Obama's speech in Cairo part two
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When we come to analyze a speech, especially a masterpiece like the historic speech of the American president at Cairo University (the only academic institution in the Arab world ranked among the top 1,000 universities in the world, by the way) we need to see the goals that the speaker set for himself, and then examine how he succeeded - or He was unable to achieve them by adjusting the content and style to the context and circumstances of the speech. Accordingly, this analysis is divided into three articles, each of which is attached to a different law of the speech: analysis of the goals of the speech (below), Analyzing Obama's style, and analysis The content and messages. |
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Style - high English, a little Arabic and a lot of coolnessIn terms of style, Obama maintained his usual speaking style, making gestures towards Islam and choosing words carefully (avoiding the word 'terror', for example). It is interesting to note that even though it could be expected that many in the audience do not have a good command of English, Obama did not lower the level of speech at all, preferring accuracy in wording over accessibility to the audience. In terms of his vocabulary it can be said that the key word is 'on the other hand'. Obama's message was one of openness and acceptance of the other, so he made sure to present every position from both sides of it - the West and Islam had years of cooperation but also of conflict. Iran is entitled to nuclear energy but on the other hand not to atomic weapons. |
Public speaking course
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Obama made symbolic use of Arabic words, most of which received applause from the audience (perhaps because many did not understand English...). The words in Arabic were meant to achieve two goals for him - some of them were rhetorical gestures meant to add color to the speech, for example 'Salaam Alikum' at the opening. On the other hand, others dealt with religious concepts and were intended to emphasize his deep understanding of the problems facing Muslims - for example, when dealing with a difficulty that Muslim charitable institutions encountered in the US, he chose to use the Arabic word for charity, 'Zakat'. There weren't many words like that, like saying that Obama isn't really trying to learn Arabic, but they were well placed to show that he had mastered the material and was comfortable with the language.
The body language and tone of voice were classic Obama, and in fact one of the rhetorical characteristics of the American president is consistency and uniformity of style. He is very measured, very calm (the staff called him 'no-drama') and it is practically impossible to distinguish one speech from another.
In terms of the nature of the delivery, even in his speech in Cairo, Obama made sure to read from the teleprompter, and as usual managed to sound as if he was speaking naturally, even though he was reading a speech that had been written and edited dozens of times. From this point of view it is interesting to note that even when Obama does speak naturally and without written material (for example in press conferences) he still maintains the same intonation.
Analysis of speech goals, Analyzing Obama's style, Analysis of the content and messages
Obama's Speech - part I
History of America and Islam History of America & Islam
Call to action - here are the tasks that require attention
This is a difficult responsibility to embrace. For human history has often been a record of nations and tribes subjugating one another to serve their own interests. Yet in this new age, such attitudes are self-defeating. Given our interdependence, any world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail. So whatever we think of the past, we must not be prisoners of it. Our problems must be dealt with through partnership; progress must be shared.
That does not mean we should ignore sources of tension. Indeed, it suggests the opposite: we must face these tensions squarely. And so in that spirit, let me speak as clearly and plainly as I can about some specific issues that I believe we must finally confront together.
