Cairo: Bring On Barack

President Obama is scheduled to take Cairo by storm on June 4, 2009. Waiting with trepidation, the entire Muslim world will translate, interpret, quantify and dissect every word Obama utters.

1.5 billion Muslims want to hear that the US is not their enemy. That the Bush Administration policies are no longer in effect. That Muslims throughout the world are welcome in the United States. That is, if they can get through security.

Racial profiling by U.S. Department of Homeland Security at international airports is rampant. Maybe it's not truly racial profiling since many of the security agents are of middle eastern descent themselves. Who better to detect a particular Arabic dialect than a native Arabic speaker? Perhaps they are looking for a Swat Valley dialect or other Pakistani Highland brogue which might indicate that the traveller is more likely a present threat.

As for those travellers of North American appearance, and accent, processing at the airport is a breeze. No delays, no questions, no problems. Not so if your passport is not in English. Worse if it is in Arabic.

Perhaps Obama can placate the average Muslim citizen, but what about those who recognize rhetoric when they hear it? Sphere: Related Content