In a major speech aimed at repairing ties between the U.S. and the Muslim world, President Barack Obama drew a somewhat positive response from corners of the globe not given to complimenting the U.S.

From Cairo to Baghdad, Arabs watching President Obama's speech said he won their admiration for peppering the address with the type of moral message Muslims receive at weekly homilies as well as the straightforward talk that they rarely get from their own leadership.

"He seems like a committed and serious man," said Ahmed Farouk, a 25-year-old movie producer who sat in an Egyptian coffee house a few minutes drive from Cairo University, where Mr. Obama spoke. "Just one of him is worth 10 George Bushes."

Muslims in Nairobi, Kenya, generally were encouraged by Mr. Obama's outreach Thursday, especially his emphasis on living in peace with the Muslim world, saying his speech had done much to repair damage to that relationship. But they still are waiting for action to match his words.

On a hot, busy Thursday afternoon, Muslims caught bits of the address before or after midday prayers, in their offices or on screens in quiet cafes downtown.

Sadiki Hamisi Halfani, a 42-year-old Islamic studies teacher, said he admired Mr. Obama's message of tolerance as a universal ideal.

"He was brave to talk about the things he did," Mr. Halfani said, standing outside the Jamia Mosque, the main mosque downtown, as men came from their midday prayers. Mr. Halfani was particularly struck by Mr. Obama's reference to Jerusalem as a town of the children of Abraham. "He said that Muslims, Christians and Jews were supposed to live together. And Muslims are supposed to live like brothers with other people."

But he and others were disappointed that Mr. Obama didn't include leaders of autocratic African nations in his address. "He could have talked about Africa, and insisted Africans maintain peace, just like he did with Iran," Mr. Halfani said.

Indian Muslims in Hyderabad, India, watch the live broadcast. Associated Press

Al-Amin Kimathi, the leader of the Muslim Human Rights Forum in Kenya, also wanted Mr. Obama to go further in addressing dictatorial governments. "He really toned down on addressing the autocratic behavior of Muslim regimes," Mr. Kimathi said. "But from the venue he chose, we didn't expect much."

Mr. Kimathi said the speech did mark a major shift in the American attitude toward the Muslim world that he hoped would spread. "The leadership in these parts, the Kenyan government for instance, needs to see that change of attitude. That would signify that they also need to change their attitude toward Muslims in this country."

Abdi Rahaman Ibrahim, who is 45 and unemployed, learned about the speech today and made sure he was at a caf&eacute; in time to watch. He followed Mr. Obama's words closely and was pleased with his bid for equality for all people, in particular the Palestinians.

"Most of us were suspicious of him, but &hellip; he knows about the Quran and the roots of Islam," Mr. Ibrahim said.

But now, he and others want action. "The Palestinians must now be given independence, so we will believe him more," Mr. Ibrahim said, as others who had gathered around to listen to him speak nodded in agreement. They also expect the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to be closed, as Mr. Obama has ordered, and fair trials held for the detainees. "That place is not good at all for the human being," he said.

"What we were expecting [from the speech], mostly he has done it," said Abdulahi Galgalo. "Now, we are waiting for him."

Meanwhile, in Iraq, Mr. Obama's speech failed to generate a lot of interest. Many Iraqis were unaware that the American president was giving such a speech, and several Baghdad residents said they hadn't watched it. The major local newspapers didn't feature preview stories on it in Thursday's editions.

Ali Hussein, a Baghdad shop owner, happened to be flipping through channels on his television in his store when he came upon the broadcast of Mr. Obama's speech. He decided to tune in but wasn't impressed by what he heard. "There didn't seem to be anything new in it and it was similar to things he had said when he was campaigning," Mr. Hussein said. "I wanted to hear something new about Iraq because of what America did here so I was disappointed."

Ahmed Dagher, a government employee, caught the speech after he arrived home from work. He said Mr. Obama spoke as if he was halfway between a Muslim cleric and a Christian priest. But because of Mr. Obama's past ties to Islam, Mr. Dagher said the American president's speech sounded more authentic, as he wouldn't have believed those words if they came out of the mouth of former President George W. Bush.

"It was a good speech, and I enjoyed listening to it," Mr. Dagher said. "But I don't think it will bring any real changes to this region."

When focused on the details of the speech, instead of the tone, many Muslims saw disappointing holes and fewer specifics than they would have liked, especially when it came to the vexing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Since being sworn into office, Mr. Obama has taken a tougher line towards Israel than the Bush administration did. On Thursday, he reiterated his view that Israeli settlement building in the West Bank must stop, a message that has been rejected by the Israeli government.

Zafarul-Islam Khan, president of the All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, the umbrella body of Indian Muslim organizations, said that he was waiting for actions, not words, as evidence that Mr. Obama represented a tangible change from President Bush.

"He was rather mild on Israel and did not tell us what he proposes to do if Israel rejects peace with its neighbors and continues to subjugate Palestinians and occupy their land," said Mr. Khan. "In general, this is a good beginning but only future will tell how far America is ready to go after eight years of a totally uncalled for war on Islam."

In Iran, reaction to Mr. Obama's speech in Cairo came with delay. The country is in the midst of a two-day holiday to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's death.

In his public statement for the occasion, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, alluded to Mr. Obama's speech several hours ahead of the talk. Mr. Khamenei said that Muslims world-wide "hate America from the bottom of their heart." He said that the new U.S. administration is seeking to transform its image; however, he said, "change and a new image won't happen with speeches, talks and slogans. America needs to take action and make up for its injustice toward countries in the region."

Mr. Obama's speech was not broadcast live or in whole on Iran's state-run television and radio networks and thus his message to the Muslim world may not reach the Iranian public. Those who had watched the speech had access to Satellite television channels.

"Obama's speech was extraordinary. I loved it," said Morteza Sinaie, 24 years old, who had watched the speech on Euronews. "I wish every Iranian would hear it. I think it would dramatically change their opinion about Obama and the United Sates."

—Sarah Childress in Nairobi, Kenya, Gina Chon in Baghdad, Sonya Misquitta in Mumbai and Farnaz Fassihi in Tehran contributed to this article.

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