[BITList] Fwd: Obama's speech to Muslims

[John Feltham]

Begin forwarded message:

President calls for 'new beginning' between U.S. and Muslims
Text of Obama's speech to Muslims

·        Barack Obama


AFP – US President Barack Obama delivers his address to the Muslim  
world in the Grand Hall of Cairo University …
By The Associated Press – 2 hrs 13 mins ago

Text of President Barack Obama's speech at Cairo University, as  
provided by CQ Transcriptions.
___
Good afternoon. I am honored to be in the timeless city of Cairo and  
to be hosted by two remarkable institutions. For over a thousand  
years, al-Azhar has, had stood as a beacon of Islamic learning. And  
for over a century, Cairo University has been a source of Egypt's  
advancement. Together, you represent the harmony between tradition and  
progress.
I'm grateful for your hospitality and the hospitality of the people  
ofEgypt. And I'm also proud to carry with me the good will of  
theAmerican people and a greeting of peace from Muslim communities in  
my country: Assalamu Alaikum.
(APPLAUSE)
We meet at a time of great tension between the United States and  
Muslims around the world, tension rooted in historical forces that go  
beyond any current policy debate. The relationship between Islam and  
the West includes centuries of coexistence and cooperation but also  
conflict and religious wars.
More recently, tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights  
and opportunities to many Muslims and a Cold War in which Muslim  
majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to  
their own aspirations. Moreover, the sweeping change brought by  
modernity and globalization led many Muslims to view the West as  
hostile to the traditions of Islam.
Violent extremists have exploited these tensions in a small but potent  
minority of Muslims. The attacks of September 11, 2001, and the  
continued efforts of these extremists to engage in violence against  
civilians has led some in my country to view Islam as inevitably  
hostile not only to America and Western countries but also to human  
rights.
All this has bred more fear and more mistrust. So long as our  
relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who  
sow hatred rather than peace, those who promote conflict rather than  
the cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and  
prosperity. And this cycle of suspicion and discord must end.
I've come here to Cairo to seek a new beginning between the United  
States and Muslims around the world, one based on 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, principles of justice and  
progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.
I do so recognizing that change cannot happen overnight. I know  
there's been a lot of publicity about this speech, but no single  
speech can eradicate years of mistrust nor can I answer in the time  
that I have this afternoon all the complex questions that brought us  
to this point.
But I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly  
to each other the things we hold in our hearts and that too often are  
said only behind closed doors. There must be a sustained effort to  
listen to each other, to learn from each other, to respect one  
another, and to seek common ground.
As the holy Quran tells us: "Be conscious of God and speak always the  
truth."
(APPLAUSE)
That is what I will try to do today, 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.
Now, part of this conviction is rooted in my own experience. I'm 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 at the fall  
of dusk.
As a young man, I worked in Chicago communities where many found  
dignity and peace in their Muslim faith. As a student of history, I  
also know civilization's debt to Islam. It was Islam at places like al- 
Azhar that carried the light of learning through so many centuries,  
paving the way for Europe's Renaissance and Enlightenment. It was  
innovation in Muslim communities...
(APPLAUSE)
It was innovation in Muslim communities that developed the order of  
algebra, our magnetic compass and tools of navigation, our mastery of  
pens and printing, our understanding of how disease spreads and how it  
can be healed. Islamic culture has given us majestic arches and  
soaring spires, timeless poetry and cherished music, elegant  
calligraphy and places of peaceful contemplation. And throughout  
history, Islam has demonstrated through words and deeds the  
possibilities of religious tolerance and racial equality.
(APPLAUSE)
I also know that Islam has always been a part of America's story. The  
first nation to recognize my country was Morocco. In signing the  
Treaty of Tripoli in 1796, our second president, John Adams, wrote:
"The United States has in itself no character of enmity against the  
laws, religion or tranquility of Muslims."
And since our founding, American Muslims have enriched the United  
States. They have fought in our wars. They have served in our  
government. They have stood for civil rights. They have started  
businesses. They have taught at our universities. They've excelled in  
our sports arenas. They've won Nobel Prizes, built our tallest  
building and lit the Olympic torch. And when the first Muslim American  
was recently elected to Congress, he took the oath to defend our  
Constitution using the same holy Quran that one of our founding  
fathers, Thomas Jefferson, kept in his personal library.
