President Barack Obama's Speech at Cairo - Essay Example

Freedom of religion is a basic human right that is enjoyed by billions of people all over the world. Many in the nonreligious worlds of Europe and The United States in general hold religion in contempt, yet there is something in the human soul that cries out for religion. The problem with this longing is that billions of people all over the world live in nations that actively suppress freedom of religious belief or expression in one way or another. This conflict between religion and the state is the source of much suffering and strife in these nations. Freedom to exercise religion has resulted in a few examples of successful, stable, multicultural nations that are committed to equality and the rule of law. The United States of America has many flaws, but an unyielding commitment to freedom of religious practice and expression is not one of them. The United States of America has set the standard for the world where free practice of religion in concerned. When president Barrack Obama visited Cairo to offer an address to the Muslim world soon after being elected president, promoting freedom of religion was a major point in his speech. President Obama spent much of the introduction in his speech recounting the cooperation and conflicts that occurred throughout history between Muslims and Christians. He spoke eloquently and did not shy away from clearly speaking about sensitive issues such as holy wars and colonialism. He quickly framed his speech as a means of building trust and bridging gaps that had grown between Christians and Muslims. He indicated that he felt there were six main points of interest that needed to be explored through negotiations, dialogue and confidence building measures between Muslims and Christians, or more accurately, between Muslims and The West. These six points were the threats of violent extremism, the Arab-Israeli conflict, nuclear proliferation, the establishment of democratic institutions, religious freedom and women’s rights. After speaking at length about the importance of each point, Mr. Obama put them forth as a sort of pathway towards greater understanding and reconciliation between The United States and Muslims. The most important of these points to me personally is freedom of religion. I believe that adherence to a religion that teaches peace and tolerance will do more to improve the lot of all people around the world than governments or armies will ever be able to accomplish. Religion is a guide for the conscience and I believe that I must be exercised freely and without governmental intervention if people are truly able to discover their purpose for living and how they can help make the world a better place for all inhabitants. Freedom of religion is not just a nice byproduct of a democracy and a nation that lives by the rule of law. Freedom to exercise any religion is vital for the very existence of democracy. If religious minorities are not allowed to exercise religious expression, or if the state dissuades everyone from developing religious thoughts, then there is no chance of having a real democracy. The citizens will not express their true opinions about government if they are not even allowed to express them concerning something as basic and personal as religion. President Obama makes several strong arguments in support of freedom of religion. The first argument was an appeal to the spirit prevalent in other eras where tolerance and freedom of religion between Christians and Muslims was the norm. Specifically he mentioned Cordoba and Andalusia in Spain during the Middle Ages. These places saw a flourishing of unique forms of art, architecture and poetry that was the byproduct of a cosmopolitan and tolerant culture. Ideas between people of disparate faiths could be shared in this sort of atmosphere. As a result, the entire culture benefited. Another argument President Obama made for increased religious freedoms globally is that through respectful contact with people of other religions, solutions to divisions in the society can be strengthened and everyone’s faith can be increased. He specifically mentions the fact that many in the Muslim world think that the best way to show a strong faith in Islam is to denigrate all other religions. I thought that it might have been unfair for him to single out Muslims for this way of thinking because many Christians think this way too. But I understand his reasoning because of how he followed these statements. He said that by living in harmony with people of other faiths, we could tolerate differences and build a greater true belief in our respective religions. There is no need to tear down others to make you stronger when religion is concerned. Mixed in with President Obamas assertions about the benefits of religious freedom comes a few warnings about perceptions about religion and making rules about religious behavior. He points out that rules in Muslim countries that reduce Christians to second-class citizen status are just a bad as rules in Western nations that have made wearing traditional Muslim dress illegal. He stresses that both policies are equally discriminatory. President Obama offers credible support in his argument for freedom of religion all over the world. It is true that religion plays a vital role in shaping the beliefs and personal choices of billions of people every day. Fostering religious freedom is one way that a people can actually grow stronger in their faith. If rules limit access to all other religions, how can you really know if what you believe is true? Culturally, exposing and mixing religions with one another is a way to building dialogue and understanding. This is what President Obama seems to want when the speech is placed in context. I believe that President Obama could have actually expanded his argument for freedom of religion by noting the key role that religion plays in all aspects of life. I think he could have spoken more about courageous leaders and individuals that opened up closed societies so they could have amore free exchange of ideas. This would have been very useful because then real life examples of the benefits of free religious though could have been examined on their merits and in detail. As far as content is concerned, I believe that a stress on freedom of religion was given less emphasis than solving the Arab-Israeli conflict and battling extremists. I think that a bit more time spent on fostering religious freedom in the speech would have sent the message that this is just as important and these other political situations. Human rights do count and they involve being able to worship whom, why and how you please. My overall impression of the speech was positive. I realize that President Obama is just a politician like any other. He only has so much power to bring the things he talks about to pass. He is indeed a person that seems to care about the rights of individuals as well as the rights of sovereign nations. This is the tone that I found to be the most encouraging because I believe that this is where real change takes place. When political ideology is stripped away and individual beliefs about Deity are shared, and then progress on improving the human condition can take place. When the focus is on armies, politicians and speeches, very little actually changes. President Obama’s speech, particularly the bit on freedom of religious expression was so successful because it recognizes that geopolitical conflicts can often be addressed by improving of addressing basic human rights such as giving women equal rights under the law and allowing freedom of religion. Read More