I read from Denford Magora's blog that Dr Simba Makoni is launching a Political Party tomorrow by the name MKD.It is said that Simba will be the interim leader of the party.
Some months ago, Zapu was relanched or revived under the interim leadership of Dumiso Dabengwa. Ironically, the two leaders are both from Zanu pf and both left in protest of Mugabe's leadership. They were both part of the Mavambo Kusile project.
There are also other small parties in Zimbabwe. My question is, which party has the capacity to lead our nation? Is it about many political parties or good leadership or governance that is needed in Zimbabwe?
30 June 2009
19 June 2009
Prof Moyo Criticises Prime Minister Tsvangirai
MORGAN Tsvangirai was monstered by an MP last night over his performance on a world tour for failing to stand up for his government in front of western leaders.
“Where we expected dialogue among equals, he has not shown that he is an equal, he continues to behave like he is there as a faction political leader, or unfortunately a slave,” said Tsholotsho North MP Jonathan Moyo (Indep).
The astonishing attack came as the Prime Minister continued to meet sceptical western leaders who are refusing to commit direct financial aid to the government, or lift sanctions which the government says are hindering efforts to turn around the economy.
The Prime Minister met US President Barack Obama at the White House last Friday and was arriving in Britain on Friday for a meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Obama said the US would not be restoring direct support to the Zimbabwe government until certain benchmarks were met. He committed US$73 million in humanitarian aid.
“It will not be going to the government directly because we continue to be concerned about consolidating democracy, human rights, and rule of law. It will be going to the people of Zimbabwe,” Obama said after his meeting with Tsvangirai at the Oval Office.
The aid would be disbursed by American NGOs and the World Bank, Obama said.
Moyo blasted: “Obama treated him as if he were an envoy of American NGOs in Zimbabwe, and gave the impression American NGOs are in a better position to assist the people of Zimbabwe, more than the government of Zimbabwe of which Tsvangirai is Prime Minister.
“It was a personal disaster for Tsvangirai, and at the national level a complete waste of time. He cut a pathetic figure of a grateful slave.”
Moyo charged that most of the US$73 million “would remain in American pockets, paying Americans working in the governance and democracy field. A tiny bit of it will end in a Zimbabwean stomach, but the bulk of it has nothing to do with Zimbabweans.”
He added: “Time has come for us to be honourable enough to tell the truth, it is nothing, a mere trinket for a country which needs US$8,3 billion. Tsvangirai left this country knowing we need that money.”
Moyo, a former government minister, said “Tsvangirai should have understood he was being insulted personally, and that the people of Zimbabwe through him were also being insulted.”
“If an American President behaved the way the Prime Minister behaved overseas, he would be impeached,” he said in an interview with New Zimbabwe.com.
Tsvangirai, who formed a unity government with President Robert Mugabe and Arthur Mutambara in February, says the country needs US$8,3 million to get out of the economic woods after a decade-long crisis.
Only Denmark has said it will provide direct financial support to the government, but it committed only US$18 million – not enough to pay the government’s civil service wage bill for a month.
Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and Germany have all said they will support the government through “humanitarian aid” to be channelled through western NGOs and financial institutions.
But it was the snub by the United States which Moyo says doomed the Prime Minister’s mission. And he says far from being the reformer he projected during his election campaign, Obama is using an old template in US-Africa relations.
He said: “Zimbabweans here were hoping Tsvangirai would make their case, he was there at the Oval Office on behalf of the government of Zimbabwe and failed to acquit himself as such.
“His host told him he would rather deal with people of Zimbabwe as if Tsvangirai was not aware he was there on behalf of the people of Zimbabwe. Why did he forget he presided over a planning process which has concluded US$8,3 billion is urgently and desperately needed to get this country working again?
“There is a simple issue these guys are forgetting. The only interest that Obama can have is whether or not Zimbabwe has a legitimate government, and of course we have a government. As to what policy that government implements is none of Obama’s business, Gordon Brown’s business, it’s our business.