(APPLAUSE)
So I have known Islam on three continents before coming to the region  
where it was first revealed. That experience guides my conviction that  
partnership between America and Islam must be based on what Islam is,  
not what it isn't. And I consider it part of my responsibility as  
president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes  
of Islam wherever they appear.
(APPLAUSE)
But that same principle must apply to Muslim perceptions of America.  
Just as...
(APPLAUSE)
Just as Muslims do not fit a crude stereotype, America is not the  
crude stereotype of a self-interested empire. The United States has  
been one of the greatest sources of progress that the world has ever  
known. We were born out of revolution against an empire.
We were founded upon the ideal that all are created equal. And we have  
shed blood and struggled for centuries to give meaning to those words,  
within our borders and around the world.
We are shaped by every culture. Drawn from every end of the Earth, and  
dedicated to a simple concept, E pluribus unum: Out of many, one.
Now much has been made of the fact that an African-American with the  
name Barack Hussein Obama could be elected president.
(APPLAUSE)
But my personal story is not so unique. The dream of opportunity for  
all people has not come true for everyone in America, but its promise  
exists for all who come to our shores. And that includes nearly 7  
million American Muslims in our country today who, by the way, enjoy  
incomes and educational levels that are higher than the American  
average.
Moreover, freedom in America is indivisible from the freedom to  
practice one's religion. That is why there is a mosque in every state  
in our union and over 1,200 mosques within our borders. That's why the  
United States government has gone to court to protect the right of  
women and girls to wear the hijab, and to punish those who would deny  
it.
So let there be no doubt...
(APPLAUSE)
... let there be no doubt, Islam is a part of America. And I believe  
that America holds within her the truth that regardless of race,  
religion, or station in life, all of us share common aspirations: to  
live in peace and security, to get an education and to work with  
dignity, to love our families, our communities, and our God. These  
things we share. This is the hope of all humanity.
Of course, recognizing our common humanity is only the beginning of  
our task. Words alone cannot meet the needs of our people. These needs  
will be met only if we act boldly in the years ahead. And if we  
understand that the challenges we face are shared and our failure to  
meet them will hurt us all.
For we have learned from recent experience that when a financial  
system weakens in one country, prosperity is hurt everywhere. When a  
new flu infects one human being, all are at risk. When one nation  
pursues a nuclear weapon, the risk of nuclear attack rises for all  
nations.
When violent extremists operate in one stretch of mountains, people  
are endangered across an ocean. When innocents in Bosnia and Darfur  
are slaughtered, that is a stain on our collective conscience.
(APPLAUSE)
That is what it means to share this world in the 21st Century. That is  
the responsibility we have to one another as human beings. This is a  
difficult responsibility to embrace, for human history has often been  
a record of nations and tribes, and, yes, religions subjugating one  
another in pursuit of their own interests.
Yet in this new age, such attitudes are self-defeating. Given our  
interdependence, any world order that elevates one nation or group of  
people over another will inevitably fail. So whatever we think of the  
past, we must not be prisoners to it. Our problems must be dealt with  
through partnership, our progress must be shared.
(APPLAUSE)
Now, that does not mean we should ignore sources of tension. Indeed,  
it suggests the opposite. We must face these tensions squarely. And  
so, in that spirit, let me speak as clearly and as plainly as I can  
about some specific issues that I believe we must finally confront  
together.
The first issue that we have to confront is violent extremism in all  
its forms. In Ankara, I made clear that America is not and never will  
be at war with Islam.
(APPLAUSE)
We will, however, relentlessly confront violent extremists who pose a  
grave threat to our security because we reject the same thing that  
people of all faiths reject, the killing of innocent men, women and  
children. And it is my first duty as president to protect the American  
people.
The situation in Afghanistan demonstrates America's goals and our need  
to work together. Over seven years ago, the United States pursued al- 
Qaida and the Taliban with broad international support. We did not go  
by choice. We went because of necessity. I'm aware that there's still  
some who would question or even justify the offense of 9/11. But let  
us be clear. Al-Qaida killed nearly 3,000 people on that day.
