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Signs of a new American foreign policy

Posted in Speeches, Irshaddering Thoughts, On The Road on Dec 04, 2008

On the day that President-elect Barack Obama announced his national security team, I addressed California State University about a new U.S. foreign policy towards the Muslim world.

My bottom line: To regain moral authority, America must balance its counter-terrorism thrust with a universal human rights perspective.

Afterwards, something happened for the first time in my many years of lecturing. I received an email from one of the sign language interpreters:

“Ms. Manji, I had the honor of interpreting for you last night. It was a life-altering moment. I am just now feeling the shift within me as your words are incorporated into my thoughts, who I am as a being of my culture, and my future course of action. In the coming days I will continue to sift through much of what I heard and processed as I worked. Your words were profoundly clear and clearly profound. Thank you for having the courage to change our world.” - Danell L. Fanning, CI & CT

Usually, the signers are “off to the side,” forgotten after the speech if they were even acknowledged in the first place. But I know how hard interpreters work to communicate complex ideas. They’re entitled to gratitude, recognition and cooperation. Which is why I try to be “profoundly clear” in my own communication. Whether I’m also “clearly profound” is for the listener to judge.

You can listen to my speech here.