Media Review Network – Page 1324 – Providing Context and Substance

World press says history man Obama can rescue america

by MRN
January 1, 2013July 25, 2013

The world’s media today hailed Barack Obama’s election as the
first black president as a major milestone in US history, saying it
offered a chance to restore America’s standing.

"One Giant Leap for Mankind," ran the front-page headline on the
mass-market British tabloid The Sun, while the Independent had a
picture of the Democratic presidential-elect with the headline "The
History Man."

"So often crudely caricatured by others, the American people
yesterday stood in the eye of history and made an emphatic choice for
change for themselves and the world," said the left-leaning Guardian.

The right-of-centre Times hailed the huge turnout in the elections
as proof of the energy and expectations of a "rejuvenated American
democracy" — and described the results of that democracy as
"head-spinning".

"The country regarded loftily by many Europeans as hopelessly racist
and irredeemably right wing has voted to be ruled by a black man, at
the head of a party committed to economic redistribution and a foreign
policy rooted in peaceful diplomatic engagement," the newspaper said.

While the result came too late for morning newspapers in Asia,
China’s evening dailies splashed with photos of a beaming Obama, with
the Legal Evening News proclaiming him as "the first black American
president".

Major US newspapers said that Obama must now seize the opportunity
to reverse some of the damage wrought by George W. Bush to America’s
reputation.

"Mr. Obama cannot erase Mr. Bush’s legacy, but he has a chance to
improve America’s standing in the world, ending such noxious practices
as torture and indefinite detention with minimal review that have
diminished this country in the eyes of its allies," said the Washington
Post.

In Spain, El Pais said that Obama’s victory was a chance to turn the
page after a presidency characterised by "eight years of incompentence
and abuses."

In Germany, where Obama’s popularity was highlighted when 200,000
turned out to hear him speak in July, newspapers said that the world
was looking to him for leadership.

"Good morning, Mr President! Make the world better," Germany’s mass
circulation Bild said, calling on the new president "to get the economy
going … achieve peace in Iraq .. save the world .. close Guantanamo
.. fight for the weak … and stay true to Israel."

In Israel itself, the left-leaning Haaretz newspaper said that
Obama’s best chance to make the Middle East peace process work was by
pushing Israel to leaving the Golan Heights, captured from Syria in the
1967 war and then unilaterally annexed.

"Only active American leadership, to move the process forward and
support it through security arrangements and economic aid, can break
this stalemate," it said. "Even then, there is no guarantee of success,
but at the moment, your best shot at a Nobel Peace Prize lies between
Jerusalem and Damascus."

In Lebanon, newspapers were unanimous in their support for Obama,
with the pro-Syrian Al-Akhbar newspaper proclaiming: "The Black Kennedy
at the White House."

In Egypt, a key Middle Eastern ally of the United States, the
state-owned Egyptian Gazette was printed before the results were
announced with the headline "World hopes for a ‘less arrogant’
America."

The New York Times however said that people should not overburden
Obama with expectation, saying he "inherits a terrible legacy".

"The nation’s many challenges are beyond the reach of any one man,
or any one political party."

Sapa-AFP

Zimbabwe introduces one million dollar note

by MRN
January 1, 2013July 25, 2013

Zimbabwe issued three new denominations of banknotes today,
including a one-million-dollar note, as the impoverished country
struggles to cope with runaway inflation.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe said the new 100,000-dollar, 500,000
dollar and one-million-dollar banknotes would be available immediately.

The move comes less than a month after the central bank introduced
50,000-dollar banknotes, hoping they would be large enough for
Zimbabweans to afford the skyrocketing prices of basic goods.

However, the 100,000 banknote is now worth only one US dollar on the
widely-used parallel black market and is only half the amount needed to
buy a loaf of bread.

Twenty-four new currency denominations have been introduced in
Zimbabwe this year alone.

Once described as a model economy and a regional breadbasket,
Zimbabwe’s economy has collapsed over the past decade and there are now
shortages of basic foodstuffs like sugar and cooking oil.

When central bank chief Gideon Gono was appointed in November 2003,
inflation was 619.50 percent but as of July, annual inflation hit 213
million percent.

