Obama to the Muslim World

This past Monday (January 26th), President Obama presented a humble and promising message to the Muslim world in his first official interview since taking office. In his interview with the Al-Arabiya Network, Obama managed to balance a message of humility and friendship with a firm grounding in American policy and principle. Some remarks that I found notable:

"I have Muslim members of my family. I have lived in Muslim countries. My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy."

(In regards to what Obama told George Mitchell, his personal envoy to the Middle-east)
"What I told him is start by listening, because all too often the United States starts by dictating — in the past on some of these issues — and we don't always know all the factors that are involved," Obama said. "What we want to do is to listen, set aside some of the preconceptions that have existed and have built up over the last several years. And I think if we do that, then there's a possibility at least of achieving some breakthroughs."

“I think it is possible for us to see a Palestinian state -- I'm not going to put a time frame on it -- that is contiguous, that allows freedom of movement for its people, that allows for trade with other countries, that allows the creation of businesses and commerce so that people have a better life.”

I also found it very interesting that Obama strongly praised Saudi King Abdullah for his Middle-east Peace Plan he recently proposed.
“Well, here's what I think is important. Look at the proposal that was put forth by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. I might not agree with every aspect of the proposal, but it took great courage to put forward something that is as significant as that. I think that there are ideas across the region of how we might pursue peace.”

All of these quotes I found to be examples of agency, but a new form of agency, one that is quite the opposite of the tradition form of American agency. In recent history, American agency has usually been presented with brute force and strong ultimatums. A prime example of this older form of agency is the invasion of Iraq, where the United States invaded Iraq before there was evidence of weapons of mass destruction, with only a little support from other nations; in effect the United States acted as if they were a world police force. In comparison to this proud and rash form of agency, one that often required the oppression of others, it would appear that Obama is not exercising agency at all, but rather, letting the Middle-east exercise agency over their own affairs. However, I believe he is in fact exercising great agency, and doing so in a way that does not oppress others. By telling his personal envoy to the Middle-east to “start by listening, because all too often the United States starts by dictating”, I believe Obama is not only showing the right way for the “leader of the free world” to lead, but trying to understand issues so that the United States will be beneficial in their intervention. By complementing the Mid-east peace proposal put forth by King Abdullah, even if he does not entirely agree with it, Obama is also showing agency, similar as to how a coach might encourage his players. Overall, I believe this new form of agency is an excellent change. After all, in today’s world, complex issues cannot be resolved by the actions of one nation alone, as powerful as it may be. Obama’s use of agency to encourage and include the support of other nations is the form of agency that is necessary to institute global change and progress.