“We are entitled to elect nincompoops and suffer them for the duration of their tenure, but cannot allow presidents and prime ministers of other countries to say ‘these are the policies we want you to implement’. That’s absolutely preposterous.”
Moyo said Tsvangirai should have pressed Obama to realise there is a gap between idealism and the practicalities of exercising political power – as his short reign as US President has demonstrated.
He added: “Obama ran a campaign promising to close Guantanamo, investigate and prosecute CIA agents who used water boarding. He is reneging on those promises, has anyone put benchmarks on that?
“Obama has changed his promise on practicalities on the ground as president, why should he expect that others like Tsvangirai, now in government, will not encounter practicalities which dictate a change?
“Why shove a reform agenda written by donors?”
The Prime Minister “should understand Europeans and their allies put the country on fire through sanctions, they must not be congratulated for that, they must be condemned”, said the former university lecturer and political scientist.
Moyo was also scathing over Tsvangirai’s failure to stand up for Tourism Minister Walter Muzembi who was barred from the Obama meeting – because he is from President Mugabe’s Zanu PF party.
Moyo said: “It was disgraceful for Tsvangirai to allow Americans to divide his delegation. How can you lead a delegation, and be told some members of your delegation are not allowed? It is yet another glaring example of the behaviour of a grateful slave.
“While is clear that Zimbabwe has problems, and we need to solve them, this was the worst show of leadership by Tsvangirai. His conduct during his trip so far has been less than satisfactory, but his conduct in the Oval Office was scandalous.
“The White House was built by slaves, he should have felt proud in that place -- a product of the forced labour of his ancestors, but he became worse than the people who built it.”
Moyo said a “shameful dimension” of the PM’s trip played out in Harare this week when the United States Development Agency (USAID) distributed a glossy free newsletter with “embarrassing pictures of Tsvangirai posing separately with Hillary Clinton and Obama to whom he deferred”.
He claimed the USAID pamphlet was presented as a newsletter from the Prime Minister’s Office “when it is clearly an American propaganda sheet”.
He added: “What is shameful is that while civil servants are going without salaries, while the UZ remains closed, while farmers struggle to plant wheat, and while peasants have been reduced to the life of hunter gatherers, Americans are showering Tsvangirai’s Office with previous US dollars to print and distribute neo-colonial propaganda on glossy paper in the streets of Harare and Bulawayo.”
The Prime Minister’s Office said the newsletter was printed in response to a state media blackout and misrepresentations of the PM’s overseas visit
NewZimbabwe.com
“Where we expected dialogue among equals, he has not shown that he is an equal, he continues to behave like he is there as a faction political leader, or unfortunately a slave,” said Tsholotsho North MP Jonathan Moyo (Indep).
The astonishing attack came as the Prime Minister continued to meet sceptical western leaders who are refusing to commit direct financial aid to the government, or lift sanctions which the government says are hindering efforts to turn around the economy.
The Prime Minister met US President Barack Obama at the White House last Friday and was arriving in Britain on Friday for a meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Obama said the US would not be restoring direct support to the Zimbabwe government until certain benchmarks were met. He committed US$73 million in humanitarian aid.
“It will not be going to the government directly because we continue to be concerned about consolidating democracy, human rights, and rule of law. It will be going to the people of Zimbabwe,” Obama said after his meeting with Tsvangirai at the Oval Office.
The aid would be disbursed by American NGOs and the World Bank, Obama said.
Moyo blasted: “Obama treated him as if he were an envoy of American NGOs in Zimbabwe, and gave the impression American NGOs are in a better position to assist the people of Zimbabwe, more than the government of Zimbabwe of which Tsvangirai is Prime Minister.
“It was a personal disaster for Tsvangirai, and at the national level a complete waste of time. He cut a pathetic figure of a grateful slave.”
