OBAMA INVOKES QURAN IN CAIRO SPEECH
CAIRO – President Barack Obama's speech reaching out for a fresh start with the Islamic world was laced with references to the Quran and his Muslim roots.
Never been done by any US President before him, Obama quoted the Holy Quran as commanding,"Be conscious of God and speak always the truth."
Never been done by any US President before him, Obama quoted the Holy Quran as commanding,"Be conscious of God and speak always the truth."
He said he shared that conviction, as "rooted in my own experience." The president noted that while he now is a Christian, his father had come from a Kenyan family that "includes generations of Muslims."
He pointed to a Muslim — Rep. Keith Ellison, a Minnesota Democrat — as the first to be elected to Congrress, saying he took the oath "using the same Holy Quran that one of our Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson, kept in his personal library."
Obama also quoted from the Holy Bible and the Jewish Talmud in making his argument for better relations between the United States and the Muslim world.
Obama touched on many themes Muslims wanted to hear. He insisted Palestinians must have a state and said continued Israeli settlement in the West Bank is not legitimate.
He assured the U.S. would pull all troops out of Iraq by 2012 and promised no permanent U.S. presence in Afghanistan.
"The part of Obama's speech regarding the Palestinian issue is an important step under new beginnings," said Nabil Abu Rdeneh, a spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. "It shows there is a new and different American policy toward the Palestinian issue."
Courtesy : Yahoo News, and nonsheepleshere. blogspot
He pointed to a Muslim — Rep. Keith Ellison, a Minnesota Democrat — as the first to be elected to Congrress, saying he took the oath "using the same Holy Quran that one of our Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson, kept in his personal library."
Obama also quoted from the Holy Bible and the Jewish Talmud in making his argument for better relations between the United States and the Muslim world.
Obama touched on many themes Muslims wanted to hear. He insisted Palestinians must have a state and said continued Israeli settlement in the West Bank is not legitimate.
He assured the U.S. would pull all troops out of Iraq by 2012 and promised no permanent U.S. presence in Afghanistan.
"The part of Obama's speech regarding the Palestinian issue is an important step under new beginnings," said Nabil Abu Rdeneh, a spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. "It shows there is a new and different American policy toward the Palestinian issue."
Courtesy : Yahoo News, and nonsheepleshere. blogspot
OBAMA BEGINS MIDDLE EAST TOUR
President Obama with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia during an arrival ceremony in Riyadh on Tuesday. At right are Mr. Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, and national
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – President Barack Obama began his latest bid to open a dialogue with the Muslim world on Wednesday by seeking the counsel of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's two holiest sites in Mecca and Medina.
"The United States and Saudi Arabia have a long history of friendship. We have a strategic relationship," Obama said as he visited the monarch's desert horse farm.
The U.S. president called Abdullah wise and gracious, adding: "I am confident that working together that the United States and Saudi Arabia can make progress on a whole host of issues of mutual interest."
In turn, Abdullah expressed his "best wishes to the friendly American people who are represented by a distinguished man who deserves to be in this position."
Earlier, the king greeted Obama at Riyadh's main airport with a ceremony when the new U.S. president arrived after an overnight flight from Washington. Each country's national anthem was played, the Saudi national guard was on hand and there was a 21-gun salute.
Courtesy: Yahoo News
"The United States and Saudi Arabia have a long history of friendship. We have a strategic relationship," Obama said as he visited the monarch's desert horse farm.
The U.S. president called Abdullah wise and gracious, adding: "I am confident that working together that the United States and Saudi Arabia can make progress on a whole host of issues of mutual interest."
In turn, Abdullah expressed his "best wishes to the friendly American people who are represented by a distinguished man who deserves to be in this position."
Earlier, the king greeted Obama at Riyadh's main airport with a ceremony when the new U.S. president arrived after an overnight flight from Washington. Each country's national anthem was played, the Saudi national guard was on hand and there was a 21-gun salute.
Courtesy: Yahoo News
VISITORS GEOFLAGS SINCE AUGUST 26, 2009
