To His Excellency, Barack Obama,
President of the United States,
I would like to send you this letter as an ordinary Arab Muslim citizen from Saudi Arabia, who has no relation with diplomacy, politics or government.
I have lived through generations of change all around the world in my life and its outcome of radical changes in my 40 years as a simple citizen. I was a witness in events that changed the world but did not change it geographically but changed it negatively in history, when began the so-called Islamic Revolution by Khomeini in Iran. I have lived through the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq war, the Israeli offensive in Lebanon during the Lebanese civil war and finally the invasion of the Soviets in Afghanistan.
The outcome of the soviet war in Afghanistan, inflicted great losses for the Soviets while increasing huge support for the Mujahidin by the beginning of the conflicts end in 1988 with peace talks. Two years later the Gulf War began, the invasion of Kuwait by Saddam’s Iraq. This prompted the economic embargo of Iraq and the emergence of terrorism in Afghanistan after the war on the Soviet Union and the beginning of its disintegration. Soon the appearance of Al-Qaeda and the list of its atrocities in stable countries such as the Riyadh bombings in 1993, followed by Nairobi, Kenya bombings in 1998 and the spread of hate speech against Saudi Arabia, other Gulf States, America and the West. Due to their common interests and alliances with Saudi Arabia, they were targeted.
Moreover the war on terrorism took an international stage after the events of 9/11 attacks, followed by the Invasion of Iraq by the U.S and its allies and the continuation of terrorist attacks in Riyadh and Khobar by the terrorists. These attacks were unlawful from an Islamic point of view, as religion asks us to maintain and protect our treaties with foreign nations and people.
The Middle East continued to become an area of regional and international conflict, since the early eighties until today, with recent proxy wars triggered by Iran to increase internal conflicts within Arab countries while it increases its influence amongst the Middle East with formal and informal entities.
The most important event regarding our conversation is your election campaign during 2008, and your highlight of the word “change” which you repeated more than the votes you received.
You impacted many people inside and outside of the United State with the word “change” and you became an inspiration to them and As soon as you were elected you already started working hard to achieve what you aspired to. The Middle East is the most important region that can echo your slogan of change to the whole world, especially with its historical past. Those who came before you, didn’t share your vision of change, like those who polarized the the U.S and the West in the 1960s against existing monarchies favouring military coups converting these Middle Eastern states into military states. Your election as President of the U.S has surely brought change, especially here in the Middle East yet the reports you received were inaccurate towards some states. The human rights reports you received criticise arab states heavily using Western standards and models which further fuel the propaganda efforts of terrorist organisations.
For example, some human rights reports even called for the release of convicted terrorists in Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries which is unwise as it can further destabilise the region with coups and greater chaos in our stable state. My curious question is, where are these international human rights groups when Iran and other states that are dominated by her such as Iraq and Syria in these reports?
Despite the events mentioned above and the threats surrounding our state, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states have the policy, that the world agrees, is able to steer peace in the region of instability in the past 40 years. The U.S’s policy was in the middle of the Arab Spring which was disastrous for the majority of its countries. One important pillar is the internal acceptance of change within a state to transform for the better.
You, Mr.President were fooled, as you were unaware of the parties that were operating in secret and in dark corners… Such movements who manage to achieve personal interests and work in secret cannot lead to a state system in most parts of the world, whether political or social in a selected country.
I’m not here to give you a lesson in change and how to influence change in other countries outside of the U.S, whether you have supporters in it or not.
Policy change in most countries during the Arab spring is important and a subject that failed to serve America’s interest and most importantly did not make the change that serves the people of the nations themselves in their advancement to peace and friendliness to you, Mr. President.
The objective of change should be to achieve the interests of the state itself without harming or causing negative actions to its citizens, as it is not easy to whoever comes into power to achieve certain change without opposition. Even now in Afghanistan, Iraq and in Syrian Conflict, they’ve become a thriving land for terrorists who their language of violence and blood is rationalised with religion, ethnic tensions or politics. They are only interested in their own interests rather than the people’s interests. They’ve taken great presence in mass media, and social media and spread through channels to despise and hate Islamic Nations such as Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states and other nations like America and the West. They hold meetings in the west in deceiving ways, masking themselves as head of Islamic interest, which they are from, as they pervert its morals. This is my highlighting point in this letter.
They sell the values of nations and interests of their countries’ people for their own interests. No community in the 21st century should accept them, as they are counter productive to change and development of the world.
I understand very well, Mr.President, you are racing with change and if you do not accept it it will pass you. You want the situation of America and the rest of the world to be in advanced state and changing rapidly for the better. Yet these obscurantist elements were and still look only to their own interests, as principles and values do not limit their translations, yet thank God that most Muslims perceived their destructive goals to attract and seduce people for recruitment and make them a weapon against fellow Muslims and countries, trying to undermine treaties that Muslim countries have to protect citizens and foreigners as taught in our religion Islam, which is a religion of peace.
