My personal sense of elation in seeing Mr Obama being sworn is as 44th President of the United States today is nothing short of extraordinary. As a naturalized United States citizen, the past 8 years had dimmed my pride in being an American, but today, it surges back again...more powerful than it ever was.
I can't wait to travel abroad to, as I frequently do, fly back home through Newark airport. For the first time in these 8 years, instead of averting my eyes, I will pause and look up with pride at the photograph of the US President which hangs on the wall of the arrival hall. Just a small respectful gesture perhaps, but to me, one of considerable and profound significance. It will remind me of the emotion I felt when I entered the United States for the first time.
May Mr Obama be all what he promises to be.
Excerpted from Mr Obama's Inaugural Speech:
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth.
And because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.
To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict or blame their society's ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy."
