Obama seeks new beginning with Middle East
Barack Obama uses landmark speech in Egyptian capital to urge reconciliation between US and Muslim world
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Thursday, 04, Jun 2009 03:46
Barack Obama has used a landmark speech in the Egyptian capital to urge reconciliation between the United States and the Muslim world.
Addressing an audience at Cairo University and a worldwide population of 1.3 billion Muslims he called for a "new beginning" in relations.
The speech, a longstanding campaign commitment to deliver a major address in a Muslim capital, saw the president reach out further to the Islamic world as he bids to overturn the legacy of Bush administration policies that still loom large in the region.
"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 in opening.
To frequent applause and amid direct quotations of the Qur'an, President Obama unveiled what he saw as the seven key issues standing in the way of a remade relationship between Washington and the Middle East.
He said the US remained committed to tackling violent extremism but drew a clear distinction between Islam and the ideologies of al-Qaida.
On the plight of the Palestinian people he reaffirmed an unbreakable bond with Israel but also demanded the Jewish state cease building illegal settlements to pave the way forward for a two-state solution.
"The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements," he said. "It is time for these settlements to stop".
His speech touched on Iran's controversial nuclear energy programme, which the president said Tehran was entitled to if it was strictly for peaceful energy purposes, but could lead to a new arms race in the region.
President Obama also insisted the west did not want to force its democratic ideals on the Middle East but promote them as the best form of governance; urged greater allowance of freedom of expression and tolerance of religion; spoke up in favour of increased women's rights; and argued that economic progress need not come at the expense of violating tradition
"The issues I've described will not be easy to address," he said towards the end of his 55-minute speech.
"If we choose to be bound by the past we will never more forward. And I want to particularly say this to young people of every faith and country. You more than anyone have the ability and opportunity to remake this world."