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Last update - 23:40 10/12/2008
Obama wants to 'reboot' America's image in the Muslim world
By The Associated Press
Tags: israel news, muslim 

President-elect Barack Obama says he will try to "reboot America's image" among the world's Muslims and will follow tradition by using his entire name - Barack Hussein Obama - in his swearing-in ceremony.

The U.S. image globally has taken a deep hit during President George W. Bush's two terms in office, primarily because of opposition to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, harsh interrogation of prisoners, the indefinite detention of terrorist suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and mistreatment of inmates at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

Obama promised during his campaign that one of his top priorities would be to work to repair America's reputation worldwide, and that one element of that effort would be a speech delivered in a Muslim capital.
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He pledged anew to give such a speech, though he declined to say whether it would happen during his first year in office.

"It's something I intend to follow through on," Obama said in an interview published Wednesday in the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times. "We've got a unique opportunity to reboot America's image around the world and also in the Muslim world in particular. So we need to take advantage of that."

Obama said his message would be twofold: that his administration will be unyielding in stamping out terrorist extremism but also "unrelenting in our desire to create a relationship of mutual respect and partnership with countries."

"I think the world is ready for that message," he said in the interview, conducted Tuesday.

During the campaign, Obama repeatedly faced questions about whether he is a Muslim, particularly in whisper campaigns that noted his middle name, that his father is Kenyan, and that he lived for a time as a child in Indonesia. Obama is a practicing Christian.

Asked if he would drop his middle name during his inauguration on January 20th, the president-elect said he would not.

"The tradition is that they use all three names and I will follow the tradition, not trying to make a statement on way or another," he said.

Obama also talked about the spiritual support he sought during his White House bid, particularly since he and his family left Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ after inflammatory comments by its pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, became a campaign issue.

Obama said he set up a "sort of prayer circle across the country" of pastors who would pray for him every morning on a conference call. Obama said he sometimes joined the call, which involved leaders from various Christian denominations and other religious faiths.

