Analysis:
Richard Beeston | Comment
Central: Obama marks a momentous occasion
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 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 am grateful for your hospitality, and the
hospitality of the people of Egypt . I am also proud to carry with me the
goodwill of the American people, and a greeting of peace from Muslim
communities in my country: assalaamu alaykum.
We meet at a time of 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 co-existence 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 11th, 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. This has bred more fear and
mistrust.
So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower
those who sow hatred rather than peace, and who promote conflict rather than
the cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and
prosperity. 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; 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. No single speech can
eradicate years of mistrust, nor can I answer in the time that I have all
the complex questions that brought us to this point. But I am convinced that
in order to move forward, we must say openly 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 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.
As a student of history, I also know civilization’s debt to Islam. It was
Islam – at places like Al-Azhar University – 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 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.
I know, too, 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, served in government, stood for civil
rights, started businesses, taught at our Universities, excelled in our
sports arenas, 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
Koran that one of our Founding Fathers – Thomas Jefferson – kept in his
personal library.
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.
But that same principle must apply to Muslim perceptions of America . 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."
