Saturday
06Jun2009
Egyptians on twitter unimpressed with Obama speech
Saturday, June 6, 2009 at 12:39PM
Sarah Carr reports...
Whole areas of Cairo were off-limits for its residents during US President Barack Obama’s visit on Thursday, as the capital’s main arteries were closed to traffic and pedestrians.
Confined to their homes, Egypt’s Twitter users passed the time by engaging in a lively debate about the merits or otherwise of Obama’s speech.
While waiting for Obama to arrive at Cairo University blogger Wael Abbas spent the time celebrity-spotting, possibly because he was “stuck with old people” downstairs and “all the [babes] are upstairs in the journos and students section” [sic].
Abbas quipped that “there are actually more actors than politicians”.
Abbas criticized the “puppets” who “stood up and became hysterical and clapped as soon as Hillary Clinton arrived” as if they are “teenagers at a Tamer Hosny concert”.
Obama’s mispronouncing of several Arabic words provoked much mirth. A twitter user who goes by the name Revolutionary Socialist asked “el azaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar? Whats that obama???”. But the real fun began when the speech – or “American … propaganda” as Nora Shalaby, described it, began in earnest.
Several Twitter users were critical of the US president’s repeated quoting of the Quran.
“I hate it when US presidents quote the Quran ... Give me a … break!” blogger Hossam El-Hamlawy writes. By the end of the speech he was livid: “STOP QUOTING THE QURAN!!!”
Abbas says that he felt “ashamed” as a result of Obama’s speech because “he humored us — what con artistry! — with two Quranic verses and the stupid people were overjoyed”.
Zeinobia says, however, that Obama “is using the holy Quran to fight terrorism”.
Revolutionary Socialist notes that Obama “mentioned ‘extremists’ within a minute of starting speech”. Wael Khalil makes the same point: “1st issue is violent extremism ... welcome back Mr bush” he says.
Obama’s statements on Israel predictably elicited angry responses.
Zeinobia said that she “did not like the Palestinian part” in the speech, while other bloggers were more blunt.
El-Hamalawy tweeted that Obama “is defending apartheid in Israel”. “Obama is denouncing the Palestinian resistance asking them to drop arms and surrender ... Empty rhetoric about Israeli settlements. He says they must stop but not dismantle what has been built already” he writes in other Twitter messages.
Wael Khalil is also critical. “Same old Holocaust justification for Israel. Dude, it wasn’t us, it was the Germans”.
“The suffering in Palestine is not in the past, dude,” Khalil adds later.
Much of Obama’s speech was interrupted by applause and cheering from the audience. “National Democratic Party stooges must stop clapping” Khalil says of this, then writes “NDP didn’t cheer for the mention of democracy hehe”. He later asks, “does anyone understand the logic of clapping?”
Both Zeinobia and El-Hamalawy criticize the part of Obama’s speech dealing with minorities in the Muslim world, though for different reasons.
“I don’t like the parts concerning minorities in the Islamic world, especially in Egypt and Lebanon. I don’t like ignoring the Israeli aggression,” Zeinobia writes while El-Hamalawy says, “It’s wrong to put Maronites and Copts in the same basket! Totally wrong!”
Dalia Ziada called the speech “terrific and inspirational”, prompting the scorn of leftist Yasary Masry who tells her, “shame on you!”
While initially enthusiastic about the speech, Eman AbdElRahman was disappointed.
“Obama is not as amazing as I thought at first ... I don’t believe his lies about Afghanistan.” “I feel it’s so much filled with polishing for US rather than addressing the Muslim world”.
Revolutionary Socialist wrote that the speech fulfilled his expectation that Obama “would just recycle old b***t” while Nora Shalaby called it “completely patronizing”.
Khalil acknowledges that Obama “is a leap from that Bush guy” but says that what “he most disliked” about the speech “is the references to ‘living in the past’.”
“It’s the present injustice that is enraging me Mr Obama,” Khalil writes.
Whole areas of Cairo were off-limits for its residents during US President Barack Obama’s visit on Thursday, as the capital’s main arteries were closed to traffic and pedestrians.
Confined to their homes, Egypt’s Twitter users passed the time by engaging in a lively debate about the merits or otherwise of Obama’s speech.
While waiting for Obama to arrive at Cairo University blogger Wael Abbas spent the time celebrity-spotting, possibly because he was “stuck with old people” downstairs and “all the [babes] are upstairs in the journos and students section” [sic].
Abbas quipped that “there are actually more actors than politicians”.
Abbas criticized the “puppets” who “stood up and became hysterical and clapped as soon as Hillary Clinton arrived” as if they are “teenagers at a Tamer Hosny concert”.
Obama’s mispronouncing of several Arabic words provoked much mirth. A twitter user who goes by the name Revolutionary Socialist asked “el azaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar? Whats that obama???”. But the real fun began when the speech – or “American … propaganda” as Nora Shalaby, described it, began in earnest.
Several Twitter users were critical of the US president’s repeated quoting of the Quran.
“I hate it when US presidents quote the Quran ... Give me a … break!” blogger Hossam El-Hamlawy writes. By the end of the speech he was livid: “STOP QUOTING THE QURAN!!!”
Abbas says that he felt “ashamed” as a result of Obama’s speech because “he humored us — what con artistry! — with two Quranic verses and the stupid people were overjoyed”.
