奥巴马开罗大学演讲.docx

奥巴马开罗大学演讲.docx

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奥巴马开罗大学演讲

Goodafternoon.IamhonoredtobeinthetimelesscityofCairo,andtobehostedbytworemarkableinstitutions.Foroverathousandyears,Al—AzharhasstoodasabeaconofIslamiclearning;andforoveracentury,CairoUniversityhasbeenasourceofEgypt'sadvancement.Andtogether,yourepresenttheharmonybetweentraditionandprogress.I'mgratefulforyourhospitality,andthehospitalityofthepeopleofEgypt.AndI'malsoproudtocarrywithmethegoodwilloftheAmericanpeople,andagreetingofpeacefromMuslimcommunitiesinmycountry:

Assalaamualaykum.

WemeetatatimeofgreattensionbetweentheUnitedStatesandMuslimsaroundtheworld—tensionrootedinhistoricalforcesthatgobeyondanycurrentpolicydebate.TherelationshipbetweenIslamandtheWestincludescenturiesofcoexistenceandcooperation,butalsoconflictandreligiouswars.Morerecently,tensionhasbeenfedbycolonialismthatdeniedrightsandopportunitiestomanyMuslims,andaColdWarinwhichMuslim—majoritycountriesweretoooftentreatedasproxieswithoutregardtotheirownaspirations.Moreover,thesweepingchangebroughtbymodernityandglobalizationledmanyMuslimstoviewtheWestashostiletothetraditionsofIslam.

ViolentextremistshaveexploitedthesetensionsinasmallbutpotentminorityofMuslims.TheattacksofSeptember11,2001andthecontinuedeffortsoftheseextremiststoengageinviolenceagainstcivilianshasledsomeinmycountrytoviewIslamasinevitablyhostilenotonlytoAmericaandWesterncountries,butalsotohumanrights.Allthishasbredmorefearandmoremistrust.

Solongasourrelationshipisdefinedbyourdifferences,wewillempowerthosewhosowhatredratherthanpeace,thosewhopromoteconflictratherthanthecooperationthatcanhelpallofourpeopleachievejusticeandprosperity.Andthiscycleofsuspicionanddiscordmustend.

I'vecomeheretoCairotoseekanewbeginningbetweentheUnitedStatesandMuslimsaroundtheworld,onebasedonmutualinterestandmutualrespect,andonebaseduponthetruththatAmericaandIslamarenotexclusiveandneednotbeincompetition.Instead,theyoverlap,andsharecommonprinciples—principlesofjusticeandprogress;toleranceandthedignityofallhumanbeings.

Idosorecognizingthatchangecannothappenovernight.Iknowthere'sbeenalotofpublicityaboutthisspeech,butnosinglespeechcaneradicateyearsofmistrust,norcanIanswerinthetimethatIhavethisafternoonallthecomplexquestionsthatbroughtustothispoint.ButIamconvincedthatinordertomoveforward,wemustsayopenlytoeachotherthethingsweholdinourheartsandthattoooftenaresaidonlybehindcloseddoors.Theremustbeasustainedefforttolistentoeachother;tolearnfromeachother;torespectoneanother;andtoseekcommonground.AstheHolyKorantellsus,"BeconsciousofGodandspeakalwaysthetruth."ThatiswhatIwilltrytodotoday—tospeakthetruthasbestIcan,humbledbythetaskbeforeus,andfirminmybeliefthattheinterestsweshareashumanbeingsarefarmorepowerfulthantheforcesthatdriveusapart.

Nowpartofthisconvictionisrootedinmyownexperience.I'maChristian,butmyfathercamefromaKenyanfamilythatincludesgenerationsofMuslims.Asaboy,IspentseveralyearsinIndonesiaandheardthecalloftheazaanatthebreakofdawnandatthefallofdusk.Asayoungman,IworkedinChicagocommunitieswheremanyfounddignityandpeaceintheirMuslimfaith.

Asastudentofhistory,Ialsoknowcivilization'sdebttoIslam.ItwasIslam—atplaceslikeAl-Azhar—thatcarriedthelightoflearningthroughsomanycenturies,pavingthewayforEurope'sRenaissanceandEnlightenment.ItwasinnovationinMuslimcommunities—itwasinnovationinMuslimcommunitiesthatdevelopedtheorderofalgebra;ourmagneticcompassandtoolsofnavigation;ourmasteryofpensandprinting;ourunderstandingofhowdiseasespreadsandhowitcanbehealed.Islamicculturehasgivenusmajesticarchesandsoaringspires;timelesspoetryandcherishedmusic;elegantcalligraphyandplacesofpeacefulcontemplation.Andthroughouthistory,Islamhasdemonstratedthroughwordsanddeedsthepossibilitiesofreligioustoleranceandracialequality.

IalsoknowthatIslamhasalwaysbeenapartofAmerica'sstory.ThefirstnationtorecognizemycountrywasMorocco.InsigningtheTreatyofTripoliin1796,oursecondPresident,JohnAdams,wrote,"TheUnitedStateshasinitselfnocharacterofenmityagainstthelaws,religionortranquilityofMuslims."Andsinceourfounding,AmericanMuslimshaveenrichedtheUnitedStates.Theyhavefoughtinourwars,theyhaveservedinourgovernment,theyhavestoodforcivilrights,theyhavestartedbusinesses,theyhavetaughtatouruniversities,they'veexcelledinoursportsarenas,they'vewonNobelPrizes,builtourtallestbuilding,andlittheOlympicTorch.AndwhenthefirstMuslimAmericanwasrecentlyelectedtoCongress,hetooktheoathtodefendourConstitutionusingthesameHolyKoranthatoneofourFoundingFathers—ThomasJefferson—keptinhispersonallibrary.