Muslims countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, who are the most countries who have suffered from full frontal terrorism, as they fight it with full efforts and you, Mr.President you have more than commended the Saudi government’s efforts in the past in its fight against terrorism.
In 1999 Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Minister of Interior began his war on terrorism unto this day. He is the second generation of the ruling Saudi family and ascended to crown prince only a few months ago in the reign of King Salman Bin Abdulaziz. The Prince has survived an assassination attempt by terrorists backed by obscurantist forces who used hate speech by ignorant people using the name of religion. Mr.President in my opinion as a simple citizen, it’s to show you the deep and bigger problem rather than it be ignored. The disastrous results of change which is not accepted from our nations in the Arab Spring will make you lose two important things.
- Lost trust from Gulf nations.
- Lost political reliance from world governments.
The obscurantists took advantage of the hate speech hostilities to western countries, such as the U.S, by trying cover up their failures in managing their nation’s’ small challenges, and also throwing the guilt of their failures towards the Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states through their hate speech.
This mismanagement has caused the decrease in political confidence of U.S’ allied ands table governments in the middle east. The obscurantist is making your position harder and broadcasting rival messages through speeches, which is broadcasts by those who have links to Al-Qaeda and ISIS or are supportive of such groups. They operate under the guise of “Islamic Political Parties”, to protect their real agenda in acquiring greater political power,they are the seed of terrorism as they are united by personal interest, murder and inhumane violence on the people.
Mr.President, the change that I’ve seen so far in your actions is to avoid error of what happened in the Arab Spring, which has prompted me into directing this letter towards you, as I know you are capable and able to make a difference and meet your challenges, as confidence in you has gradually been growing again due to your show of goodwill and change in policy. I have faith in your good personality to accept that mistakes were made and the intentions weren’t fulfilled to countries. Not meaning to damage the region’s stability. To ensure confidence there must be no repeat of previous errors.
The remaining year of your presidency, is enough time to make a difference and your ability to manage crises and restore hope in the world to the right track is testament to such . I demand you show your abilities of strength in facing challenges and bringing about the change and difference. Saudi Arabia is and will still remain the moderate Muslim voice as you praised before.
The change that you appealed for all over the world has occurred in your country yet but created hate speech from obscurantists everywhere around the world in return the hatred has become mutual. What i witness is exceeding the limits of some random mercenary or books or obscurantists who write wherever their horns are pointed to, obscurantists are of all religions and races.
If hate speech towards Islam and contemplating the expulsion of Muslims and preventing their entry is from one of the democratic state of the United States’ presidential candidate, was there any democratic change in America? You were calling for change in the Arab world, including Saudi Arabia, yet we surprised you with our rapid change in politics, economy and social reforms, ready to face the big challenges in the world.
When I started to write this letter within one week changes have already begun, at rapid rate, so I added current events around me in this letter, which include great changes under younger leader with the guidance of King Salman, whose mission is to build the new Saudi state, for the new generation.
Mr.President, I’m not here to throw accusations or take responsibilities on mistakes on your own state or other countries, but my attempt is to offer you advice, that I hope you follow the important steps that follow the change you seek. Misconceptions in the West has planted has been planted by hate speech against Islam by both Muslims and non muslims, some opting for religious discrimination against all Muslims. Islam is a humane religion that has principles that combat hatred and call for forgiveness and peace in the last 1436.
Moderate Muslim states unified in their effort against hate which began a few days ago when there was a an establishment of the Islamic Military Alliance against terrorism declared by one of the major pioneers in youth development Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, our minister of defence. This step is to support the international coalition against terrorism but this time it is to fight terrorism that is used in the name of Islam in our home countries as we are still suffering from it.
The reason I wore this message is because I am a Muslim and I am proud of my religion’s teachings and concepts which make me able to fully trust and be honest with everyone, and it also teaches us that a friend is one who talks truth and honesty to you, it also teaches us to give advice and fulfil our lives and deal with humans in the best behaviour possible, without any discrimination on behaviour or racism. My belief is that the American people and their government are our friends, I have many friends from the United States and Europe, and most countries in the world, and I am proud of these friends and I never ask about their religious beliefs or look to discriminate them, because religion is personal and for all. Divine religions urge peace, tolerance and believe that the lord offers presence and fairness to all, so I will never come from a place of hatred and my religion urges me to love, tolerate and be peaceful. I will never lose those friends due to hate speech or someone trying to differentiate us negatively.
I don’t want to go into the details, as I will go on a tangent, but I have confidence in you Mr.President, to make a difference in history, for the greater balance, peace and direction. This influences me in sending you this letter which I hope that is accepted by you, from a foreign citizen who is but an advising Muslim to the president and a friend and ally to the states. This is what I believe in as my right in our religion Islam.
Islam is a religion of peace, and you are welcomed to help cooperate with all Islamic countries of which Saudi Arabia is its leading correct path in the concept of Islam, and its aim as a religion and humane one, ready to deal with all parts of earth, religions and races and traditions to explain true Islamic concept wit the people of the world through which it will accelerate change in the development of the people all over the world.
Notice: This letter is for all coming American Presidents.
