Readers' corner
Force in trouble
Sir -- Re 'Obama reneges on change' ( Al-Ahram Weekly 4-10 May) as a white, middle class, middle aged American woman I sometimes feel like I am the only person in this country who feels the same way about Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan, and American foreign and domestic policy as was expressed by Hamid Dabashi. His observations are insightful and accurate. Corporate-owned media in this country has done an excellent job of brainwashing the American public. To live my entire life in the midst of good, well-meaning people and yet be continually astonished at their complete lack of awareness is a depressing, terrifying experience. When I saw my most knowledgeable, informed, friends jump blindly and completely on the Obama bandwagon last year I knew we, as a country and as the most influential force in the world, were headed for serious trouble. I could express agreement, line-by-line with Mr Dabashi's observations in his article, and I can easily say I agree with them all. I am a small, insignificant, invisible person with an unwelcome voice in a sea of 300 million other voices. For years I have written to my government representatives and the White House and, ironically, the only responses I got are from Republicans (trying to change my mind), but from the Democrats, I have never received one reply! My many Obama supporters are now making excuses for him.
Pam Edwards
New York
USA
Now is the time
Sir -- Some believe Israel should stick to its ideology and interests and keep the ongoing settlements expanding because in the end Obama, not Netanyahu, will blink first. They say Israel has long been accustomed to seeing the US president knuckle under Israeli pressure or else Israel will resort to the mighty Jewish lobby in the US and Europe.
But not all American presidents have been at Israel's beck and call. In 1979, when Carter hosted Sadat and Begin to negotiate a proposed peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, the negotiations were tough and protracted and Carter had to exert maximum effort to persuade the two leaders to sign the treaty before they finally did so.
Can Obama defy the sea as it gets choppier as did Carter? All indications say he can. Because of Obama the Palestinians have a propitious opportunity to bury the hatchet and get ready for an uphill battle on all fronts to acquire their inalienable rights. The world will not feel their pulse until blood runs into their veins. Otherwise, they will have to wait another 60 years before another Obama turns up.
Mahmoud Elewa
Cairo
Egypt
Pagan truths
Sir -- Re 'Pagans, atheists and nature worshippers' ( Al-Ahram Weekly 11-17 May) I want to commend Jill Kamil on a thoughtful, sensitive and exquisitely well-written article. As Ms Kamil may be aware, a resurgence of paganism -- a revival as best we can with the little information available, of the pre-Christian religions of Europe -- has been going on in Europe and America for at least 60 years. Volume upon volume of speculative history, theology and reconstructed and/or newly-created rituals have been written in that time. I have yet to see any as eloquent as Ms Kamil's article.
Dana Corby
Washington
USA
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