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Barack Obama used his Muslim heritage today to call for an end to the “cycle of suspicion and discord” between the United States and the Islamic world.
The President called for a “new beginning” to confront violent extremism across the globe and advance the quest for peace in the Middle East.
He admitted to “years of distrust” and said both sides needed to make a “sustained effort... to respect one another and seek common ground”.
The widely anticipated address to the Muslim world was an attempt by the President to distance himself from the Bush leadership and improve relations severed after the 9/11 terror attacks and the US-led war in Iraq.
Delivering the speech in Cairo, President Obama said: “I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world, one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect, and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles.”
He added: “As the Holy Koran tells us, Be conscious of God and speak always the truth.' That is what I will try to do — to speak the truth as best I can, humbled by the task before us, and firm in my belief that the interests we share as human beings are far more powerful than the forces that drive us apart.
“Part of this conviction is rooted in my own experience. I am a Christian, but my father came from a Kenyan family that includes generations of Muslims. As a boy, I spent several years in Indonesia and heard the call of the azaan at the break of dawn and the fall of dusk. As a young man, I worked in Chicago communities where many found dignity and peace in their Muslim faith.”
Mr Obama spoke at Cairo University after meeting President Hosni Mubarak on his four-nation trip to the Middle East and Europe. The speech was the centrepiece of his tour and covered the Middle East peace process, Iran, the Afghanistan and Iraq wars and al-Qaeda.
He said the actions of violent extremist Muslims are “irreconcilable with the rights of human beings” and added: “Islam is not part of the problem in combating violent extremism— it is an important part of promoting peace.”
He also called on the Palestinian Hamas movement to “put an end to violence, recognise past agreements, and recognise Israel's right to exist.” And he said: “Israelis must acknowledge that just as Israel's right to exist cannot be denied, neither can Palestine. The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements. It is time for these settlements to stop.”
Mr Obama, who received a standing ovation at the end of his speech, also said the US sought no permanent bases in Iraq or Afghanistan.
He added: “We would gladly bring every single one of our troops home if we could be confident that there were not violent extremists in Afghanistan and Pakistan determined to kill as many Americans as they possibly can. But that is not yet the case.”
Reader views (3)
Obama did NOT 'Plead' with Muslims; he merely suggested that they behave in a rational and sane social manner using common logic and compassion. So much for that---it hasn't happened yet and probably won't! Oh well.......
- Retiredscotsman, Illinois, USA, 05/06/2009 02:41
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I don't expect him to come hme with a signed piece of paper that promises "Peace in our time". That's already been done.
- Frank, ex-England, 04/06/2009 17:36
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How can you tell the truth "AS BEST AS YOU CAN"?Either it is or is not true.
- Harvey N Lawrence, London, 04/06/2009 16:00
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