The victims were innocent men, women and children from America and  
many other nations who had done nothing to harm anybody. And yet al- 
Qaida chose to ruthlessly murder these people, claimed credit for the  
attack, and even now states their determination to kill on a massive  
scale. They have affiliates in many countries and are trying to expand  
their reach.
These are not opinions to be debated. These are facts to be dealt  
with. Make no mistake, we do not want to keep our troops in  
Afghanistan. We see no military — we seek no military bases there. It  
is agonizing for America to lose our young men and women. It is costly  
and politically difficult to continue this conflict.
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 now Pakistan, determined to kill as many Americans as they  
possibly can. But that is not yet the case.
And that's why we're partnering with a coalition of 46 countries. And  
despite the costs involved, America's commitment will not weaken.  
Indeed, none of us should tolerate these extremists. They have killed  
in many countries. They have killed people of different faiths but,  
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.
The holy Quran teaches that whoever kills an innocent is as — it is as  
it if has killed all mankind.
(APPLAUSE)
And the holy Quran also says whoever saves a person, it is as if he  
has saved all mankind.
(APPLAUSE)
The enduring faith of over a billion people is so much bigger than the  
narrow hatred of a few. Islam is not part of the problem in combating  
violent extremism; it is an important part of promoting peace.
Now, we also know that military power alone is not going solve the  
problems in Afghanistan and Pakistan. That's why we plan to invest  
$1.5 billion each year over the next five years to partner with  
Pakistanis to build schools and hospitals, roads and businesses, and  
hundreds of millions to help those who've been displaced.
That's why we are providing more than $2.8 billion to help Afghans  
develop their economy and deliver services that people depend on.
Now, let me also address the issue of Iraq. Unlike Afghanistan, Iraq  
was a war of choice that provoked strong differences in my country and  
around the world. Although I believe that the Iraqi people are  
ultimately better off without the tyranny of Saddam Hussein, I also  
believe that events in Iraq have reminded America of the need to use  
diplomacy and build international consensus to resolve our problems  
whenever possible.
(APPLAUSE)
Indeed, we can recall the words of Thomas Jefferson, who said: "I hope  
that our wisdom will grow with our power and teach us that the less we  
use our power, the greater it will be."
Today America has a dual responsibility to help Iraq forge a better  
future and to leave Iraq to Iraqis. I have made it clear to the Iraqi  
people...
(APPLAUSE)
I have made it clear to the Iraqi people that we pursue no basis and  
no claim on their territory or resources. Iraq's sovereignty is its  
own. And that's why I ordered the removal of our combat brigades by  
next August. That is why we will honor our agreement with Iraq's  
democratically-elected government to remove combat troops from Iraqi  
cities by July and to remove all of our troops from Iraq by 2012.
(APPLAUSE)
We will help Iraq train its security forces and develop its economy.  
But we will support a secure and united Iraq as a partner and never as  
a patron.
And finally, just as America can never tolerate violence by  
extremists, we must never alter or forget our principles. 9/11 was an  
enormous trauma to our country. The fear and anger that it provoked  
was understandable. But in some cases, it led us to act contrary to  
our traditions and our ideals.
We are taking concrete actions to change course. I have unequivocally  
prohibited the use of torture by the United States. And I have ordered  
the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed by early next year.
(APPLAUSE)
So America will defend itself, respectful of the sovereignty of  
nations and the rule of law. And we will do so in partnership with  
Muslim communities, which are also threatened. The sooner the  
extremists are isolated and unwelcome in Muslim communities, the  
sooner we will all be safer.
Now, the second major source of tension that we need to discuss is the  
situation between Israelis, Palestinians and the Arab world. America's  
strong bonds with Israel are well-known. This bond is unbreakable. It  
is based upon cultural and historical ties and the recognition that  
the aspiration for a Jewish homeland is rooted in a tragic history  
that cannot be denied.
Around the world the Jewish people were persecuted for centuries. And  
anti-Semitism in Europe culminated in an unprecedented Holocaust.  
Tomorrow I will visit Buchenwald, which was part of a network of camps  
where Jews were enslaved, tortured, shot and gassed to death by the  
Third Reich.
Six million Jews were killed, more than the entire Jewish population  
of Israel today. Denying that fact is baseless. It is ignorant, and it  
is hateful.
