Iranian bloggers discuss Obama's Iowa victory
Several Iranian bloggers are discussing the victory of U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama in Iowa. It was the first nominating contest of the 2008 presidential election. Some rejoice in Obama’s victory, while others evaluate what impact “Obama as President” would have on Iranian political life.
Farhad Afshar reflects on [Fa] how the majority of the population in Iowa are white but still preferred to vote for a black candidate. The blogger also writes:
… the whispers of a Democratic candidate winning the US presidential election could soften the dark and frozen atmosphere in Iran. Iran's current president – Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – was elected two years ago to face the foreign threat of having Iran considered a part of the ‘axis of evil’. Two years ago, Iran could have been attacked any moment, and a person was chosen to counter the foreign pressure. If the foreign threat diminishes, a slow democratic movement can go forward. Obama's ideas on foreign affairs and Iran make reformists happy… maybe some do not know but peace and dialogue is like poison for a group whose political existence relies on violence and war.
Neghano considers [Fa] the American election a great achievement of democracy and says that democracy in the USA is the fruit of 300 years of effort and civil society struggle, and did not happen in a night.
Nikahang Kosar, a cartoonist and journalist says [Fa] the message of Obama is “change” and that the youth supports him, even though Hillary Clinton still looks more likely to be elected in many states. The blogger says that Obama’s middle name is Hussein, and that many right wing media want to make people believe he is linked with Islamist radicals. Nikahang says many Americans are afraid of Moslem and Islamic names. Finally the blogger adds that if Obama wins the presidential election, the dream of Martin Luther King will finally become a reality.
Amin has misunderstood [Fa] Obama’s religious background. Although the media discuss Obama's Christian belief, this blogger says a black Moslem is on the road to become next American president. The blogger adds that some right wing media want to make people believe he is an extremist Islamist, but many think he is a secular Moslem.
Nonoghalam says [Fa] that a leading Israeli newspaper, Haaretz , attributed the least points to Obama among all candidates. According to the blogger, the value base was each candidate's apparent support for Israel. Barack wants direct talks with Iran.
Farrad02 writes in the Iranian.com blog:
… the basic reason for Hillary's fizzle (in my view) was the fact that she forgot the most important rule of American electioneering: In the party primaries you run as a passionate radical (in her case as a far left liberal) to ensure the maximum appeal to your party's faithful base! Then once you have won the nomination, you move back to the center and run for the national elections as a centrist! I'm very surprised that Hillary forgot this basic rule and has been running a centrist campaign, as if she has already won the nomination and she is running against the Republican finalist!
8 comments
Obama claims his Kenyan father through the Afrcian church in America. These types of churches are basically racist and require someone have African roots to join. They are usually a problem because they are racial. Obama is embarrassed by his church base. Africom may have been his creation. He may have used his influence and that of African Americans and the African church in America to force it’s creation.
Obama is embarrassing . His church is embarrassing. These types claim being African before being American and, basically, are considered treasonous. Obama doesn’t stand a chance and his security just went up; the embarrassment pays.
What an eccentric opinion from md. We must inhabit different worlds. As a white Englishman part educated in USA (Philadelphia, Detroit, Ann Arbor) who lives in inner-city Birmingham UK the idea of a black church that doesn’t welcome a white man is outside my experience or knowledge. Obama gives me hope that America, a country I love, has a chance to emerge from a spreading nightmare of fear and polarisation. Of course we’ll see the slanderers at work but who better experienced to take them in his stride to the Presidency. I’m enormously appreciative of the opportunity to read the words and thoughts of Iranian bloggers. The silence has lasted too long and whether I like or dislike or area or disagree, pleasure comes from the possibility of debate. Respect!
Md’s statement is not accurate. I have never heard of an African American church that does not allow Whites to join. Obama’s church definitely does not do this, if it did it would have been used as ammo by his political opponents a long time ago. There are churches that preach what is called “Black Liberation Theology”. But this is not anti-White, it is a carryover of the Civil Rights movement that requires African Americans to work towards the improvements of their communities and to fight against racism. A cause that has been extremely important as legalized discrimination dominated American society until forty years ago.
Obama’s strength, apart from his integrity in the moral minefield of government, his evident courage (he makes being relaxed under pressure look easy), and intelligence, is that he says ‘we’ more than ‘I’.
Dear Hamid,
As an Israeli and American, this post was important for me to read. Thank you.
Maya Norton
(Israel writer, Global Voices Online)
Learn more about Obama here
http://www.audacityofHypocrisy.com