Obama chose Cairo over other Islamic cities, opting to arrive on June 4th, 2009 in order to avoid the 42nd anniversary of the Arab/Israeli war which started on June 5th, 1967. He will land at Cairo airport, bringing with him a new sense of American good will and hopefully a workable peace plan.
The Egyptian government through its official media apparatus has interpreted the visit as a clear endorsement of its policies. It has been congratulating itself on this achievement since the announcement was first made. Abul-Magd, Deputy Chairman of the state-sponsored National Council for Human Rights, described Obama’s choice of Cairo as significant. "It means,” he said, “Egypt's location as the heart of the Islamic world and its influence and pivotal role in the area is the best site to convey his message."
Misgivings about the Obama Visit
Not everybody, however, is cheering the decision. The opposition to Mubarak’s regime both inside and outside Egypt resents the tacit backing the event will offer the Egyptian government, which many regard as flagrantly undemocratic. They argue that the regime’s reliance on emergency laws and its poor track record on human rights deserve censure and call for denunciation.
Egyptians Remain Skeptical despite Obama's Popularity
Ordinary Egyptians have their reasons for remaining largely skeptical, in spite of the huge reservoir of good will they feel toward the new American president. They can still remember the time, not long ago, when the streets of Cairo were swarming with protesters stamping on the American flag and chanting against the Bush administration’s heavy-handed approach to the middle-east conflict. A radical change in American policies toward the region seems to them to be highly unlikely.
Additionally, they have a deep-seated mistrust of official messages. They have been regularly fed on a diet of official and semi-official promises that never actually materialized. Promises made at night, as the Arabic proverb goes, melt like butter in the morning. The assurances given by presidents during election speeches have the habit of evaporating in the clear sunlight of reality. It would take more than words to convince people that a real change is at hand.
Will Obama’s speech, which may be delivered from Cairo University, proclaim the dawning of a brave new world of amity between the western and Muslim worlds? Will the Muslims around the world suddenly experience a dramatic change of heart and become willing to turn a new leaf? All these are speculations that may never be satisfactorily answered.
What Obama's Visit Means for Ordinary Egyptians
For the twenty million inhabitants of the Egyptian metropolis, however, the most certain outcome of Obama’s visit will be a massive traffic jam, resulting from the unprecedented security measures to be taken to safeguard the eminent guest. Everything else is doubtful.
