US president tells Turkish parliament that partnership with Muslim world is critical in confronting al-Qaida ideology.
Barack Obama today declared that the US "is not at war with Islam" as he made his first visit to a predominantly Muslim country as the US president.
In an address to the Turkish parliament, Obama sought to enlist support for US efforts to stamp out al-Qaida, a group he described as extremists who were unrepresentative of the vast majority of Muslims.
"Let me say this as clearly as I can," he said. "The United States is not, and never will be, at war at war with Islam.
"In fact, our partnership with the Muslim world is critical in rolling back a fringe ideology that people of all faiths reject."
At an earlier press conference, Obama said he wanted the US and Turkey to build a "model partnership" between a predominantly Christian country and a mainly Muslim nation.
He chose to end his whirlwind tour – which took in France, Germany and the Czech Republic as well as the G20 summit in London – in Turkey, which he praised as a bridge between east and west.
Seeking to win over Muslims alienated by George Bush's war in Iraq, Obama spoke of "deep appreciation for the Islamic faith".
In his speech, broadcast live on al-Jazeera and al-Arabiyia, two of the biggest Arabic satellite TV channels, he said Islam "has done so much over so many centuries to shape the world for the better, including my own country".
He urged Israel and the Palestinians to take steps towards building confidence and trust.
Declaring that he would actively pursue the goal of peace in the Middle East, Obama said the world should not give in to pessimism.
"Let me be clear: the United States strongly supports the goal of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security," the US president said.
"Now we must not give into pessimism and mistrust. We must pursue every opportunity for progress."
Obama again urged Iran to desist from any nuclear weapons ambitions, and said a region that was already unsettled did not need a race for ever more powerful weapons.
Apart from broad geopolitical themes, he also had to tiptoe through some tricky bilateral matters, notably accusations that Turkey committed genocide against Armenians in 1915.
The US president, who has previously described the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide, said he had not changed his view but had been encouraged by negotiations between Turkey and Armenia on the issue.
He told a joint news conference with the Turkish president, Abdullah Gul, he did not want to focus on his own views but rather preferred to be a partner in efforts between Armenia and Turkey to come to terms with what happened.
The US president supported an Armenian genocide resolution put before Congress during the 2008 presidential campaign.
Turkey fears he will continue this backing as president, in a break with his two immediate predecessors, George Bush and Bill Clinton.
Ankara has warned that the resolution could strain ties and harm efforts to improve relations with Armenia.
Historians estimate up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed in an event widely viewed by scholars as the first genocide of the 20th century.
Turkey denies the deaths were genocide, saying those killed were victims of civil war. It also claims the number of deaths has been inflated.
Gul said the issue was historical, as opposed to legal or political, and invited the Americans or French – France has been vocal about the deaths – to be part of a joint Turkish-Armenian commission investigating what happened.
Obama said he wanted to encourage those talks, not tilt them in favour of one country.
"If they can move forward and deal with a difficult and tragic history, then I think the entire world should encourage that," he said.
Re: US is not at war with Islam, says Barack Obama
Obama extends hand to Muslims
President Obama marked his first foreign trip by including Muslims in the "extended hand" foreign policy that he has launched as phase one of his presidency internationally.
In a speech to the Turkish parliament in Ankara, he said: "The United States is not and will never be at war with Islam."
He stressed that American relations with the "Muslim community" worldwide were not narrowly based.
"(They) will not be based on opposition to al-Qaeda," he said.
"We seek broad engagement based upon mutual interests and mutual respect. We will convey our deep appreciation for the Islamic faith, which has done so much over so many centuries to shape the world for the better, including my own country."
He said that US partnership with the Muslim world was "critical... in rolling back a fringe ideology that people of all faiths reject".
He went out of his way to be placatory and acknowledged that trust had been "strained" of late, in an unspoken reference to the George W Bush years.
"We will listen carefully, bridge misunderstanding... We will be respectful, even when we do not agree," he said.
He will continue this theme in Istanbul on Tuesday.
Two-state solution
The speech contained signals of interest to Muslim listeners.
For example, the president emphasised that he was committed to a two-state solution for an Israel and Palestine living side by side.
He mentioned by name the 2007 Annapolis agreement, which enshrined the two-state solution, thereby rejecting the view of the new Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman that it is no longer valid.
It was also significant that the speech took place in a largely Muslim country, albeit one with a strong secular tradition going back to its founder Kamal Ataturk, whom he praised.
Indeed, Mr Obama dwelt at some length on the development of Turkish democracy and how reform should continue, an indicator that, for him, religion should not be a cover for resistance to change.
His message was very much in line with what he has been offering on this tour.
His theme is the extended hand. It applies to friend and potential foe alike, with the exception of those - he mentioned al-Qaeda for one - who had to be met, as he put in this speech, "with force".
He has pressed the reset button with Russia, has promised a "strategic dialogue" with China, has called on Iran to "engage" with the US, has reformulated policy in Afghanistan, and - with personal charm and a new approach - has won over Europeans tired of George W Bush.
And now, the Muslim world is included.
First phase
It is however only the first phase of his foreign policy, because it is as yet unclear what happens if there are no results.
What if, for example, Iran continues on its present ambiguous course of enriching uranium, in which it appears to be acquiring the means by which to make nuclear weapons while denying that it intends to do so?
