transcript

2009 Arab Public Opinion Poll

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MARCO WERMAN: As we just heard, there is a broad view of opinions inside Egypt ahead of President Obama's speech. Shibley Telhami holds the Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development at the University of Maryland. Earlier this month, his department released its annual Arab Public Opinion Survey. He says that President Obama is in a position to sway attitudes in the Arab world.

SHIBLEY TELHAMI: There is an opening. People are listening to him. More people like him than dislike him. People appear to want to fall in love with him, but they have not fallen in love with him yet. The President doesn't show up actually in a question that we asked, that is an open question, to name the leader they admire most in the world – an open question – and President Obama really isn't mentioned by many people on this. So it's not that people are in love with him, it's that he's now more credible. They tuned out in the Bush administration. It was very clear towards the end, even when the President said the right thing, people weren't paying attention. They weren't listening. The people are listening to this president.

WERMAN: Who is the most admired leader in the world according to your survey?

TELHAMI: Well, it's interesting. The reason I asked this question is I wanted to see the prism through which they evaluate the world. What are the issues that are driving their attitudes? And most of the time, you know, sometimes when you embrace of someone, sometimes just an expression of anger or defiance. Last year, for example, it was Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah. This year, while Nasrallah is still way up there, Hugo Chavez has become the most popular man because they see him as a safer choice.

WERMAN: But Obama is on the list?

TELHAMI: Obama is on the list, but he's not in the top 5.

WERMAN: Is he ahead of Osama Bin Laden?

TELHAMI: No. Osama Bin Laden still has – is still more admired by a larger segment of the public.

WERMAN: So what does a very popular President, at least here in the United States, like President Obama have to do to overcome a reality in which Osama Bin Laden is more popular than he? I mean, let's take Egypt for example. What does he have to say to make Egyptians fall in love with him?

TELHAMI: That would be somewhat of an exaggeration to say Bin Laden is more popular than he. There are more people who are intensely expressing views toward Bin Laden than he. If you look at what were the issues that made him liked so far, and I think there are really several issues here that are driving their views. Number one, the expressed plan to pull out of Iraq. Second, the planned torture and closure of Guantanamo. Third, the expressed attitudes toward the Muslim world, the language of respect. Fourth, the appointment of Senator George Mitchell and the focus on the Arab-Israel issue. So in the end, it really boils down to issues.

WERMAN: Finally, clear something up for us. How much will President Obama's speech in Egypt next week be intended for Arab consumption and how much for the Muslim world as a whole?

TELHAMI: You know, that's something actually the administration's going to have to think about carefully. For now, there's no question that they have decided this is a Muslim world speech. But I think there's no avoiding that this is taking place in the Arab world, and there's no avoiding the

fact that even a broad message toward the Muslim world is going to have to tackle issues that are specific to the Arab world. And I think that's something – a balance that has to be drawn, and I'm sure they're looking at it as we speak.

WERMAN: Shibley Telhami, thank you.

TELHAMI: My pleasure.

WERMAN: Shibley Telhami holds the Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development at the University of Maryland. All the best.

TELHAMI: Thank you.

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