palestinians? What about Muslims in other parts of the world? We sample reactions from a variety of sources.
President Obama Speaks in Cairo
Credits
Guests:
- Michael Slackman - Foreign Correspondent, New York Times
- Fawaz Gerges - London School of Economics and Politics
- Robin Wright - contributing writer at The New Yorker magazine, and a joint fellow at U.S. Institute of Peace and the Woodrow Wilson Center - @wrightr
- Saad Eddin Ibrahim - Egyptian human rights advocate
- Geoffrey Aronson - Foundation for Middle East Peace