Middle East News
Obama addresses a peace message to the Muslim world (4th Lead)
Jun 4, 2009, 12:42 GMT
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (R) and US President Barack Obama (L) during the welcoming ceremony upon President Obama\'s arrival at Quba palace in Cairo, Egypt, 04 June 2009. Obama is attempting to open a dialogue with the Muslim world by visiting Saudi Arabia and delivering a major speech in Cairo. EPA/KHALED EL FIQI
Cairo - 'The people of the world can live together in peace,' US President Barack Obama told the world's 1.5 billion Muslims in a much-anticipated speech from Cairo on Thursday.
Members of the audience at Cairo University burst into chants of 'Obama, Obama!' at the conclusion of the US president's wide-ranging speech that tackled head-on many of the irritants in US relations with the Muslim world.
Obama acknowledged the role the United States and other western countries had played in stoking tensions between his country and Muslims around the world, beginning with colonialism and culminating in the war in Iraq.
But he also strongly condemned the 'violent extremists' who 'have exploited these tensions in a small but potent minority of Muslims.'
'So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace,' the US president said. 'This cycle of suspicion and discord must end.'
'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,' Obama said.
Obama condemned anti-Semitism and denial of the Holocaust. Saying the 'strong bonds' between the United States and Israel were 'unbreakable,' he called on Hamas to 'put an end to violence, recognize past agreements, and recognize Israel's right to exist.'
'At the same time,' Obama continued, '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... It is time for these settlements to stop.'
Obama contrasted the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but assured his audience the United States had no plans to stay in either. He called the war in Afghanistan a war of 'necessity,' and emphasized the billions of dollars in US civilian economic aid to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
He repeated his pledge to withdraw all US soldiers from Iraq by 2012, adding that while '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.'
Acknowledging the US role in 'overthrowing a democratically elected government' in Iran, Obama urged that country and others to abandon their nuclear-weapons programmes.
'No single nation should pick and choose which nations hold nuclear weapons. That is why I strongly reaffirmed America's commitment to seek a world in which no nations hold nuclear weapons,' he said.
He further pledged to uphold democratic values, the rights of women and religious freedoms, saying they 'are not just American ideas, they are human rights.'
'There is also one rule that lies at the heart of every religion - that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us,' Obama said on Thursday.
'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 heart of billions. It's a faith in other people, and it's what brought me here today,' Obama concluded to thunderous applause.
Earlier on Thursday, Obama met with his Egyptian host, Hosny Mubarak, and promised to continue to seek his counsel on regional affairs, before visiting Cairo's 600-year-old Sultan Hassan mosque with US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
The US president is scheduled to tour the Pyramids at Giza and to meet US Embassy officials, before leaving Cairo Thursday evening for Dresden, Germany.
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Older Talkback
page: 1
...luck.
Believes America. Nobody!
Has become a failed state financially and economically, and its economic misery has spread around the globe.
The A/H1/N1 virus was created by US virologists in an US army lab and spread 'accidentally' across the globe.
The USA illegally attacks sovereign countries around the world (at will). Usually smaller, helpless countries that can't realistically fight back.
Therefore, it is in the international community's best interest to bring this rogue country under control, disarm and disband it.
The next that will follow that fate: that jew state of so-called israel.
''one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect''
Mutual interest = belief in fairy tale creationist stories
Mutual respect = I respect that your version of creationism is almost as correct as mine
I never thought I would say this, but of the 5 posts the most sane is SP4....
...I liked most of the the speech. It echoes not what most Americans really believe, but would like to see...it needed to be said and I'm glad it was he who said it.
I thought it a well considered and statesmanlike speech, calculated to convey that whilst the USA remains committed to Israel's right to exist it does not do so blindly or without feeling able to demur openly when it believes Israel to be acting counterproductively. Moderate Muslims, who naturally feel aggrieved at the sufferings of their co-religionists should welcome the support for full Palestinian statehood as part of a lasting solution.
