Obama reaches out to Muslim world

Atul Aneja

In a wide-ranging address directed at a global Muslim audience, U.S. President Barack Obama has called for a new beginning to bridge the world’s inter-faith divide and to carve out a common agenda for progress.

In his widely-publicised address on Thursday from Cairo University, Mr. Obama called for addressing all major “sources of conflict” in the region, evoking repeated applause from a select audience.

Referring to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Mr. Obama said Washington’s “unbreakable” bond with Israel was “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".

Nevertheless, the U.S. fully supported Palestinian rights including the right to independent statehood. He said Palestinians endure the “daily humiliations” that come with occupation. “So let there be no doubt: the situation for the Palestinian people is intolerable. America will not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of their own".

Calling upon both sides to live up to their obligations to the “roadmap” — the blue-print for bringing an end to conflict — Mr. Obama slammed Israel for not bringing its settlements project in the occupied Palestinian territories to a halt. “The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements. This construction violates previous agreements and undermines efforts to achieve peace. It is time for these settlements to stop".

On Iran, the U.S. President reiterated his offer for dialogue “without preconditions”. He acknowledged Iran’s right to pursue peaceful uses of nuclear energy, but not atomic weapons.

Mr. Obama advocated universal disarmament, acknowledging the argument that there should be no double standards regarding possession of atomic weapons. “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".

Mr. Obama said the U.S. was not seeking “military bases” either in Iraq or Afghanistan. The presence of U.S. troops was required in Afghanistan because “violent extremists in Afghanistan and Pakistan [were] determined to kill as many Americans as they possibly can".

He stressed that the Americans respected Iraq’s sovereignty and had no claims on Iraqi territory or resources. Mr. Obama said the controversial Guantanamo Bay prison would be closed early next year and the use of torture by the United States had been prohibited.

Mr. Obama spelt out a nuanced approach to empower women in the Muslim world, without causing them cultural dislocation. He also promised a new partnership between Washington and Muslim majority countries on education, health and innovation.