Threatening Israel with destruction or repeating vile stereotypes  
about Jews is deeply wrong and only serves to evoke in the minds of  
the Israelis this most painful of memories while preventing the peace  
that the people of this region deserve.
On the other hand, it is also undeniable that the Palestinian people,  
Muslims and Christians, have suffered in pursuit of a homeland. For  
more than 60 years, they've endured the pain of dislocation.
Many wait in refugee camps in the West Bank and Gaza and neighboring  
lands for a life of peace and security that they have never been able  
to lead. They endure the daily humiliations, large and small, that  
come with occupation.
So let there be no doubt, the situation for the Palestinian people is  
intolerable. And America will not turn our backs on the legitimate  
Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity and a state of their  
own.
(APPLAUSE)
For decades, then, there has been a stalemate. Two peoples with  
legitimate aspirations, each with a painful history that makes  
compromise elusive. It's easy to point fingers.
For Palestinians to point to the displacement brought about by  
Israel's founding and for Israelis to point to the constant hostility  
and attacks throughout its history, from within its borders as well as  
beyond.
But if we see this conflict only from one side or the other, then we  
will be blind to the truth. The only resolution is for the aspirations  
of both sides to be met through two states, where Israelis and  
Palestinians each live in peace and security.
(APPLAUSE)
That is in Israel's interests, Palestine's interests, America's  
interests and the world's interests. And that's why I intend to  
personally pursue this outcome with all of the patience and dedication  
that the task requires.
The obligations — the obligations that the parties have agreed to  
under the Road Map are clear. For peace to come, it is time for them  
and all of us to live up to our responsibilities.
Palestinians must abandon violence. Resistance through violence and  
killing is wrong and it does not succeed. For centuries, black people  
in America suffered the lash of the whip as slaves and the humiliation  
of segregation. But it was not violence that won full and equal  
rights. It was a peaceful and determined insistence upon the ideals at  
the center of America's founding.
This same story can be told by people from South Africa to South Asia,  
to Eastern Europe to Indonesia. It's a story with a simple truth:  
violence is a dead end. It is a sign neither of courage nor power to  
shoot rockets at sleeping children or to blow up old women on a bus.  
That's not how moral authority is claimed, that's how it is surrendered.
Now is the time for Palestinians to focus on what they can build. The  
Palestinian Authority must develop its capacity to govern with  
institutions that serve the needs of its people.
Hamas does have support among some Palestinians, but they also have to  
recognize they have responsibilities, to play a role in fulfilling  
Palestinian aspirations, to unify the Palestinian people, Hamas must  
put an end to violence, recognize past agreements, recognize Israel's  
right to exist.
At the same time, Israelis must acknowledge that just as Israel's  
right to exist cannot be denied, neither can Palestine's. The United  
States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements.
(APPLAUSE)
This construction violates previous agreements and undermines efforts  
to achieve peace. It is time for these settlements to stop.
(APPLAUSE)
And Israel must also live up to its obligation to ensure that  
Palestinians can live and work and develop their society. Just as it  
devastates Palestinian families, the continuing humanitarian crisis in  
Gaza does not serve Israel's security, neither does the continuing  
lack of opportunity in the West Bank.
Progress in the daily lives of the Palestinian people must be a  
critical part of a road to peace. And Israel must take concrete steps  
to enable such progress.
And, finally, the Arab states must recognize that the Arab Peace  
Initiative was an important beginning, but not the end of their  
responsibility. The Arab-Israeli conflict should no longer be used to  
distract the people of Arab nations from other problems. Instead, it  
must be a cause for action to help the Palestinian people develop the  
institutions that will sustain their state, to recognize Israel's  
legitimacy and to choose progress over a self-defeating focus on the  
past.
America will align our policies with those who pursue peace, and we  
will say in public what we say in private to Israelis and Palestinians  
and Arabs.
We cannot impose peace. But privately, many Muslims recognize that  
Israel will not go away. Likewise, many Israelis recognize the need  
for a Palestinian state.
It is time for us to act on what everyone knows to be true. Too many  
tears have been shed, too much blood has been shed.
