An open letter to President-Elect Barack Obama
By Abdul Basit

Dear Mr. President-Elect, Barack Obama,

First of all, let me convey my heartiest congratulation to you on your election as the President of the United States of America.

I consider your election as President of United States of America as a miracle in itself. Born as the son of a Kenyan man and a white woman from Kansas who weren't well-off or well-known, through hard work and perseverance today you have become the President of United States of America. Unlike most of your predecessors, your humble background and past experience including your work as community leader will surely provide a different perspective about the reality from the grassroots level. Taking into consideration the path you treaded to reach the pinnacle of power, I surely believe that it is not without a purpose, particularly as you campaigned and got elected on the platform of 'Change'. I only hope that this purpose is for the well being of humanity as a whole. In fact, your election as the President of USA has suddenly brightened the image of your country and hope you enhance this expectation with the right policies that will unite humanity.

Secondly, you have come to power at a time when the United States of America is facing major financial, political and social crises with its very existence and reputation as the sole superpower at stake. The main reason for this is the eight years of misrule by outgoing President Mr. George W. Bush. In fact, it was the Dark Age in the history of the United States of America. As you mentioned in your acceptance speech in Denver, Americans didn't want to see the extension of this Dark Age for another four years. So, change was not an option, but a necessity because if the same policies pursued by your predecessors are continued any longer, it would have consequences on the very foundation of the American Nation. That is why the American people and the world have responded to your call for change and entrusted this prestigious position upon you.

The hatred and crises that the Bush Administration created through misrule and aggressive foreign policy are far reaching and beyond conceiving. The knee-jerk and immature reaction to the September 11th incident and the following invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq in the name of war on terrorism, not only had an affect on the societies of the invaded countries, but also had negative impact on the image of American nation globally with consequences to its social stability and economy.

In contrast, your background and down to earth speech during the election campaigns, created a glimmer of hope about the different path you might take from the previous administrations in tackling burning issues that will affect the American society and the world alike.

The main reason for writing this letter is to invite your attention to some burning issues that the previous administrations failed to tackle resulting in present predicament your country is facing especially related to foreign policy and the reputation of your country among the comity of nations.

Middle East Crises

During the election campaign you had explicitly stated your policies on Iraq and Iran. You had expressed your keen desire to withdraw the American forces at the earliest from Iraq and also expressed your desire to have a direct dialogue with President Ahmedinejad of Iran to settle the nuclear dispute. But with respect to the Arab-Israeli conflict and War on Terrorism, you seemed to follow the same course pursued by the previous administrations.

The Arab-Israeli conflict has been the central issue that has influenced the US foreign policy for the last 60 years and can be rightly considered as the mother of all tribulations. Most of the conflicts and hostilities particularly in the Middle East region during second half of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century have their roots in this crisis. This conflict including the question of Palestinian self-determination have directly or indirectly ignited other conflicts including the Lebanon crises, the war on terrorism, invasion of Kuwait and the subsequent two Gulf Wars, the deteriorating relationship with Iran and emerging nuclear showdown. This has also preoccupied the successive US presidents and will continue to haunt your presidency. In fact, the Middle East crisis has engulfed the whole world including the very stability of United States. This crisis has also deteriorated the relations between the communities of three major religions, namely Muslim, Jewish and Christian communities. If this issue remains unresolved it will not only further destabilize the relationship between the Palestinian and Jewish societies, but will also have negative effect on the American nation.

The question is why has it remained unresolved and smoldering for last many decades?

The main reason for the complexity in finding solution to the Palestinian crises is because of the lopsided solutions put forward by previous administrations as a result of the undue influence of certain religious lobby, vote-bank politics and internal political compulsion. This unwarranted influence and compulsions have blinded the successive administrations to the reality and hindered and misguided their effort in resolving this conflict. Instead, the policies of these administrations only created more mistrust and tensions between Palestinian and Israeli community. The punishment and sanctions that is being imposed on Gaza Strip by the same apostles of democracy who are hell-bent on installing democratic governments in the Middle East, because the Palestinian people utilized their legal democratic right of electing the Hamas government, proves the contradiction of the US foreign policy. The cataclysmic human and material sufferings inflicted by the Israeli regime on the people of Gaza strip with the endorsement and support of the Mahmood Abbas and the Bush Administration, have only created more dissent and violence.

