The most remarkable move in a series of remarkable moves by our new President to date was his decision to sit down today for his very first television interview not with one of the big American networks but with an Arab station.
In a message that surely is being wisely distributed throughout the Muslim world tonight, President Obama is reaching out to people on the basis of shared values, as opposed to Bush's rhetoric about a Crusades between civilizations.
This will not in any way diminish the difficulty of brokering peace in the Middle East, for example, or of solving our difficult breach with Iran. But, he may be able to further isolate al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and other extremist elements from the broad mainstream of modern Islamic culture. If so, he will have made our world a much safer place.
The hateful gap between the West and Islam is not preordained. Obama's understanding of this historic opportunity presages an administration that may be able to mend ancient wounds, and push former enemies into the common search for a peaceful future.
Idealistic? Perhaps so. But troubled times demand great leaders, and I suspect we have one in Barack Obama. God knows, we need one.
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