The southern African nation is also suffering from foreign exchange
and fuel shortages and the majority of the population live below the
poverty line.

President Robert Mugabe’s government blames the country’s economic
meltdown on sanctions imposed by Britain and other Western nations,
while critics fault Mugabe’s chaotic land reform programme as one of
the main causes.

To keep pace with the rising costs, shops sometimes change the
prices of goods more than twice a day while long meandering queues have
become a familiar sight at banks as depositors seek to withdraw cash
which is rapidly losing its value.

While the currency, once on a par with the British pound, is in
freefall, unemployment is a staggering 80 percent.

The government has tried several measures — including price
controls and even striking off 10 zeros from the country’s currency —
to try to rein in the galloping inflation.

Sapa-AFP

Humoristic designs by young muslim to break prejudice

by MRN
January 1, 2013July 25, 2013

A graphic designer living in Germany launched an initiative to break rising prejudice against Muslims, which is very popular these days.

World Bulletin / News Desk

A graphic designer living in Germany launched an initiative to break rising prejudice against Muslims.

Melih Kesmen says the idea to start with "styleislam" came up when insulting cartoons about the Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) was published in Denmark.

Kesmen says Muslims and Non-Muslims had to talk each other, adding "My intention was to make people curious with eye-catching messages on T-Shirts".

World Bulletin interviewed Kesmen on his initiative very popular these days.

World Bulletin: Tell a little about your backround and how did you came up with the idea of t-shirts?

Melih Kesmen: I am a graphic designer from Germany. I studied graphic-design in Dortmund. For many years, I was active as a graffiti artist.

Graffiti is a straight and honest way to express yourself and your message. At that time I learned a lot and improved my skills.

Unfortunately the reason to start with styleislam could be a better one. The first idea came up while they published the cartoons about the Prophet Muhammad(PBUH). Not the cartoons but the intention made me angry. Because of many reasons the situation between Muslims and the western world was very tense anyway and unnecessarily these cartoons heat-up the situation even more. I thought to myself that the future between the cultures is nothing without Communication. Muslims had to talk to Non-Muslims and the other way around. And the best reason to start a conversation could be curiosity. My intention was to make people curious with eye-catching messages on T-Shirts…

WB: How long the Styleislam have been going on?

MK: We have started in October of 2007. It was during Ramadan.

WB: How many clients do you have and from which country?

MK: It´s hard to tell an exact number. We also sell on36and Festivals all over Europe and Turkey. But it should be a few thousand customers all over the world now.

WB: How do you choose the messages? Have there been some, that had been too provocative?

MK: It´s very different how the ideas come up for a motif. Sometimes you walk down the streets and have an interesting experience. Other times you here a conversation or get an idea while you watch TV. It´s like writing a Song or painting a picture. The inspiration has to come at the right time in the right place!

Our intention was never to provoke. But if some people still feel provoked, they should take a minute and inform themselves. Styleislam is spreading peaceful messages. Let me give you an example: The Word "Muslim" in Arabic means: one who surrenders God, active participle of ‘aslama, to surrender God and the motif -Jesus is a Muslim- has got an obvious meaning. All Prophets from Abraham, Moses, Jacob to Muhammad are surrender to God.

WB: What has been the reaction of the Islamic community?

MK: Most of the reactions were straight positive. It was like the Muslim community was waiting for Styleislam. A contemporary way to communicate the peaceful message of Islam.

WB: What do you think about the Muslim reactions for exp. towards the Danish33year 2005?

MK: Of course we can criticize the anger of the Muslim world. By criticizing the one side we should not forget the other.

In my opinion these cartoons were completely senseless. Even freedom of opinion was just a plea. I think that our world needs some hope, peace and a constructively dialog between the Muslim and the Non-Muslims world.

WB: How well humoristic t-shirts go with the idea of Islam?

