In a letter to President Obama, Ezzedine Choukri Fishere* argues that respect for Arab interests, not cultural sensitivities, is the key for the Arab world and the United States to rebuild their shattered trust President Obama, it is a pleasure to welcome you in Cairo. We would have loved to also welcome Michelle and to show Sasha and Malia some of the sites they read about in their history books. But we can do this later on: our door will always be open for them. But not for you, I am afraid. As American president, you have a very short grace period in this part of the world. The level of enthusiasm your election has generated in the Arab world is unprecedented; people heard your call for change and believed that yes you can. But celebration time is over, Mr President. It is now time for deeds and the people here will judge you quickly, and severely. Naturally, we expect you to promote American interests. But we demand that you respect ours. The United States cannot lead unilaterally or through subjugation and divisive policies as your predecessor unwisely did. You committed yourself to multilateralism, integration and inclusiveness. And we respect you for it. As you try to understand what "our problem" is, beware of what Orientalists tell you about us. We don't want to be treated as a "special case"; an over-sensitive people with peculiar customs and garments. To win us over, you need not visit mosques, celebrate exotic holidays, or hug a scary-looking religious figure. To win our hearts you must win our minds first. And our minds are set on the protection of our interests. Today, our most basic interest is security. In Palestine, Iraq, Somalia, Pakistan, and in Afghanistan, Arabs and Muslims are dying by the dozen every day. Those dead people are our people -- civilians and militants alike. And the US is directly or indirectly involved in their death. Past injustice saw the seeds of hatred and despair whose tragic results we are reaping today. We do not approve of terrorists' methods. Like you, we hate the sin. But we love the sinner, for he is ours. The answer to the sin is neither to condone it nor to kill the sinner. There is another way. We can shoulder the burden in these places; engage actively in restoring normal life and in reigning extremism in. It would be part of taking responsibility for ourselves, and of living up to the challenge of the future and the legacy of a complex past. But this is possible only if you are truly prepared to shoulder your own responsibilities in these places where you play a key role. The same applies to Iran. For us, the Iranian power bid is not more disturbing than Israel's. We like neither. And we can come in and play a helpful role with Iran if your administration is prepared to get Israel to play fair. Israel's unchecked nuclear capabilities are a disaster waiting to happen. Bombing Iran is no different from bombing motivated terrorists hiding in a sea of civilians: both are morally unjustifiable and politically counterproductive. And we can help each other in addressing these challenges to our mutual benefit. Finally, our most cherished cause is Palestine. America helped the Zionist movement build a state over Palestinian territory and dispossess a whole Arab nation in the process. We will not forget that past. But we might forgive it if you help Israel overcome its Zionist over-zeal and become a normal member of the region. We, Arabs, have done our part on this one, Mr President. It is now incumbent on you, as the most important friend of Israel, to bring it back from the abyss that extremism is driving it towards. If you take our interests on board, we can build a genuine Arab-American partnership that would gradually cleanse hatred and replace mutual distrust. Some argue that winning our hearts is not worth the effort; that the United States is powerful enough to impose its will. This is the principle that guided the Bush administration policies towards the Middle East. But then again, Mr President, this is no longer an option you can take. You have made equality, justice and hope a cornerstone of your campaign promises. We stand for these same values, Mr President. We blame America not for its values but for violating them when it comes to dealing with us. A fresh start is therefore possible, if your administration upholds the values you committed yourself to. President Obama, we heralded your message of hope; we believed you. Don't you dare disappoint us now. * The writer is a novelist and an academic.
