Arabs look for action from Obama

CAIRO – Egyptians are immensely proud that President Barack Obama has chosen Cairo University as the site for his speech addressing the world’s 1.5 billion Muslims on Thursday. They see it as a gesture of respect, and an acknowledgement that their capital is the seat of Islamic-Arab culture.

Workmen cleaned the university’s gates this week as students hurried across the manicured campus. Final exams are only days away, yet the talk was all about the American president’s visit.

Amr Nabil / AP

A veiled Egyptian vendor sells newspapers and magazines about President Barack Obama in Cairo on Wednesday, a day before his arrival to address the Muslim world in a speech.

Ingy Attallah, a 20-year-old business major, is one of about 300 students chosen to attend the speech along with politicians, business leaders and notables from all over the country.

“When they told me I could attend, I was very excited. I was one of Obama’s biggest fans during his election campaign, and when he won I was very excited,” she said.

And what would she like to hear in the speech?

“A specific plan of action on how he will deal with the conflicts in the Middle East, especially the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. And when he will get American troops out of Iraq,” she said.

Mohammed Abu Shakka, a 19-year-old engineering student, also plans to attend the speech.

“We have high hopes for Barack Obama,” he said. “But if he doesn’t do anything – just talk – it will get people really disappointed.”

Actions, not just words – that was the strongest common sentiment we encountered this week when asking people in Cairo what they would be listening for in Obama’s speech.

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Source:
http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/06/03/1951761.aspx