I MUST HAVE MISSED SOMETHING...:

The Secret behind Obama's Bow to the King (Muhammad Diyab, 4/08//09, asharq alawasat)

Obama lived part of his childhood in Indonesia and in his meeting with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques attempted to evoke this. For bowing is an expression of affection in Indonesian culture and in East Asia in general. And so Obama wished to demonstrate his respect and appreciation of the personality of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, who has made one of the most important calls in the modern era, namely the call for inter-faith and inter-cultural dialogue to defuse the hatred, conflict and wars.

...is Mr. Obama the leader of Indonesia or of America? Because part of American culture is not paying obeisance to foreign rulers.

Posted by Orrin Judd at April 8, 2009 7:57 AM