A New Dawn for America
A new day has dawned in America. It has come in the form of the election of Barack Obama, the President-elect of the country. His election is a symbol of the century that has just dawned, the twenty-first century, and represents hopes and aspirations of the vast multitudes around the globe. He is seen as an embodiment of all those values and ideals that people yearn for, especially the oppressed masses yearning to breathe free.
Unfortunately, the Bush administration made those values and ideals exclusively Republican, giving them lip service, while he continued to dismantle individual rights. These are shared by much of the humanity even though they may not be able to express those while living under tyrannical rulers in their own countries.
However, for the first time ever the election of an American president was celebrated around the world. People poured out into the streets and danced with joy, freely shedding tears of delight as they realized the historic significance of what had transpired right in front of their eyes. In Kenya, where some of Obama’s relatives still live, the government declared a national holiday.
This transformative election of the first black man to the White House, by a largely white electorate, remains unbelievable. It was like a dream come true that echoed the words of Martin Luther King Jr., “freedom at last,” at the moment the results became clear beginning with Grant’s Park crowd in Chicago.
Those of us who witnessed the long civil rights struggle were swept off our feet. The sons and daughters of brave people who were beaten with truncheons while marching for their rights, had dogs unleashed upon them, were hosed with powerful fire-hoses, had at last voted to make one of their own the leader of the most powerful country in the world.
This writer as a witness to the powerful civil rights struggle of the fifties, never expected in his lifetime to see a black man even to run for the presidency, or being nominated, let alone getting voted-in to the highest office in the land. It is truly historic and a remarkable achievement.
Perhaps, even more amazing for many observers of the American political scene is that that someone with a non-Anglo-Saxon name was even given a chance to become a candidate for the office of the president. Most surprising of all is that a person with a middle name of “Hussein,” a strange, foreign and Muslim name tinged with stereotypes, prejudice and Islamophobia, would be elected by the populace to the position of the highest honor.
Much to the credit of the fair-minded, liberal and visionary Americans the unexpected has happed. Yesterday’s underdog has been given a chance.
There is among the Muslims of the world, as in other part of the globe, the anticipation, that the major platform of change articulated by Obama would be applied to the disastrous US policies in the Middle East. The awakening public fully expects that the American imposed wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the so-called “national security” inspired conflicts around the world would be brought to a screeching halt.
The only country that would oppose changes in the US policies in the Middle East would be Israel. Some indications on that score has been given by Benjamin Emanuel, the father of Obama’s Chief of Staff, Rahmm Emanuel, who indicated in a widely quoted anti-Arab tirade that his son is there to make Obama administration more “pro-Israel.” On top of that Hillary, who is known for her anti-Palestinian views, has been appointed the Secretary of State.
Many liberals and most Muslims are disappointed by other appointments in the administration. They wanted “change we can believe in” and not “business as usual.”
But that need not detract us from the fact that “our moment has come.” The colored masses of the world can finally hold up their heads high. Barack Obama has become a historic symbol for them and will continue to be an inspiration for all those struggling for rights around the globe.
