An Open Letter to Mr Hope Obama

Dear Mr Obama,

Your election has been the most followed event in recent memory. I for one did support you right from the time of your nomination.

You are an inspirational speaker and a leader who could be trusted. It was a pleasure listening to your public speeches during the campaign, and your victory speech was a fitting ode to an extraordinary election. Everything worked for you in this election. You had the best funded campaign of any US Presidential candidate ever, and a strong group of loyal supporters worked for you passionately. The natural tool of change in any country, the youth, was on your side and it was their record turnout to vote that changed the equations in several states. You've a great family, and like you, they stood the test of times.

Naturally you won!

And now that you've won comes the serious part, how to put things back on track and all that you promised! The people have given 'change' a chance by electing you, please don't disappoint them. The world is passing through difficult economic times and the US, being the most powerful nation in the world, is looked upon to sort things out. You are their hope Mr President!

The foreign policy of your country has been a disaster during the last two terms of Mr Bush. It was a major election issue during your campaign as well. Your victory has shown that people agree with you. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have been a failure. You've to stop them sooner or later. With a tumbling US economy I don't see the logic to fund such operations. Please use that money to put your economy back on track. And if even then you have money to spare, please feed those hungry souls in Africa and elsewhere.

"Winning the hearts and minds of people," has been the most overused phrase by your country in its war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Do you seriously think you can win over people by occupying their lands? It's like the Palestinians thanking Israel for powering Gaza's only power plant providing electricity after occupying their land for more than half a century now. The sooner your troops move out of those areas the better it would be for the countries involved and the rest of the world. Rather than finding the source of poison (read Osama) why not dilute it! Make friends with the Arab world, not slaves. I know it's a tall order but if hope can bring a black President to US, it can certainly help you overcome these obstacles.

Five years is not a long period to change the world but it can surely lead to a better start.

Wishing you all the best in your endeavours,
Inam Abidi