How credible has been the promise of change held out by Barack Hussein Obama after his path-breaking entry in the White House on January 20, 2009? Quite impressive, I would say after an eventful oneweek visit to Obama's city of destiny, America's intellectually refreshing wind-swept Chicago.

The 44th President of the United States was associated with the University of Chicago where he taught Law for several years. The first Black President to occupy the world's most awesome seat of power, he caught on the imagination of people on the electoral promise of change. In fact, the new generation of Americans had sub-consciously aspired for a change from President Bush's Iraq-obsessed bloody policy follies.

"Bush is dumb. He could not even articulate his thoughts. Obama is intelligent. America today needs intelligent persons like him", a cab driver told me. I am recalling the words of the driver to underline Obama's solid common man's base. He has found support even from the old-time Republicans.

Today Obama is seen as a symbol of change in 21st century America. This poses a big challenge. But the challenge provides an opportunity. A well-meaning forward-looking person of vision would turn the opportunity into a plan of action. This is what Obama is doing right now.

He has already taken up the most sensitive arena of reforming the financial sector which was primarily responsible for the global market meltdown and economic crisis. For a capitalist society, induction of some socialist thoughts could be a risky proposition. Obama's reforms package further empowers the Federal Reserve (equivalent of India's RBI). Will conservative Americans accept a regulatory regime for the financial sector? The saving grace is that the guilty persons of financial bungling dare not raise their voices of protest. The new mood today is protection of the tax payers' money. Equally crucial is Obama's health plan. It has evoked criticism in some quarters, though.

However, the biggest challenge to the Obama Presidency comes from "Islamic Extremism". He has substituted the word "extremism" for "terrorism". But change in nomenclature does not dilute harsh ground realities. All the same, he has tried to break new grounds with his soul-stirring address to the Muslim world at Cairo University on June 4.

It must be acknowledged that the Cairo speech opens a new chapter in America's Muslim world. It signifies a total departure from the Bush administration's anti-terrorism agenda. Going by Obama's pronouncements, he tries to draw a line between good Islamist teachings and "Extremist Islamism" globally practised by Osama bin Laden's Taliban and allied groups such as al- Qaeda and Lashkar-e-toiba.

President Obama was very candid at Cairo. He put terror facts in the right perspective. To quote him "…Extremists have killed in many countries of different faiths more than any other. They have killed Muslims. Their actions are irreconcilable with the rights of human beings, the progress of nations, and with Islam". He was also gracious enough to acknowledge President Bush's errors, oversights and misdeeds. Indeed, well thought out speech can do wonders! This shows the quality of Obama's mind. His appeal for friendship and cooperation with the Muslim world was backed up by his quotes from the Quran and the declaration that "America is not at war with Islam".

In the Islamic world today, however, there are wheels within wheels. That is the reason why what is visible may not be anywhere near the truth. And the truth, on the contrary, may lie hidden somewhere.

Take, for example, America's close ally with Saudi Arabia. The Saudi rulers will not tolerate an extremist in their backyard. But wittingly or otherwise, they do funding of potentially radical Islam outfits from madrassas and beyond in the name of charity and welfare. This is also true of some other West Asian countries.

One doesn't have to go far beyond the South Asian region to fathom this truth. India is a live example of this aberration. It has suffered terribly at the hands of terrorists in Kashmiri and other parts of the country for over three decades. India has the world's second largest Muslim population after Indonesia. This point was conveniently overlooked by Obama in his Cairo speech. Mercifully, he has ruled out US mediation on Kashmir and has left the issue to be sorted out by the two countries. This is just as well. I hope that the Obama administration will see the Kashmir issue in a larger perspective avoiding angularities.

The US President ought to understand and appreciate serious fallout of America's Pakistan Afghanistan and Middle East policy on this country's domestic politics. Ironically, Pakistan itself is badly caught in the terror web of its own making. Therefore, we can see Pakistan's changing perspective on terrorism. There is certainly a growing realization in Islamabad that if the Pak establishment does not act firmly and swiftly against the threat from Taliban, its political class will be eliminated in the name of Shariat law.

In this context, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari during the BRIC summit has, in a limited way, diluted the post 26/11 Mumbai bitterness. This is a happy augury provided Pakistan begins to see India as a friend and partner in progress and peace.

In the final analysis, the problem of tackling Islamist terrorism is one of practicing one's faith and religious beliefs in a broader framework of humanity and human values. The concept of Jehad creates distortions and builds an atmosphere of hatred and violence. This runs counter to lofty Islamic thoughts.

In USA Today of June 15, expert Andrew Newberg writes: "faith can bring out the best in people (love, generosity, compassion) and the worst (fear, hatred, violence). Whether the people choose the former or the latter depends on how thy view the god they worship". 

The problem with Islamic extremism is the distorted view of looking at Islam by the likes of Osama bin Laden and their sponsors for their political purposes. This is the same story in today's strife-torn South-Asia, Middle-east and other parts of the world. Can Obama find answers to these contradictory gaps in the global order? We have to keep our fingers crossed.

Albert Einstein once said: "both science and religion can evoke inspirational meaning in our lives, and when this occurs God and Science are great". How true! But the problem here is one of complexities of human minds which never allow religion to be seen through the prism of scientific logic.

As for the battle against Islamic extremism, it cannot be won by sheer counter gun power. It has to be treated as a battle of ideas as well. Like the US, India too has failed to generate new ideas to correct the distortions in thinking and acting right at the grassroots functioning of foreign funding madrassas and other undesirable outfits which strike at the country's secular fabric.

Terrorism and Jehad offensives pushed from across the border for the past 30 years have upset the secular balance in the sub-continent. This process has to be reversed with a series of reforms at all levels of socio-political functioning.

In fact, socio-economic and political reforms are the right answers to restore social balance in the sub-continent. This exercise must begin with narrow-minded vote-bank politicians. It is also necessary to involve liberal Muslim clergy and moderate and progressive Kashmiri and other Muslim leaders in creating a new atmosphere of peace, harmony and progress for the good of the people.

Indeed, it is time for attitudinal change in South Asia for a New Order.