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Obama gets respect from militants as ‘wise enemy’

* Website visitor appreciates girls being allowed to wear hijab in American schools

CAIRO: A militant website carried unusual praise for US President Barack Obama, noting that his quotations from the Quran in his speech on Thursday demonstrated respect for Islam and branded him a “wise enemy.”

Obama said in his speech that confronting violent extremism was a key priority, as he called for a “new beginning between the US and Muslims.” On the web, those with militant views largely derided his remarks. But at least one person posting on the website that usually carried statements from Al Qaeda, commented on Obama’s respectful gestures to Islam.

Using the screen name Yemen88, he wrote that he “admired US State Secretary Hillary Clinton wearing a head scarf at the mosque and she and Obama taking off their shoes.” He was referring to Obama and Hillary’s visit to Cairo’s Sultan Hassan mosque.

Rare praise: “I liked him (Obama) saying that girls in American schools are allowed to wear the hijab ... while Tunisia prohibits the hijab,” he wrote. Obama talked in his speech of his support for a Muslim woman’s right to wear the headscarf in schools and other public places.

The contributor praised Obama’s quotation of verses from the Quran and said, “Many of our leaders don’t memorise these verses.” “Therefore, we have to be fair in assessing this man who might return to Islam, the religion of his father,” he wrote.

Replying to those postings, Bou Shehab wrote, “The man (Obama) is manipulating the emotions of the people the same as a lute player does. ... He is undoubtedly a wise enemy compared with George Bush, the enemy known for his stupidity.” Shehab said, “Obama is more capable of persuading Muslims than others because of his Muslim origin, yet this does not mean he is closer to Muslims or he loves them more than other leaders of infidelity... he is a renegade Muslim.” ap

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