Arab media hails Obama era

Leading media outlets in the Arabic world and Iran have hailed the beginning of the Obama era.

In its front page, the London-based Saudi pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat said  "In his inauguration speech tomorrow, US president Barack Obama will be calling upon Americans to embrace a new, responsible behavior, instead of sitting in the spectators’ seats.”

Al-Quds al-Arabi - London based pan-Arab daily newspaper, went with the headline:

At Last, A World Without Bush. And Obama Plans a Week Full of Achievements

“It’s a world without Bush, for the first time in eight years! A world with no “pre-emptive war ideology,” no “war on terror,” and without a president who believes he invaded Iraq after receiving orders to do so from God! But will Obama rise up to the expectations of the Arab world in terms of adopting better policies that are more balanced and less bloody? Only time will tell.”

The London based Lebanese pan-Arab daily newspaper Al-Hayat went with the headline:

Obama President of the United States Today, And Growing Optimism With Bush’s Departure

“Hours separate Americans from a historic moment that many of them wanted, so little expected - the inauguration of Obama, the first African American and 44th president of the United States of America. The event is also associated with great optimism and the renewed promise of the beginning of a new start, all together different from the era of president Bush, who ended his farewell activities yesterday and left the White House for the “Change” team and the Democratic school that now has control of the country’s legislative and executive powers.”

The London based Iraqi daily newspaper Al-Arab said:

Will Obama Open a "White" Page in America's "Black" History?

"The White House that was built some 200 years ago with the hands of black slaves is opening its doors today to Barak Obama, the first African American president of the United States, who succeeds George W Bush, who left after spending two terms in office, leaving a heavy inheritance. Many are hoping that Obama’s inauguration will be a sign of a new post-racial era in America.”

The Cairo based pan-Arab daily newspaper Al-Ahram went with the headline:

Obama Prepares for His Inauguration Today by Singing at the Lincoln Memorial

“Hours before his inauguration as the 44th president of the United States of America, Barack Obama took part yesterday in a musical concert that was held at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. Dozens of celebrities participated in the concert, which was also attended by Joe Biden and his wife, and Hollywood actor Tom Hanks read out excerpts from Lincoln's speeches.”

The Iran Daily, a Tehran based English language newspaper published by Iran Press Institute, said:

Obama Vows to Renew America's Promise

"Barack Obama paid a glowing to tribute to civil rights hero Martin Luther King on Monday, saying his inauguration as America’s first black president would extend the work of “renewing the promise of this nation.“ “Tomorrow, we will come together as one people on the same mall where Dr. King’s dream echoes still. As we do, we recognize that here in America, our destinies are inextricably linked," he said in a statement, AFP reported. “We resolve that as we walk, we must walk together. And as we go forward in the work of renewing the promise of this nation, let’s remember King’s lesson - that our separate dreams are really one."