MK: In my opinion it goes very good with the idea of Islam. Even the Prophet Muhammad said that "SMILING IS CHARITY". He was humorous and made jokes with his companions. Unfortunately even the Muslims themselves forgot this reality. But exact for that reason styleislam starts with the Islamic-council in Germany a nationwide "comedy-contest". We want to challenge the Muslims how they deal with their religion in relation to humor. For further information you can go to: http://www.waymo.de/comedycontest/

Obama captures historic white house win

by MRN
January 1, 2013July 25, 2013

Obama led a Democratic electoral landslide that also expanded the party’s majorities in both chambers of Congress and firmly repudiated eight years of Bush’s leadership.

Democrat Barack Obama captured the White House on Tuesday after an extraordinary two-year campaign, defeating Republican John McCain to make history as the first black U.S. president.

Obama will be sworn in as the 44th U.S. president on Jan. 20, 2009 and will face a crush of immediate challenges, from tackling an economic crisis to ending the occupation in Iraq and trying to overhaul the U.S. health care system.

McCain saw his hopes for victory evaporate with losses in a string of key battleground states led by Ohio, the state that narrowly clinched President George W. Bush’s re-election in 2004, and Virginia, a state that had not backed a Democrat since 1964.

McCain told supporters in Phoenix he had called Obama to congratulate him on his victory and praised his foe’s inspirational and precedent-shattering campaign.

"We have come to the end of a long journey," McCain told supporters. "I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him but offering our next president our goodwill."
Obama led a Democratic electoral landslide that also expanded the party’s majorities in both chambers of Congress and firmly repudiated eight years of Bush’s leadership.

The win by Obama, son of a black father from Kenya and white mother from Kansas, marked a milestone in U.S. history. It came 45 years after the height of the civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King.

The announcement of Obama’s win on U.S. television networks set off celebrations by supporters around the country, from Times Square in New York to Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, King’s home church.

"This is a great night. This is an unbelievable night," said U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, who was brutally beaten by police in Selma, Alabama, during a voting rights march in the 1960s.

Tens of thousands of Obama supporters gathered in Chicago’s Grant Park for an election night celebration, cheering results that showed his victories in key states. Obama was to address the crowd later in the evening.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a civil rights leader, joined the celebrations, tears streaming down his cheeks.

In a campaign dominated at the end by a flood of bad news on the economy, Obama’s leadership and proposals on how to handle the crisis tipped the race in his favor. Exit polls showed six of every 10 voters listed the economy as the top issue.

Obama has promised to restore U.S. leadership in the world by working closely with foreign allies and dropping some of the policies that made Bush an unpopular leader at home and abroad.

McCain, a 72-year-old Arizona senator and former Vietnam War prisoner, had hoped to become the oldest president to begin a first term in the White House and see his running mate Sarah Palin become the first female U.S. vice president.

But he lost not only Ohio and Virginia but also Iowa and New Mexico, two more states won by Bush in 2004. His loss in Pennsylvania, a state won by Democrats in the last four elections, eliminated his best hope of capturing a Democratic-leaning state.

Long lines

Long lines greeted voters on Election Day in many key states but no major breakdowns or irregularities were reported as at least 130 million Americans were expected to cast votes on a successor to the unpopular Bush.

The voting on Tuesday capped an extraordinary two-year campaign marked by the rapid rise from obscurity of Obama and his bitter Democratic primary battle with New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, and McCain’s comeback from the political scrap heap to win the Republican nomination.

Obama hammered his favorite theme throughout the campaign, accusing McCain of representing a third term for Bush’s policies and being out of touch on the economy.

McCain, whose campaign attacked Obama as a socialist and portrayed him as a tax-raising liberal.

But in a difficult political environment for Republicans, McCain struggled to separate himself from Bush. Exit polls showed three out of every four voters thought the United States was on the wrong track.

In the fight for Congress, Democrats were making big gains as well, but appeared unlikely to pick up the nine Senate seats to reach a 60-seat majority that would give them the muscle to defeat Republican procedural hurdles.

Democrats had picked up four seats early on Tuesday and knocked off two-high profile Republican incumbents — North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole, a former presidential candidate and wife of 1996 Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole, and New Hampshire Sen. John Sununu.

Democrats also gained about 25 more House of Representatives seats to give them a commanding majority in that chamber.

Reuters