Obama’s

Smart Power
JOSEPH NYE JR. n NATHAN GARDELS AND MIKE MEDAVOY

MADELEINE ALBRIGHT n ANWAR IBRAHIM n OLIVIER ROY

BRAHMA CHELLANEY n AYAAN HIRSI ALI n HAMID KARZAI

EFRAIM HALEVY n JIMMY CARTER

President Barack Obama pledged in his first TV interview — with the Arab satellite
channel Al Arabiya — that America under his watch would “listen with respect and
not dictate” to the world. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has further announced
that this country will no longer just throw around its military might but will
pursue a “smart power” approach by tempering the use of hard weaponry with
the “soft power” of persuasion and cultural attraction. Or, as Madame
Secretary’s husband Bill has put it, America will now lead through the
power of example instead of the example of power.
The first exceedingly complex test of Obama’s smart power strategy
will be how to end George W. Bush’s misguided “war on terror” in
Afghanistan and Pakistan, keeping al-Qaida at bay without being swal-
lowed by the quagmire of tribal politics. An array of experts from New
Delhi to Paris offers their views in this section.
Is the Muslim World a Credible Partner
for Obama’s Outreach?
ANWAR IBRAHIM is the leader of the parliamentary opposition in Malaysia. He is a
former deputy prime minister.These remarks are adapted from his talk to the US-Islamic
World Forum in Doha, Qatar, in February.
kuala lumpur —The new Obama administration has made some significant moves
already to answer calls for change.A tangible end to the Arab-Israeli conflict is not yet
visible, but the appointment of George Mitchell as Middle East envoy is a welcome
step, as are the anticipated withdrawal from Iraq, a rethinking of the approach in
No edict of the United
Afghanistan, an admission that Guantanamo Bay is a betrayal of America’s principles
States would change the
and clear statements against the use of torture.
state of affairs unless we
Even the mention of a hadith in a speech by Obama—that as humans we ought
witness real progress in
to be guided by the universal truth that no harm should be enacted upon a person that
ensuring that governments
one would not want foisted upon oneself—struck a chord in the Muslim world.
in the Muslim world are
We hope that in the new administration we find a more credible partner—both
more responsive to the
in resolving the most vexing political and security issues of our time, but also in purs-
aspirations of their people
ing an agenda for sustainable economic development.
and fulfill their legitimate
Poverty remains a key issue across Asia, the Middle East and much of Africa and
expectations.
provides a meaningful context in which to pursue a common agenda. Such an agenda
would bring great benefit to millions subsisting on just a few dollars a day. In the con-
text of the global recession, there are clear avenues for cooperation to stimulate
growth that could revive ailing economies, including those in the developing world,
and ameliorate its global negative impact.
Muslim countries cannot be mere bystanders in this era, nor can they place all
their hopes on the possibility of a sea change in American foreign policy.
No edict of the United States would change the state of affairs unless we witness
real progress in ensuring that governments in the Muslim world are more responsive
to the aspirations of their people and fulfill their legitimate expectations.
We need look no further than Indonesia—which in 1998 made the unprece-
dented peaceful transition from military authoritarianism to democracy. This hap-
pened virtually overnight and without the intervention of a single foreign soldier. No
less significant is Turkey, which now stands as perhaps the most mature Muslim
democracy in the world.
But these examples are too few, and in between is a sea of unfreedom, which has
bred, among other things, poverty and radicalism.
If we can expect a certain rapprochement from the US, the question remains:

SPRING 2009 15
 Will the US find credible partners in the Muslim world? Does it have a credible part-
ner in us?
The fact is that issues of governance and accountability still loom large, continu-
ing to cast doubts upon the legitimacy of ruling elites.
In this regard, reform is no longer an option. There must be firm resolve borne
out of the efforts of leaders and with the support of institutions of civil society to
bring about the right changes.
The clamor for change among Muslims has not abated. Nevertheless, in the
Muslim world the past notion of the US promoting democracy has been a tale of
selective ambivalence, if not outright hypocrisy. We saw that in Algeria in 1991 and
Will the US find credible
again more recently in Palestine. In other countries, democracy is championed inso-
partners in the Muslim
far as elections may take place—irrespective of the conduct of those elections.These
world? Does it have a
are in fact sham democracies.The underlying undemocratic characteristics are scarce-
credible partner in us?
ly impacted—tightly controlled media with blatant bias, rigged elections, oppressive
treatment of opposition parties and a judiciary under siege. This is not an academic
issue. Where I come from, this is a stark reality.
Muslims must be committed to change.The question that remains is how can we
proceed? First, real engagement must be inclusive. We should not start by building a
wall around ourselves, setting preconditions and prejudging groups and parties.These
impediments only serve to strengthen old prejudices and further sow suspicion and
doubt. Fruitful engagement must proceed from the premise that no nation (including
America), no region (including the Arab world) and no culture or religion (including
Islam) has a monopoly on the values of freedom, justice and human dignity.These are
indeed universal principles that we all share.

16 SPRING 2009