Muslims credit Obama for new tone
Obama invokes Quran in key points of Cairo speech


U.S. President Barack Obama won praise from many Muslim leaders Thursday for a speech crafted to repair America's tainted image in the Islamic world, but more skeptical reactions showed he still has a mountain to climb.

His call for a "new beginning" with the Muslim world based on mutual interest and respect struck a chord with many who heard the speech the U.S. leader delivered at Cairo University.
But some said they had heard nothing new regarding specific policies, especially on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that symbolizes injustice for many Muslims around the world.

"America for the first time is adopting a very wise strategy in acknowledging the other and that was clear in every word chosen by President Obama," said Randa Achmawi, diplomatic editor for Egypt's Al-Ahram Hebdo.

Obama Seeks Common Ground, 'New Beginning' Between West and Muslim World

Highlighting his own Muslim roots and embracing Islamic culture, President Obama defined himself as the linchpin in a "new beginning" between the West and Islamic world.
The U.S. president delivered a sweeping, hour-long address Thursday in Cairo, aimed at reaching out to the world's 1.5 billion Muslims, an address he promised during the presidential campaign.
Obama's speech cycled through the most contentious of issues between and among Western and Islamic societies -- from Iraq to Afghanistan to democracy and religious freedom.
"I've come here to Cairo to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world -- one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect, and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition," Obama said.
The president sought to highlight Muslim contributions to the modern world and stress common ground between his country and Muslim states, drawing heavy focus to his early life in Muslim Indonesia as well as his Muslim family members. He noted that while he is a Christian, his father came from a Kenyan family that "includes generations of Muslims."
Obama quoted the Koran and greeted the Cairo University audience with the Arabic, "assalaamu alaykum." He used his full name, Barack Hussein Obama. The audience applauded thunderously when the president cited lessons from the Koran and at one point someone shouted, "We love you."