The world watched, fascinated, as the United States transferred power from one President to the next. Barack Obama took office today as the savior for some, a question mark for others and an enemy for others. Read about Iranian protests below.

Iranians Burn Posters of Obama

For most people in the world, Barack Obama is just the next American President. Its not a world shaking moment for them. If they have an investment in hating the United States, it doesn’t matter who the President of the United States is. Its about their hatred of the United States and has nothing to do with who is in power of our country at any given moment.

Take Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez‘ response for instance.

Even as Obama was taking his Oath of Office, Iranian protesters were burning posters of him and chanting ‘Death to Obama’.

While much of the world celebrated the arrival of the new American president on Tuesday, some regions saw angry protests.

In Iran, protesters burnt posters of U.S. President-elect Barack Obama and waved flags in support of Gaza, Reuters reported.

“Where are the freedom seekers?” one poster read that had the word “Gaza” on it and a picture of a weeping Palestinian, Reuters reported.Demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and chanted “Death to Obama,” outside the Swiss embassy, and Reuters said it obtained pictures of Obama’s image laid on the road for cars to drive over.

In the rest of the world, the ascendance of the first African-American to the presidency of the United States was heralded as marking a new era of tolerance and possibility.

I genuinely hope that Obama is able to summon up the courage needed to deal with these America haters. A group hug isn’t going to solve the centuries old hatred between the muslim world and Western civilization. Singing kumbaya won’t fix the millennium old conflict between the Judism and islam either.