"I'm not even sure that all of them voted for me," Obama said. "But they were willing to pray for me, and that's something that was wonderful."
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  1.   Obama Hussein Barak? Unmentionalble during election? And now? 22:27  |  common sense 10/12/08
  2.   Slowly the "real" Obama is starting to emerge... 22:33  |  Joel Stein 10/12/08
  3.   Indrajaya Don`t Have A Heart Attack 22:34  |  Yosemite 10/12/08
  4.   pointless 22:36  |  ben 10/12/08
  5.   Reboot the Saudi Practice of 137 Public Beheadings Last Year 22:54  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 10/12/08
  6.   hussien`s dad never knew! 23:00  |  bashar 10/12/08
  7.   As a Moslem, I respect your efforts Abu Hussein. 23:11  |  samir kuntar 10/12/08
  8.   When Oil Goes So Do The Saudis 23:27  |  Barack Ben Barack 10/12/08
  9.   Barack Hussein Obama 23:29  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 10/12/08
  10.   Whats in a name...? 23:38  |  Stephen. 10/12/08
  11.   Livni-Obama 2009 23:41  |  Yosemite 10/12/08
  12.   # 1 ovadiah 23:42  |  Axel 10/12/08
  13.   It`s not like his middle name is "Adolf" or something 23:44  |  MIKE 10/12/08
  14.   Well, that is his name 23:52  |  Nathaniel 10/12/08
  15.   Enough equivocacy 00:02  |  Shai 11/12/08
  16.   Cipora 00:13  |  Danite 11/12/08
  17.   Road to paradise full of good intensions and s t u m b l i n g 00:13  |  H.H.M. 11/12/08
  18.   #4, Stephen 00:24  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 11/12/08
  19.   Obama`s naivete` 00:29  |  Brod 11/12/08
  20.   Reply to #3 ( Ciopra ) - Great Post 00:32  |  Tod Zuckerman 11/12/08
  21.   image worries - who should be worried? 00:39  |  ZS 11/12/08
  22.   Good luck 00:51  |  Shimon Cleopas 11/12/08
  23.   Israel first Cipora, then you can talk... 00:51  |  BBSNews 11/12/08
  24.   The Divine Solution 01:11  |  Shimon Cleopas 11/12/08
  25.   Who needs to apologise to whom?? 01:14  |  Aussie Eli 11/12/08
  26.   Unilateral Sanity 01:23  |  Emett 11/12/08
  27.   "practicing Christians" 01:27  |  tad chase 11/12/08
  28.   1 Ovadiah ben Avraham - Check Out Texas 01:28  |  Mark of Lewiston 11/12/08
  29.   #2 Barack Ben Barack. So will Israel. 01:28  |  Maureen Ann 11/12/08
  30.   BARACK "ABU HUSSEIN" OBAMA, OUR MAN 01:28  |  indrajaya 11/12/08
  31.   The Happiest Christmas 01:32  |  Shimon Cleopas 11/12/08
  32.   #3 Cipora 01:33  |  Sonny 11/12/08
  33.   #1 Ovadiah ben Avraham 01:39  |  Sonny 11/12/08
  34.   I am a Muslim and 01:44  |  JJ 11/12/08
  35.   Axel is right-there are a significant # of executions in the US 01:50  |  Arie 11/12/08
  36.   Obama wants a `reboot` 02:03  |  Just a thought 11/12/08
  37.   NO MORE WHOLESALE labeling of muslims as terrorists 02:30  |  Princess Ida 11/12/08
  38.   Before all you orcs start salivating... 02:31  |  utagawa 11/12/08
  39.   America is Dead 02:42  |  UsedToPostHere 11/12/08
  40.   "It`s something I intend to follow through on," Obama said 02:44  |  not 11/12/08
  41.   re: JJ 02:46  |  UsedToPostHere 11/12/08
  42.   re: BBSNews 02:48  |  UsedToPostHere 11/12/08
  43.   re: ZS 02:56  |  UsedToPostHere 11/12/08
  44.   #8, Tod Zuckerman 02:59  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 11/12/08
  45.   to #11 BBSnews (BBC news more like it... 03:02  |  blah 11/12/08
  46.   One more proof of Leftist madness 03:32  |  Frank 11/12/08
  47.   Hope For Arab Mercy 03:54  |  crlman 11/12/08
  48.   Why should Obama not use his full name? 04:02  |  Jane 11/12/08
  49.   So which capitol should he pick? 04:14  |  Aphemia 11/12/08
  50.   #16, Danite 06:40  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 11/12/08
  51.   #18 Hey Cipora, relax, can`t you hear? 08:25  |  ballistic 11/12/08
  52.   #30 08:41  |  pnina 11/12/08
  53.   Why didn`t he use his middle name before the elections. 09:09  |  True Blue 11/12/08
  54.   Obama 09:31  |  Jay 11/12/08
  55.   Jay in response to Princess Ida 09:35  |  Jay 11/12/08
  56.   Cipora #9 #18 #44 #50... 10:30  |  Esther 11/12/08
  57.   # 53 10:31  |  Jordan 11/12/08
  58.   # 54 Jay 13:34  |  Salem 11/12/08
  59.   So what? 13:37  |  Dan 11/12/08
  60.   # 39 America is dead 13:42  |  Ahmed 11/12/08
  61.   #56 Esther 13:48  |  Mohammed 11/12/08
  62.   Ms. cipora 13:52  |  Mr. Straight Forward 11/12/08
  63.   # 52 Pnina 13:58  |  Jamal 11/12/08
  64.   Barak Hussein 15:37  |  Jack 11/12/08
  65.   re: Jane 06:43  |  UsedToPostHere 12/12/08
  66.   re: True Blue 06:46  |  UsedToPostHere 12/12/08
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