This unresolved crisis had ignited many new conflicts that have spread globally resulting in far- reaching consequences much beyond the borders of the Middle East region. If you want to make a difference from your predecessors and find solution to this crisis, you have to be bold enough to tread a different approach and overcome the internal compulsion and undue influence of these religious lobbies and address the issue based on justice for all and appeasement of none. The solution to crisis is important for world peace and well being and good relationship between Muslim, Jewish and Christian communities worldwide.

War on Terrorism

The war on terrorism pursued by the Bush Administration after the September 11th incident have in fact inflamed and further aggravated the already complicated relationship between nations and religious communities. Instead of addressing the basic reasons that have led to the growth of terrorism, the American administrations under George W. Bush only added fuel to the fire by aggressively pursuing arrogant policies that led to the growth of terrorism.

What are the reasons for the genesis of terrorism?

The most basic reason as mentioned earlier is the worsening situations in the Middle East and other occupied regions like Afghanistan. As stated earlier, the persecution and brutality imposed on the Palestinian people by the Israeli army for the last many decades, which has resulted in shattered lives and broken dreams, has been the impetus and motivation for the growth of terrorism. To grasp the magnitude of the brutality meted on the Palestinians, we must view the facts from the position of the subjugated instead of viewing it from that of the oppressor. Instead of solving this crisis, the previous American administrations especially that of the George W. Bush spread this brutality in the name of War on Terrorism across the region to other countries including Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and other Arab, Asian countries and created anti-Muslim hatred in Europe and Americas.

Here, I would like to invite your attention to a young American girl Rachel Corrie, from Olympia, Washington who sacrificed her life by being crushed to death by the Israeli military bulldozer near Gaza on March 16, 2003 (few days before George Bush's "Shock and Awe" in Iraq) while preventing the demolition of house of Palestinian family near Gaza. By her ultimate sacrifice, this young girl was not only preventing the brutality of Israeli military bull-dozers. She was showing the world the original reason for growth of terrorism. In the emails that she sent to her parents she mentions the gravity of the situation in Gaza. While referring about the children of Gaza, she wrote "I don't know if many of the children here have ever existed without tank-shell holes in their walls and the towers of an occupying army surveying them constantly from the near horizons. I think, although I'm not entirely sure, that even the smallest of these children understand that life is not like this everywhere." This is the gruesome reality that this young American girl realized and the leaders of her nation failed to realize.

The warnings of important personalities like Jimmy Carter, Desmond Tutu and Javier Solana about the situation in Gaza went on deaf ears and International community remained silent and complacent. Instead they spread the persecution to other countries including Iraq and Afghanistan in the name of war on terrorism..

How can you expect generosity and non-violence from Palestinian people when 1.5 million Palestinians suffer from starvation, thirst, pollution, lack of medicine and while fuel and electricity supplies are cut off due to the unilateral sanctions imposed by Israel, thus creating the largest concentration camp in the history of mankind? How can they forgive the powers that demolished their houses upon them, killed their parents, sisters and also young children on their way to school? These actions of the Israeli army and the US military that have shattered lives, resulted in lose of loved ones and destroyed houses have created apprehension and a realization that they will never get any justice, security and peace in their life. It is this hopelessness and despair that have misguided and motivated some youths to extremism and terrorism. Although these ill-advised and unforgivable actions by the terrorists should be condemned at the strongest terms, it can be only prevented when the state terrorism pursued by Israel and the previous administrations of your country ends.

The American military might and their tanks, missiles, Apaches and drones that bomb and kill innocent people, shatter the lives, and destroy the houses and infrastructure, cannot help in winning the War on terrorism. Instead they will only ignite further hatred and create a fertile ground for new recruits for terrorism.

It is high time to reassess the strategy that has been hitherto pursued by the previous administrations, as it has been a major failure. The War on Terrorism can only be won by winning the hearts and minds of the people of Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan.

As an initial step, as you promised during the election campaign, you must withdraw your army not only from Iraq and Afghanistan but must also advice your ally Israel to withdraw the sanctions imposed on the Palestinian people and return the occupied lands. Israel may have the right for self-defense, but denying the right of self-determination and the basic human rights of the Palestinian masses cannot attain it. Measures also must be taken to rebuild the lives of the people who have been shattered by the brutalities of the American and Israeli military and help them regain confidence and hope of a brighter future.