JAKARTA, Indonesia — From the most Muslim nation on earth, President Barack Obama is reaching out to the Islamic world, declaring that efforts to build trust and peace are showing promise but are still clearly “incomplete.”
Obama on Wednesday will deliver one of the most personal and potentially consequential speeches of his presidency, reflecting on his own years of upbringing in Indonesia and giving an update on America’s “new beginning” with Muslims that he promised last year in Cairo.
At the same time, the path to lasting peace in the Middle East was hardly looking smoother. A reminder of that difficult road was waiting for Obama when he landed Tuesday on a steamy afternoon in southeast Asia. Israel’s decision to build more apartments in east Jerusalem, a disputed territory claimed by Palestinians, had already earned a rebuke from American diplomats before a tired, traveling president weighed in himself.
“This kind of activity is never helpful when it come to peace negotiations,” Obama said when questioned at a news conference alongside Indonesia’s president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. “I’m concerned that we’re not seeing each side make the extra effort involved to get a breakthrough. … Each of these incremental steps can end up breaking down trust.”
Heavily invested and eager for Mideast stability, Obama insisted: “We’re going to keep on working on it.”
Obama’s criticism came during a cherished, fleeting and twice-delayed homecoming in Indonesia. He canceled plans to come earlier this year because of domestic troubles, and now he’s dodging a big cloud of volcanic ash.
India’s most volatile volcano, Mount Merapi, has erupted with deadly force for days. The White House determined Air Force One could fly in as scheduled to Jakarta but that Obama should shorten his stay given the flow of airborne ash. That meant Obama would be in Indonesia for just 19 hours, still long enough to visit a famous mosque and deliver his speech.
The president, who is Christian, is eager to hold up Indonesia as a model: an overwhelmingly Muslim nation where other religions are respected freely and an evolving democracy is gaining strength despite a legacy of corruption.
He will revisit themes of his famous 2009 Cairo speech, one in which he called for mutual respect: from the United States for Muslims in a post-Sept. 11 world, and also from Muslims for the United States for its diversity and compassion. That speech also essentially set up an Obama scorecard on Iraq, Iran and efforts to combat Islamic extremists.
Obama is also giving substantial attention to the new partnerships his government has reached with Indonesia’s. And he is talking freely about his time in Indonesia, from age 6 to 10, when he was running around as a boy named Barry.
The personal touches began coming out as Obama, looking weary on his fourth day in Asia, reflected Tuesday on how Jakarta has changed since he lived here. His only real look came during a couple of motorcade rides.
“I feel great affection for the people here,” Obama said. “And obviously I have a sister who’s half Indonesian. My mother lived and worked here for a long time. And so the sights and the sounds and the memories all feel very familiar.”
The president drew smiles from the gathered dignitaries by speaking a little Indonesian at times.
“We have been waiting for so long,” said Yudhoyono to Obama at a press event shoved inside by rain.
The two presidents touted a deal that will have both countries cooperating on energy, education, the environment and many other subjects. More broadly, Indonesia offers the United States one more strategic, democratic voice in a continent of emerging powers and lucrative markets, while U.S. support can help Indonesia’s own economy and regional security.
The president’s stop in Indonesia came after he spent three days in India — the most attention any foreign country has received from him. Obama leaves Wednesday night for global economic meetings in South Korea, and then more in Japan.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