SoIhaveknownIslamonthreecontinentsbeforecomingtotheregionwhereitwasfirstrevealed.ThatexperienceguidesmyconvictionthatpartnershipbetweenAmericaandIslammustbebasedonwhatIslamis,notwhatitisn't.AndIconsideritpartofmyresponsibilityasPresidentoftheUnitedStatestofightagainstnegativestereotypesofIslamwherevertheyappear.

ButthatsameprinciplemustapplytoMuslimperceptionsofAmerica.JustasMuslimsdonotfitacrudestereotype,Americaisnotthecrudestereotypeofaself-interestedempire.TheUnitedStateshasbeenoneofthegreatestsourcesofprogressthattheworldhaseverknown.Wewerebornoutofrevolutionagainstanempire.Wewerefoundedupontheidealthatallarecreatedequal,andwehaveshedbloodandstruggledforcenturiestogivemeaningtothosewords—withinourborders,andaroundtheworld.Weareshapedbyeveryculture,drawnfromeveryendoftheEarth,anddedicatedtoasimpleconcept:

Epluribusunum—"Outofmany,one."

Now,muchhasbeenmadeofthefactthatanAfricanAmericanwiththenameBarackHusseinObamacouldbeelectedPresident.Butmypersonalstoryisnotsounique.ThedreamofopportunityforallpeoplehasnotcometrueforeveryoneinAmerica,butitspromiseexistsforallwhocometoourshores—andthatincludesnearly7millionAmericanMuslimsinourcountrytodaywho,bytheway,enjoyincomesandeducationallevelsthatarehigherthantheAmericanaverage.

Moreover,freedominAmericaisindivisiblefromthefreedomtopracticeone'sreligion.Thatiswhythereisamosqueineverystateinourunion,andover1,200mosqueswithinourborders.That'swhytheUnitedStatesgovernmenthasgonetocourttoprotecttherightofwomenandgirlstowearthehijabandtopunishthosewhowoulddenyit.

Solettherebenodoubt:

IslamisapartofAmerica.AndIbelievethatAmericaholdswithinherthetruththatregardlessofrace,religion,orstationinlife,allofussharecommonaspirations—toliveinpeaceandsecurity;togetaneducationandtoworkwithdignity;toloveourfamilies,ourcommunities,andourGod.Thesethingsweshare.Thisisthehopeofallhumanity.

Ofcourse,recognizingourcommonhumanityisonlythebeginningofourtask.Wordsalonecannotmeettheneedsofourpeople.Theseneedswillbemetonlyifweactboldlyintheyearsahead;andifweunderstandthatthechallengeswefaceareshared,andourfailuretomeetthemwillhurtusall.

Forwehavelearnedfromrecentexperiencethatwhenafinancialsystemweakensinonecountry,prosperityishurteverywhere.Whenanewfluinfectsonehumanbeing,allareatrisk.Whenonenationpursuesanuclearweapon,theriskofnuclearattackrisesforallnations.Whenviolentextremistsoperateinonestretchofmountains,peopleareendangeredacrossanocean.WheninnocentsinBosniaandDarfurareslaughtered,thatisastainonourcollectiveconscience.Thatiswhatitmeanstosharethisworldinthe21stcentury.Thatistheresponsibilitywehavetooneanotherashumanbeings.

Andthisisadifficultresponsibilitytoembrace.Forhumanhistoryhasoftenbeenarecordofnationsandtribes—and,yes,religions—subjugatingoneanotherinpursuitoftheirowninterests.Yetinthisnewage,suchattitudesareself-defeating.Givenourinterdependence,anyworldorderthatelevatesonenationorgroupofpeopleoveranotherwillinevitablyfail.Sowhateverwethinkofthepast,wemustnotbeprisonerstoit.Ourproblemsmustbedealtwiththroughpartnership;ourprogressmustbeshared.

Now,thatdoesnotmeanweshouldignoresourcesoftension.Indeed,itsuggeststheopposite:

Wemustfacethesetensionssquarely.Andsointhatspirit,letmespeakasclearlyandasplainlyasIcanaboutsomespecificissuesthatIbelievewemustfinallyconfronttogether.

Thefirstissuethatwehavetoconfrontisviolentextremisminallofitsforms.

InAnkara,ImadeclearthatAmericaisnot—andneverwillbe—atwarwithIslam.Wewill,however,relentlesslyconfrontviolentextremistswhoposeagravethreattooursecurity—becausewerejectthesamethingthatpeopleofallfaithsreject:

thekillingofinnocentmen,women,andchildren.AnditismyfirstdutyaspresidenttoprotecttheAmericanpeople.

ThesituationinAfghanistandemonstratesAmerica'sgoals,andourneedtoworktogether.Oversevenyearsago,theUnitedStatespursuedalQaedaandtheTalibanwithbroadinternationalsupport.Wedidnotgobychoice;wewentbecauseofnecessity.I'mawarethatthere'sstil