All of us have a responsibility to work for the day when the mothers  
of Israelis and Palestinians could, can see their children grow up  
without fear, when the holy land of the three great faiths is the  
place of peace that God intended it to be, when Jerusalem is a secure  
and lasting home for Jews and Christians and Muslims and a place for  
all of the children of Abraham to mingle peacefully together as in the  
story of Isra — as in the story of Isra, when Moses, Jesus, and  
Mohammed — peace be upon them — joined in prayer.
(APPLAUSE)
The third source of tension is our shared interest in the rights and  
responsibilities of nations on nuclear weapons. This issue has been a  
source of tension between the United States and the Islamic Republic  
of Iran. For many years, Iran has defined itself, in part, by its  
opposition to my country. And there is, in fact, a tumultuous history  
between us.
In the middle of the Cold War, the United States played a role in the  
overthrow of a democratically elected Iranian government. Since the  
Islamic revolution, Iran has played a role in acts of hostage taking  
and violence against U.S. troops and civilians. This history is well  
known.
Rather than remain trapped in the past, I've made it clear to Iran's  
leaders and people that my country is prepared to move forward. The  
question now is not what Iran is against but, rather, what future it  
wants to build.
I recognize it will be hard to overcome decades of mistrust, but we  
will proceed with courage, rectitude, and resolve. There will be many  
issues to discussion between our two countries, and we are willing to  
move forward without preconditions on the basis of mutual respect.
But it is clear to all concerned that when it comes to nuclear  
weapons, we have reached a decisive point. This is not simply about  
America's interests.
It's about preventing a nuclear arms race in the Middle East that  
could lead this region and the world down a hugely dangerous path.
Now, I understand those who protest that some countries have weapons  
that others do not. No single nations should pick and choose which  
nation holds nuclear weapons. And that's why I strongly reaffirmed  
America's commitment to seek a world in which no nations hold nuclear  
weapons.
(APPLAUSE)
And any nation, including Iran, should have the right to access  
peaceful nuclear power if it complies with its responsibilities under  
the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. That commitment is at the core  
of the treaty. And it must be kept for all who fully abide by it. And  
I am hopeful that all countries in the region can share in this goal.
The fourth issue that I will address is democracy.
(APPLAUSE)
I know there has been controversy about the promotion of democracy in  
recent years. And much of this controversy is connected to the war in  
Iraq. So let me be clear. No system of government can or should be  
imposed by one nation by any other. That does not lessen my  
commitment, however, to governments that reflect the will of the people.
Each nation gives life to this principle in its own way, grounded in  
the traditions of its own people. America does not presume to know  
what is best for everyone, just as we would not presume to pick the  
outcome of a peaceful election.
But I do have an unyielding belief that all people yearn for certain  
things: the ability to speak your mind and have a say in how you are  
governed, confidence in the rule of law and the equal administration  
of justice, government that is transparent and doesn't steal from the  
people, the freedom to live as you choose. These are not just American  
ideas. They are human rights. And that is why we will support them  
everywhere.
(APPLAUSE)
Now, there is no straight line to realize this promise. But this much  
is clear. Governments that protect these rights are ultimately more  
stable, successful and secure. Suppressing ideas never succeeds in  
making them go away. America respects the right of all peaceful and  
law-abiding voices to be heard around the world, even if we disagree  
with them. And we will welcome all elected, peaceful governments,  
provided they govern with respect for all their people.
This last point is important because there are some who advocate for  
democracy only when they're out of power. Once in power, they are  
ruthless in suppressing the rights of others.
(APPLAUSE)
So no matter where it takes hold, government of the people and by the  
people sets a single standard for all who would hold power. You must  
maintain your power through consent, not coercion. You must respect  
the rights of minorities and participate with a spirit of tolerance  
and compromise. You must place the interests of your people and the  
legitimate workings of the political process above your party.
Without these ingredients, elections alone do not make true democracy.
(AUDIENCE MEMBER SHOUTS)
Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
The fifth issue that we must address together is religious freedom.  
Islam has a proud tradition of tolerance. We see it in the history of  
Andalusia and Cordoba during the Inquisition. I saw it firsthand as a  
child inIndonesia where devout Christians worshipped freely in an  
overwhelmingly Muslim country.
That is the spirit we need today. People in every country should be  
free to choose and live their faith based upon the persuasion of the  
mind and the heart and the soul.
