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| Arabia |
| Saudis, expats back Obama |
| 2008-09-01 |
| There is overwhelming support among Saudis and expatriates here in the Kingdom for Democratic candidate Barack Hussein Obama as the next US president. A cross-section of both groups told Arab News yesterday that they wanted Obama to succeed George W. Bush. One Saudi said Obama was preferred because he is black while an expatriate felt his middle name suggested a willingness to tackle the contentious issues facing the Muslim world. On Aug. 27, the Democratic Party nominated Obama as its presidential candidate and Joe Biden as his running mate. On the following day, Republican candidate John McCain picked Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. Some Saudis said the US elections were a non-event for them, as it had nothing to do with their day-to-day lives. “I really did not know there was a presidential election in the United States in the first place. I do watch the news from time to time (on Arabic channels) but I haven’t seen or heard much about the American elections,” said Marwan Mohamed, a businessman. One who has been following developments in the United States closely is Pakistani expatriate Mohammed Yousuf. “Some believed Obama is a Muslim because of his middle name. All the blacks so far in power at various levels have shown their commitment and determination to serve the country and the world without discrimination of color and religion. However, the track record of whites has been to side with Israel rather than with Muslim countries. We now have a ray of hope in Obama. We expect him to solve the problems facing the Muslim world, including those in Iraq, Palestine and Kashmir. What has happened after Sept. 11, 2001, is that Muslims are being dubbed terrorists. We extend our support to Obama or anyone who will be able to solve problems related to the Muslim world,” said Yousuf. Lesser evil For Saudi businessman Yasin Alireza, Obama as president would be a “lesser evil,” particularly in the context of the issues facing the Islamic world. “We are familiar with US policy vis-a-vis the Muslim world and we do hope Obama will be able to bring about the desired change,” Alireza said. Some Arabs said they were dissatisfied with the Arabic media’s coverage of US election, as there was no proper analysis of the event in a language they understood. Many of them felt that the image of Islam had been tarnished through a hate campaign unleashed after Sept. 11. “I feel that whoever occupies the White House will continue the same policy that the US has been pursuing for years. This means we will continue to see the Palestinians and Israelis involved in an ongoing conflict,” said Adel Abdullah, a Jordanian expatriate. Mohamed Salem, 21, said he was shocked to see some of those watching the political conventions here on TV did not know what they were all about and reflected a deep cynicism. The general view was that whoever comes to power in the United States, the anti-Islam campaign in the West will continue. However, one glaring difference was found between Saudi men and women in the survey. While the men were more worried about Islam and Iraq, the women showed more concern for Palestine. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #7 "We expect him to solve the problems facing the Muslim world..." And what is problem #1 in the Muslim world? The Western world: Equal rights, individual rights, representative government, social/cultural tolerance, economic opportunity and prospertiy... this list goes on and on and on and on. As far as they are concerned, the sooner they can get rid of "us" (i.e. infidels), the better off they will be. |
| Posted by: eltoroverde 2008-09-01 12:25 |
| #6 "We extend our support to Obama or anyone who will be able to solve problems related to the Muslim world . . . " Which is why they will buy into the anti-Christ, or "Matreya" quite nicely. I agree with #4, but it won't happen. |
| Posted by: ex-lib 2008-09-01 11:23 |
| #5 " . . .the anti-Islam campaign in the West will continue" The ANTI-ISLAM CAMPAIGN . . . Rather, the paranoia in the Moslem world will continue. |
| Posted by: ex-lib 2008-09-01 11:21 |
| #4 We expect him to solve the problems facing the Muslim world... Solve'em yerselves. Fuckface. |
| Posted by: Mike N. 2008-09-01 10:53 |
| #3 That's all that needs to be said, isn't it? This is an Islamic candidate. Funded by Muzz, to buy the Presidency. Where is the MSM on this, the single most important topic of the election? It is so blatant, that even a blind man could see it. |
| Posted by: Woozle Elmeter 2700 2008-09-01 10:45 |
| #2 "Some believed Obama is a Muslim because of his middle name. There as well eh? |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2008-09-01 07:55 |
| #1 Maybe Obama will go over there and give a campaign speech. It's one of the 57 states, right? |
| Posted by: Swamp Blondie in the Cornfields 2008-09-01 00:36 |