What if Russia and the US cannot resolve their differences over missile defence?
President Jimmy Carter also began like this but ran into the realities of world politics on several fronts - Iran seized hostages at the US embassy in Tehran, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan.
Jimmy Carter's days in office were ended when Ronald Reagan took over and switched foreign and defence policy towards seeking American safety not through negotiation but through power.
Re: US is not at war with Islam, says Barack Obama
Barack Obama woos Muslims from secular Turkey
• President seeks partners to pursue 'common goals'
• Relationship must extend beyond fighting terrorism
Barack Obama extended an olive branch to the Muslim world from the floor of Turkey's parliament yesterday by declaring the US was not "at war with Islam" but instead sought its partnership to pursue common goals.
In his first visit to a predominantly Muslim country, he praised Islam's contribution to civilisation and said America's relationship with it must extend beyond fighting terrorism.
Obama's appeal carried greater weight for being delivered in Turkey, a Nato ally, where the image of the US has been tarnished by opposition to the war in Iraq.
Acknowledging that the war had sown Muslim mistrust of the US, he said: "The United States is not and will never be at war with Islam. In fact, our partnership with the Muslim world is critical not just in rolling back the violent ideologies that people of all faiths reject but also to strengthen opportunity for its people.
"America's relationship with the Muslim community, the Muslim world, cannot be based just on the opposition to terrorism. We seek broader engagement based on mutual interest and mutual respect."
The remarks were applauded by Turkish MPs during a 25-minute speech that was also witnessed by the top brass of the country's military. While Obama's visit to Turkey - the last stop of his week-long European tour - had been intended primarily to demonstrate Washington's commitment to a strategic ally, the sentiments were clearly designed to resonate beyond the chamber.
Obama, who signalled his intention to seek a fresh understanding with Islam during his inauguration speech in January, pledged to match his words with action by advancing education, healthcare and trade in Muslim countries.
Mindful of Turkey's offer to mediate in settling America's 30-year-old dispute with Iran, he reiterated his previous offer of rapprochement to the leadership in Tehran but warned it must abandon any ambitions to acquire nuclear weapons. Obama won further applause when he referred obliquely to his Muslim father and to having spent part of his childhood in Indonesia, another majority Muslim country.
Turkish television channels emphasised Obama's supposed links to Islam throughout the day yesterday by repeatedly referring to his middle name, Hussein.
That reflected a more positive attitude held by Turks generally towards the president compared with his predecessor, George Bush, who was deeply unpopular.
Obama's message on Islam was striking given that White House aides had signalled beforehand that Turkey would not be the venue for a keynote address he has promised to make to the Muslim world by the end of his first 100 days in office.
Other parts of yesterday's address were devoted to emphasising Turkey's secular character, as defined by the modern state's founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, whose tomb he visited. Obama said he had chosen to visit Turkey to send a message to the world. "Turkey is a critical ally. Turkey is an important part of Europe and Turkey and the United States must stand together and work together to overcome the challenges of our times," he said.
The message was aimed partly at Europe: "The US strongly supports Turkey's bid to become a member of the European Union," he said. "Europe gains by the diversity of ethnicity, culture and faith - it is not diminished by it. And Turkish membership would broaden and strengthen Europe's foundation once more."
That represented a subtle change of tack from the Bush administration, which often lauded Turkey as an example of "moderate Islam" rather than emphasising its European credentials. It also amounted to a rebuke to some European leaders, particularly the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, who oppose Turkey's membership bid.
Obama sidestepped the one issue with the potential to offend his hosts: the controversy over the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Armenians at the hands of Ottoman Turkish forces during the first world war. The president had previously supported US congressional resolutions that would declare the massacres a "genocide", a definition contested by Turkey.
Yesterday he avoided using the term but backed talks aimed at restoring ties between Turkey and Armenia. Soli Ozel, an analyst at Bilgi University in Istanbul, said Obama had pressed "all the right buttons". "It looked at both sides of Turkey's identity, secular and Islamic," he said.
Re: US is not at war with Islam, says Barack Obama
I'm not so sure about this.. we'll have to wait and see to be honest..
format_quote Originally Posted by مـحـمد نـبـينا
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله و بركاته
.كذاب
و السلام عليكم
خل نصبر و نشوف
Should I seek a source of law other than God, when it is He Who has sent down unto you the Book (Qur'an) fully explained? And those whom We have given them the Book know that it has been sent down from the Lord with truth, so be not of those in doubt.
Re: US is not at war with Islam, says Barack Obama
Finally Osman you created a thread about this. I found it to be important and up-to date, so I was surprised it took you a while. Ncnc, not pleased with the news-giving mr.
I watched it all in Turkish TV, and got the talks translated by my parents. And it was interesting to see him inside the mosque, he seemed genuinly fascinated and almost fell when he kept watching around.
“If only I had checked myself”
—
Guy who wrecked himself
True leaders don't create followers...
.... They create new leaders.
Hey there! Looks like you're enjoying the discussion, but you're not signed up for an account.
When you create an account, we remember exactly what you've read, so you always come right back where you left off. You also get notifications, here and via email, whenever new posts are made. And you can like posts and share your thoughts. Sign Up
You have recognized the real nature of european far rightists.
Hide
Looks like you're enjoying the discussion, but you're not signed up for an account.
Bookmarks