This tolerance is essential for religion to thrive. But it's being  
challenged in many different ways. Among some Muslims, there's a  
disturbing tendency to measure one's own faith by the rejection of  
somebody else's faith.
The richness of religious diversity must be upheld, whether it is for  
Maronites in Lebanon or the Copts inEgypt.
(APPLAUSE)
And if we are being honest, fault lines must be closed among Muslims  
as well as the divisions between Sunni and Shia have led to tragic  
violence, particularly in Iraq.
Freedom of religion is central to the ability of peoples to live  
together. We must always examine the ways in which people protect it.  
For instance, in the United States, rules on charitable giving have  
made it harder for Muslims to fulfill their religious obligation.
That's why I'm committed to work with American Muslims to ensure that  
they can fulfill zakat. Likewise, it is important for Western  
countries to avoid impeding Muslim citizens from practicing religion  
as they see fit, for instance, by dictating what clothes a Muslim  
woman should wear.
We can't disguise hostility towards any religion behind the pretense  
of liberalism. In fact, faith should bring us together. And that's why  
we're forging service projects in America to bring together  
Christians, Muslims and Jews.
That's why we welcome efforts like Saudi Arabian King Abdullah's  
interfaith dialogue and Turkey's leadership in the Alliance of  
Civilizations.
Around the world, we can turn dialogue into interfaith service so  
bridges between peoples lead to action, whether it is combating  
malaria in Africa or providing relief after a natural disaster.
The sixth issue — the sixth issue that I want to address is women's  
rights.
(APPLAUSE)
I know, and you can tell from this audience, that there is a healthy  
debate about this issue. I reject the view of some in the West that a  
woman who chooses to cover her hair is somehow less equal. But I do  
believe that a woman who is denied an education is denied equality.
(APPLAUSE)
And it is no coincidence that countries where women are well-educated  
are far more likely to be prosperous.
Now let me be clear, issues of women's equality are by no means simply  
an issue for Islam. In Turkey,Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, we've  
seen Muslim-majority countries elect a woman to lead.
Meanwhile, the struggle for women's equality continues in many aspects  
of American life and in countries around the world. I am convinced  
that our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons.
(APPLAUSE)
Our common prosperity will be advanced by allowing all humanity, men  
and women, to reach their full potential. I do not believe that women  
must make the same choices as men in order to be equal. And I respect  
those women who choose to live their lives in traditional roles. But  
it should be their choice.
That is why the United States will partner with any Muslim-majority  
country to support expanded literacy for girls and to help young women  
pursue employment through micro-financing that helps people live their  
dreams.
(APPLAUSE)
Finally, I want to discuss economic development and opportunity. I  
know that for many, the face of globalization is contradictory. The  
Internet and television can bring knowledge and information but also  
offensive sexuality and mindless violence into the home.
Trade can bring new wealth and opportunities but also huge disruptions  
and change in communities. In all nations, including America, this  
change can bring fear; fear that, because of modernity, we lose  
control over our economic choices, our politics, and most importantly,  
our identities, those things we most cherish about our communities,  
our families, our traditions and our faith.
But I also know that human progress cannot be denied. There need not  
be contradictions between development and tradition. Countries like  
Japan and South Korea grew their economies enormously while  
maintaining distinct cultures. The same is true for the astonishing  
progress within Muslim majority countries from Kuala Lumpur to Dubai.
In ancient times and in our times, Muslim communities have been at the  
forefront of innovation and education. And this is important because  
no development strategy can be based only upon what comes out of the  
ground nor can it be sustained while young people are out of work.
Many Gulf States have enjoyed great wealth as a consequence of oil,  
and some are beginning to focus it on broader development. But all of  
us must recognize that education and innovation will be the currency  
of the21st century. And in too...
(APPLAUSE)
And in too many Muslim communities, there remains underinvestment in  
these areas. I am emphasizing such investment within my own country.  
And while America, in the past, has focused on oil and gas when it  
comes to this part of the world, we new seek a broader engagement.
On education, we will expand change programs and increase scholarships  
like the one that brought my father to America.
