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Question #696A. John, you need to replace Sen. Clinton's name with C. Rice, unless perhaps there's some underlying biases here?

In a article last year addressing the issue of diffrences of opinion in secular Palestinian women and Islamic Palestinian women in politics and I quote " On the one hand, he said, Palestinian society evolved to allow women a degree of political equality rare in the Arab world" Boston Globe Jan. 21, 2006. Hmmm rare in the Arab world. Don't insult the women of Arab states who are trying to gain equality. The article also states that the Koran endores young women to go out and seek education, etc. but, if you commit adultery you will be stoned to death, period. Women in Arab states have no where near the rights women do in Western Civilzations. Israel is not Arab, and Queen Victoria is English, the only Queens I know that came from that region who dominated were the queens from the time of the Pharoahs. Again....I hope Sen. Clinton if elected does get the respect from Syria and Iran the main players, but based on there culture I find it hard to believe.

This is a terrible misrepresentation of Arab States as a whole. In fact many Arab States have high-ranking women in government. Even in Palestine, Hanan Ashrawi has served as an official in the PLO and in the Palestinian legislature. To say that Arabs are incapable of respecting a women is highly insulting.

She'd be respected as a leader, remember Iranda Gandi. Queen Victoria was after all the very revered western leader of all these countries (almost every household had a prominently displayed picture of her so they could bless her daily) during their first modern contact with us. Was Margaret Thatcher respected on the Arabian Peninsula? Golda Meirer for Israel? Just because America is backward in ascendancy of women to positions of political power does not mean the rest of the world has our hang-ups.

Not stereotyping the entire Mid-East, comment states SOME. I have yet to see a female emissary from a country such as Syria and Iran make there rounds in the diplomatic world. Remember, in there extreme view, Western Civilization has gone too far in our lifestyle. They aim to stop it. I respect all faiths as long as the path is a peaceful one. Sen. Clinton if she becomes President will have to respect there culture dominated by men and hope that who they see is the President of the U.S., not the woman.

Feras, that was not an election done by the people. Rather, it was the legislaters who voted her into power.

It is completely ridiculous to stereotype the entire middle east saying that they will not recognize women in power. If we are going to use poor human rights records as a barometer of recognition for women in power, then how did India, a country with equally poor respect for gender equality, elect a woman to the presidency for the first time this month? To say that countries with poor respect for human rights have no respect for women in power flies in the face of precedent while unfairly stereotyping an entire ethnicity and faith.

In the movie "300" the Persian emissary dissed the Spartan leader because his wife gave her opinion and did not walk behind him. Some Arab states still require the female to do so. We don't. Just stating Sen. Clinton is the smartest, and most capable person in the room, is not diplomatic when Heads of State meet. Just adds insult to injury to governments such as Iran, Syria and the culture within other Arab states. Countries whose women struggle for the same equality as those of Western Civilizations.

I am not a Clinton supporter at this time, however I believe that whether Ms. Clinton can be taken seriously by the Arab states is not the issue. The real issue is, given the American record of political dishonesty with its own people, how can ANY American be taken seriously by any Arab state that already hates America?

Do you think George W. Bush is respected in these talks?

I respect John McAlphin's service but this was a terribly stupid question.

Not only would Sen. Clinton be taken seriously, she would most often than not be the smartest, most capable person in the room.