US PRESIDENT Barack Obama yesterday called for a new beginning in relations between his country and the world’s Muslims, and argued that the “cycle of suspicion and discord” between Islam and the West must end.
Seeking to both repair the damage caused by his predecessor George W Bush and change Muslim perceptions of the US, Mr Obama, recalling a speech he gave in Turkey earlier this year, said: “America is not – and never will be – at war with Islam.”
Mr Obama’s address to a 1,000-strong crowd gathered at Cairo University fulfilled a pledge he made during his inauguration to deliver a major speech aimed specifically at Muslims.
Acknowledging that his address came at a “time of tension” between the US and Muslims around the world – tension “rooted in historical forces that go beyond any current policy debate” – Mr Obama nevertheless appealed for a fresh start.
“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,” he said. “America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition.”
In a wide-ranging speech that alternated between addressing the grievances many Muslims hold against the US, and stressing the need to jointly tackle issues such as violent extremism, Mr Obama struck a respectful, conciliatory, and at times firm, tone.
He opened with a traditional greeting in Arabic and frequently quoted from the Koran, drawing raucous applause and cheering from the audience.
He referred to his own Muslim father and recalled his childhood in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation.
“So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace,” he said.
Mr Obama told his audience of millions watching and listening from across the world that he did not want a permanent US troop presence in Iraq or Afghanistan, and he repeated his wish to resolve differences with Tehran on the basis of mutual respect. “It will be hard to overcome decades of mistrust, but we will proceed with courage, rectitude and resolve,” Mr Obama said.
He affirmed his commitment to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying it was in the interests of all concerned, but announced no specific changes to US policy in the region.
While he referred to America’s “unbreakable bond” with Israel, he also strongly rebuked Israel for building illegal settlements.
He described the Palestinians’ life under occupation as “intolerable” but added that they must abandon violence and acknowledge Israel’s right to exist.
Despite addressing issues such as democracy, human rights and women’s rights, Mr Obama offered few specifics, and his failure to mention offending regimes by name disappointed many activists, particularly in the Arab world.
He decried negative stereotypes of Islam but said some Muslims were also guilty of stereotyping the US and its citizens.
Mr Obama himself admitted one speech would not make much of a difference, and he said many were opposed to the idea of a fresh start.
“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 civilisations are doomed to clash.
“There is so much fear, so much mistrust. But if we choose to be bound by the past, we will never move forward.”
Reaction to the much-anticipated speech was mixed. In Damascus, Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal praised Mr Obama’s “new language” but echoed the feelings of many in the Middle East when he said he was looking for more than “just mere words”.
Mohammed Habib, deputy leader of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, described the speech as “a public relations address”.
Iranian officials criticised it, as did representatives of Hizbullah in Lebanon.