(APPLAUSE)
At the same time, we will encourage more Americans to study in Muslim  
communities. And we will match promising Muslim students with  
internships in America, invest in online learning for teachers and  
children around the world and create a new, online network so a young  
person in Kansas can communicate instantly with a young person in Cairo.
On economic development, we will create a new core of business  
volunteers to partner with counterparts in Muslim majority countries.  
And I will host a summit on entrepreneurship this year to identify how  
we can deepen ties between business leaders, foundations and social  
entrepreneurs in the United States and Muslim communities around the  
world.
On science and technology, we will launch a new fund to support  
technological development in Muslim majority country and to help  
transfer ideas to the marketplace so they can create more jobs. We  
will open centers of scientific excellence in Africa, the Middle East  
and Southeast Asia and appoint new science envoys to collaborate on  
programs that develop new sources of energy, create green jobs,  
digitize records, clean water, grow new crops.
Today, I'm announcing a new global effort with the organization of the  
Islamic Conference to eradicate polio. And we will also expand  
partnerships with Muslim communities to promote child and maternal  
health.
All these things must be done in partnership. Americans are ready to  
join with citizens and governments, community organizations, religious  
leaders, and businesses in Muslim communities around the world to help  
our people pursue a better life.
The issues that I have described will not be easy to address, but we  
have a responsibility to join together to behalf of the world that we  
seek, a world where extremists no longer threaten our people and  
American troops have come home; a world where Israelis and  
Palestinians are each secure in a state of their own and nuclear  
energy is used for peaceful purposes, a world where governments serve  
their citizens and the rights of all God's children are respected.  
Those are mutual interests. That is the world we seek. But we can only  
achieve it together. I know there are many, Muslim and non-Muslim, who  
question whether we can forge this new beginning. Some are eager to  
stoke the flames of division and to stand in the way of progress. Some  
suggest that it isn't worth the effort, that we are fated to disagree  
and civilizations are doomed to clash.
Many more are simply skeptical that real change can occur. There is so  
much fear, so much mistrust that has built up over the years. But if  
we choose to be bound by the past, we will never move forward. And I  
want to particularly say this to young people of every faith in every  
country. You more than anyone have the ability to reimagine the world,  
the remake this world.
All of us share this world for but a brief moment in time. The  
question is whether we spend that time focused on what pushes us apart  
or whether we commit ourselves to an effort, a sustained effort to  
find common ground, to focus on the future we seek for our children  
and to respect the dignity of all human beings.
It's easier to start wars than to end them. It's easier to blame  
others than to look inward. It's easier to see what is different about  
someone than to find the things we share. But we should choose the  
right path, not just the easy path. There is one rule that lies at the  
heart of every religion, that we do unto others as we would have them  
do unto us.
(APPLAUSE)
This truth transcends nations and peoples, a belief that isn't new,  
that isn't black or white or brown, that isn't Christian or Muslim or  
Jew. It's a belief that pulsed in the cradle of civilization and that  
still beats in the hearts of billions around the world. It's a faith  
in other people. And it's what brought me here today.
We have the power to make the world we seek, but only if we have the  
courage to make a new beginning, keeping in mind what has been  
written. The holy Quran tells us: "Mankind, we have created you male  
and a female. And we have made you into nations and tribes so that you  
may know one another."
The Talmud tells us: "The whole of the Torah is for the purpose of  
promoting peace."
The holy Bible tells us: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall  
be called sons of God."
(APPLAUSE)
The people of the world can live together in peace. We know that is  
God's vision. Now that must be our work here on Earth.
Thank you. And may God's peace be upon you. Thank you very much.
Thank you.
END


ooroo

Bad typists of the word, untie.




-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.bcn.mythic-beasts.com/pipermail/bitlist/attachments/20090605/7e8cbe75/attachment-0001.shtml 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.png
Type: image/png
Size: 709 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.bcn.mythic-beasts.com/pipermail/bitlist/attachments/20090605/7e8cbe75/attachment-0001.png 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image002.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 7505 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.bcn.mythic-beasts.com/pipermail/bitlist/attachments/20090605/7e8cbe75/attachment-0002.jpg 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image003.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 13212 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.bcn.mythic-beasts.com/pipermail/bitlist/attachments/20090605/7e8cbe75/attachment-0003.jpg