Yet, it is a bare beginning and some of the comments above, with their tone of unreasoning hatred and absolute unwillingness to compromise show how easily any initiative can be stalled. When, as so often before, this occurs the various parties involved are forced inevitibly back upon their initial default positions. Obama has at least been fair and honest enough to set out America's now more even handed stance. It is now up to other interested parties to respond constructively if anything worthwhile is to come of his efforts.
Obama is intelligent (unlike his predecessor), and is trying his best to attain some peace surrounding the Middle East and to work with all countries. That doesn't mean he and the U.S. agrees with all their policies, but at least he is showing the will to work together.
...Obama has the luxury of the blanket of security, derived from an attack that killed 3000 people in New York to contend with. Were he to be faced with that, this speech would sound markedly different. Given his predecessor's foresight, he can now operate from a position of strength.
As for his supposed intelligence, I would point to Obama's adoption of virtually every Bush era policy on security, i.e. warrantless taps, outsourced 'interrogations' and renditions, continuation of tribunals and acknowledge that at least he's willing to emulate success. Were he not to have made that irresponsible promise on Gitmo, he'd be spared the beating Cheney has given him in the press in the last three weeks.
So much for that.
SP4 do you just let it go before you think? Or are you so stupid you say things that are not true just to get a shock out of people. You need to look up what the country thinks is going on with the Cheney/Obama dust up. Obama is still at a 65-70% approval level and Cheney is still at a 20% approval level. No poll (not even Fix News) shows Cheney's story even being close to being accepted as anything near the truth.
OI find it amazing that you do not even care how stupid you sound? Have you been a failure at everything you have ever tried?
Abraham was an Iraqi - an Arab - who wandered into Palestine.
No one is saying Semitic Jews (Arabs) did not live in Palestine - they did.
But the ancient Semitic Jews left of their own accord over the centuries and were killed by the Catholic Church during the Inquisition in Europe by white Christians - not by Palestinians or Muslims (two different groups with some overlay).
Modern Jews are over 90% European Ashkenazi Jews - who are descendants of the Khazars (a Turkic people from the Caspian Sea - not related to Semitic Jews from the time of Moses or David).
Thus, these modern European Ashkenazi Jews have NO 'Historical Claim' to the land of Palestine.
And those are the facts.
I do wish that some folk would do a bit of reading before they try to disguise their prejudices as academic comment.
“Abraham was an Iraqi - an Arab - who wandered into Palestine.”
(Wrong on several counts. Iraq, as an Arab land did not exist in the time of Abraham, who was not an Arab, but the semi-mythical ancestor of both Arabs and Jews. The two peoples, although both are Semitic, have always been distinct. Ask any Jew. Or any Arab for that matter.)
”No one is saying Semitic Jews (Arabs) did not live in Palestine - they did.”
(Jews, yes, but as stated Jews are not Arabs. The nearest Arab land was the desert kingdom of Nabataea, to the South and East of ancient Judaea.)
“But the ancient Semitic Jews left of their own accord over the centuries”
(Wrong again. The Jews fought to retain their ancient independent homeland, sometimes successfully, sometimes not, against the Babylonians, Assyrians, Persians, Ptolemys, Selucids, and Romans. As merchants, traders and academics they did establish communities throughout the ancient Near East and Mediterranean worlds, primarily in Ptolemaic then Roman Alexandria. They did not leave Israel/Judea voluntarily but rather, were expelled by the Romans after the second Jewish revolt in (if I remember correctly) 136 CE. Though, of course, some remained and there has always been a Jewish presence in the area.)
