After watching Pres. Obama's speech in Cairo, I was pleased to see he addressed some of the points I hoped he would. He began with the traditional greeting of the Arab and Muslim worlds, as-salam alaykum (peace be upon you). He then talked about the importance of Al-Azhar University, the problem of settlements, Sunni-Shi'ah conflict, interfaith history, the history of Muslims in America, and rule of tyrany under the guise of democracy. Of course, he touched on much more and in much more depth. It is worth looking at the content of his speech in more detail. Although he speaks as a politician, but by choosing the construction of addressing Muslim communities, rather than Egyptians or Arabs, he must turn to a religious language. There are resonances that exist in the speech for both Islamic history and American history, and understanding both makes his speech that much richer.

For over a thousand years, Al-Azhar has stood as a beacon of Islamic learning; and for over a century, Cairo University has been a source of Egypt's advancement. And together, you represent the harmony between tradition and progress.

This combination of past and present also implies the long engagement amongst civilizations. Al-Azhar is considered one of the earliest models of a university, which the Europeans adopt. In Europe, the institution is reworked and the modern university is created. This modern creation is then exported back to Egypt in the form of Cairo University. There is a cyclical nature of trade and the flow of ideas that Pres. Obama hints at. This time of crisis cannot define all past and all future interactions.

The relationship between Islam and the West includes centuries of coexistence and cooperation, but also conflict and religious wars. More recently, tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims, and a Cold War in which Muslim-majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations. Moreover, the sweeping change brought by modernity and globalization led many Muslims to view the West as hostile to the traditions of Islam.

It is important to note that there is a recent history of domination, directly through colonization, and indirectly through Cold War proxies. However, Pres. Obama avoids the trap of saying that all ills of the Muslim world are the fault of non-Muslims. He recognizes that in an interconnected world, no people operate in a vacuum. Although he does mention the challenge of modernity, the mistake in that phrase is that he conceives of only one modernity. The fact of the matter is that amongst Muslims there is not a universal rejection of modernity, but there are different conceptions of what the modern is. These differing conceptions of the modern are an important part of misunderstandings. The privileged language of only one modernity is presumptuous and alienating.

As the Holy Koran tells us, "Be conscious of God and speak always the truth." [33:70]

This particular verse comes after a long section chastising those who disbelieved in Moses and his message. It ties nicely to the idea of Holocaust denial Pres. Obama brings up later in his speech. He then emphasizes the connections amongst civilizations again, some of which echo sentiments made earlier here. After talking about the contribution of Muslims to America, oddly ignoring the large number of Muslim slaves, he points to Muslims saying that we have a responsibility as well. He is right. A dialogue requires two parties. Stereotypes exist on all sides and we must address them.