Zeinobia says, however, that Obama “is using the holy Quran to fight terrorism”.
Revolutionary Socialist notes that Obama “mentioned ‘extremists’ within a minute of starting speech”. Wael Khalil makes the same point: “1st issue is violent extremism ... welcome back Mr bush” he says.
Obama’s statements on Israel predictably elicited angry responses.
Zeinobia said that she “did not like the Palestinian part” in the speech, while other bloggers were more blunt.
El-Hamalawy tweeted that Obama “is defending apartheid in Israel”. “Obama is denouncing the Palestinian resistance asking them to drop arms and surrender ... Empty rhetoric about Israeli settlements. He says they must stop but not dismantle what has been built already” he writes in other Twitter messages.
Wael Khalil is also critical. “Same old Holocaust justification for Israel. Dude, it wasn’t us, it was the Germans”.
“The suffering in Palestine is not in the past, dude,” Khalil adds later.
Much of Obama’s speech was interrupted by applause and cheering from the audience. “National Democratic Party stooges must stop clapping” Khalil says of this, then writes “NDP didn’t cheer for the mention of democracy hehe”. He later asks, “does anyone understand the logic of clapping?”
Both Zeinobia and El-Hamalawy criticize the part of Obama’s speech dealing with minorities in the Muslim world, though for different reasons.
“I don’t like the parts concerning minorities in the Islamic world, especially in Egypt and Lebanon. I don’t like ignoring the Israeli aggression,” Zeinobia writes while El-Hamalawy says, “It’s wrong to put Maronites and Copts in the same basket! Totally wrong!”
Dalia Ziada called the speech “terrific and inspirational”, prompting the scorn of leftist Yasary Masry who tells her, “shame on you!”
While initially enthusiastic about the speech, Eman AbdElRahman was disappointed.
“Obama is not as amazing as I thought at first ... I don’t believe his lies about Afghanistan.” “I feel it’s so much filled with polishing for US rather than addressing the Muslim world”.
Revolutionary Socialist wrote that the speech fulfilled his expectation that Obama “would just recycle old b***t” while Nora Shalaby called it “completely patronizing”.
Khalil acknowledges that Obama “is a leap from that Bush guy” but says that what “he most disliked” about the speech “is the references to ‘living in the past’.”
“It’s the present injustice that is enraging me Mr Obama,” Khalil writes.
tagged Fuck Obama, Obama, Pimplomacy, twitter in Activism, Amreeka, Bloggers, Egypt, Media
Fuck Obama, Obama, Pimplomacy, twitter in Activism, Amreeka, Bloggers, Egypt, Media
Reader Comments (3)
i say its very ignorant to think such bad things obama wants peace with all countries WORLD PEACE but with people like these nagging and with their argumentive opinions how can there be such things keep ur ignorant stupid opinions to urself i also say that if u actually listen to his speech instead of thinking inside ur own head disagreeing with every word he is saying i also say that i luv all people alsoo that america has people from all over the world living there n i also think that if they r so against america they need to think about the people whos coming there to start a new life not everyones the same once again people should keep there ignorant opinions to thereself obamas a wonderful awsome every good word in the world president of america
"obama wants peace with all countries WORLD PEACE"
So the bombs he's dropping on Afghanistan are "peace bombs"?
[WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us '0 which is not a hashcash value.
good person - it is quite good to think along your lines because it just shows what the majority of those zombified by the history believe. The history that teaches us that there are important and less important people on this planet. Obama is not a bad person. I for one as a black person am proud of his achievement. He is the first black American president. He has turned the tables of history. Not so long ago his parents were slaves, now they are leaders of the worst crimininal country in terms of enslaving others purely for the colour of their skin. But what you must bear in mind is that Obama is nobody in the big picture.
Obama represents a system that dates back centuries including the period of slavery, where those with money exploited others purely for the colour of their skin. Being bought and sold like animal livestock must be the worst experience any human being can ever go through. So, through many years of blacks rebelling against enslavement, Obama, a black face now represents a system that has burnt itself. That chauvanistic egoistic superior steriotypitical white men syndrome knows it has destroyed our world and lost all credibility. Now, the message these monied buffoons are saying is, 'Look at us in America, we have the whole world's best interests at heart. We have someone whose religious background is Islam, someone whose ancestors were bought and sold.' So their message is simple, 'believe us now when we say we have repented our sins and have your interests at heart.' Of course some people like yourself believe this rubbish, just as racists believe that they are superior, just as tribalists believe they are superior, just as chauvanists believe they are superior etc. Obama can say what Obama says, but Obama cannot change the system. The roots of capitalism, exploitation and oppression are so deep that it takes more than words to correct this diabolic system where some people wipe their arses with ££££$$$$ when the rest of the world is becoming extinct from hunger, bombs and bullets. It takes more that one man to stop the bombs that are falling on innocent people in the Muslim world. Obama may want world peace, but he does not control those who manufacture nuclear bombs and weapons of mass destruction, he does not control the Zionists. He has no say in the matter, hence his only choice is to play by the books, and those books have no ordinary person at heart!
We, the poor suffering world majority of all colours are the ones to bring CHANGE. Ain't easy honey, but that is the only choice we have! As a black person, I ain't ever gonna be bought or sold because I know which side I am on! If you read Hossam's blog you will find out that Obama's visit to Cairo was no different from Bush's visit to London. The state apparatus takes over our streets just to protect one man. Why?