”Modern Jews are over 90% European Ashkenazi Jews - who are descendants of the Khazars”
(Wrong again. They are drawn from all the peoples of the Diaspora. Even the Ashkenazi are not purely descended from the Khazars. They are of very diverse origins. How could it be otherwise after 1900 years of exile, persecution, and often forced relocation. They nevertheless remain the actual and certainly spiritual heirs of their ancient Israeli/Judean forebears. An Identity they have striven successfully to retain, as few others probably could have, throughout two millennia of oppression, pogrom and latterly the hell of the Holocaust.)
”Thus, these modern European Ashkenazi Jews have NO 'Historical Claim' to the land of Palestine.”
(CRAP)
”And those are the facts.”
(NO, THEY ARE NOT.)
So the sons of the sons of the sons of the sons of the sons of the sons of the sons of the sons of the sons of the sons of the sons of the sons of the sons ....of the sons of the people that were driven from their ancestral lands have a right on it ?I'm pretty sure we can now redefine every border on the planet .With such twisted claims we can even understand the contemporary Tunesians (some ofwhich are descendant from the Vandals and Goths,originating all the way to Scandinavia in one of the many migrations that shaped EuropeSo why don't you go see if you have claims in Denmark,Northern Germany,Normandy or some other place that gave birth to your ancestors .See if you have any success with that kind of similar logic .Hilarious !Unless of course you insist on dragging in the bible .In that case sir,I'd rest my case ,I have no interest in discussing serious matters on such basis.
Well sir, the poster previous to my last seems to take the 'historic Claim' argument seriously or why go to such lengths to try and refute it on dodgy evidence? I was merely pointing out the historical inaccuracies in his post.
I actually agree with what you say. I have to really, or by an analogous use of logic Britain could soon be chock full of Yanks: Not an attractive proposition at all. Of course, historic claims become only of academic interest when faced with such common sense based arguments as you use.
The present problem, of course, became moot when Britain relinquished the Palestine Mandate in 1949, having first partitioned the place in the usual forlorn attempt to prevent the locals killing each other. So within 48 hours of the British withdrawal, like everywhere else we partitioned, they quite naturally went to war when the Arab state, backed directly by every other Arab power in the region invaded the Jewish state.
Of course, they lost and Israel expanded her territory at their expense. As she has done on every occasion since, when the Arabs attacked her and subsequently lost. Looks like the Israelis intend to stay where they are, doesn't it?
So, in face of the facts, and your well crafted argument, the Jews 1873 year old 'historic claim,' and the Palestinians 60 year old one are equally meaningless, aren't they? Sons of sons of sons to the 'nth power' or merely sons of sons of sons 'full stop' are simply where they are now.
Obama is clearly attempting to find an inclusive solution so they will all be able to stop murdering each other and concentrate on passing a worthwhile inheritence down to their own sons. I find this admirable. I hope you agree.
There is no real need to agree on the past,hat will not allow for a just solution any more .Too much water under the bridge .The only problem is to draw the borderline .The border of 1967 will do fine.I think it wouls be fair for all except the extremists ,which is a pleasant spin-off.
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Obama the FakeJun 5th, 2009 - 12:50:41
Obama is just another fool for saying that European Ashkenazi Jews have a right to violently take land from Semitic Palestinians in 1948 but the Palestinians should not resist violently and have no right to resist violently.
If violence is not right, then why does the USA supply Israel with fighter jets, bombs, missiles and all sorts of offensive military hardware?
Every Israeli PM has been a TERRORIST - in the strict sense of the word - look up King David Hotel bombing, Deir Yassin killings, assassinations of Lord Moyne & Count Folke Bernadotte and other terrorist acts committed by Jews in their quest to STEAL LAND.
If the USA wants to show the Islamic World it is serious about peace, then it needs to sanction Israel for its nuclear weapons and oppression of the Palestinians. Cutting off financial and military aid to the Israelis will get the message across. Also, the USA needs to STOP supporting the dictatorships in Eygpt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Since when does condoning, advocating and endorsing the theft of land lead to World Peace or Mid-East Peace?
NO to a 'Two State Solution' - the only just and true solution is One State - Palestine.
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