Moyo charged that most of the US$73 million “would remain in American pockets, paying Americans working in the governance and democracy field. A tiny bit of it will end in a Zimbabwean stomach, but the bulk of it has nothing to do with Zimbabweans.”
He added: “Time has come for us to be honourable enough to tell the truth, it is nothing, a mere trinket for a country which needs US$8,3 billion. Tsvangirai left this country knowing we need that money.”
Moyo, a former government minister, said “Tsvangirai should have understood he was being insulted personally, and that the people of Zimbabwe through him were also being insulted.”
“If an American President behaved the way the Prime Minister behaved overseas, he would be impeached,” he said in an interview with New Zimbabwe.com.
Tsvangirai, who formed a unity government with President Robert Mugabe and Arthur Mutambara in February, says the country needs US$8,3 million to get out of the economic woods after a decade-long crisis.
Only Denmark has said it will provide direct financial support to the government, but it committed only US$18 million – not enough to pay the government’s civil service wage bill for a month.
Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and Germany have all said they will support the government through “humanitarian aid” to be channelled through western NGOs and financial institutions.
But it was the snub by the United States which Moyo says doomed the Prime Minister’s mission. And he says far from being the reformer he projected during his election campaign, Obama is using an old template in US-Africa relations.
He said: “Zimbabweans here were hoping Tsvangirai would make their case, he was there at the Oval Office on behalf of the government of Zimbabwe and failed to acquit himself as such.
“His host told him he would rather deal with people of Zimbabwe as if Tsvangirai was not aware he was there on behalf of the people of Zimbabwe. Why did he forget he presided over a planning process which has concluded US$8,3 billion is urgently and desperately needed to get this country working again?
“There is a simple issue these guys are forgetting. The only interest that Obama can have is whether or not Zimbabwe has a legitimate government, and of course we have a government. As to what policy that government implements is none of Obama’s business, Gordon Brown’s business, it’s our business.
“We are entitled to elect nincompoops and suffer them for the duration of their tenure, but cannot allow presidents and prime ministers of other countries to say ‘these are the policies we want you to implement’. That’s absolutely preposterous.”
Moyo said Tsvangirai should have pressed Obama to realise there is a gap between idealism and the practicalities of exercising political power – as his short reign as US President has demonstrated.
He added: “Obama ran a campaign promising to close Guantanamo, investigate and prosecute CIA agents who used water boarding. He is reneging on those promises, has anyone put benchmarks on that?
“Obama has changed his promise on practicalities on the ground as president, why should he expect that others like Tsvangirai, now in government, will not encounter practicalities which dictate a change?
“Why shove a reform agenda written by donors?”
The Prime Minister “should understand Europeans and their allies put the country on fire through sanctions, they must not be congratulated for that, they must be condemned”, said the former university lecturer and political scientist.
Moyo was also scathing over Tsvangirai’s failure to stand up for Tourism Minister Walter Muzembi who was barred from the Obama meeting – because he is from President Mugabe’s Zanu PF party.
Moyo said: “It was disgraceful for Tsvangirai to allow Americans to divide his delegation. How can you lead a delegation, and be told some members of your delegation are not allowed? It is yet another glaring example of the behaviour of a grateful slave.
“While is clear that Zimbabwe has problems, and we need to solve them, this was the worst show of leadership by Tsvangirai. His conduct during his trip so far has been less than satisfactory, but his conduct in the Oval Office was scandalous.
“The White House was built by slaves, he should have felt proud in that place -- a product of the forced labour of his ancestors, but he became worse than the people who built it.”
Moyo said a “shameful dimension” of the PM’s trip played out in Harare this week when the United States Development Agency (USAID) distributed a glossy free newsletter with “embarrassing pictures of Tsvangirai posing separately with Hillary Clinton and Obama to whom he deferred”.
He claimed the USAID pamphlet was presented as a newsletter from the Prime Minister’s Office “when it is clearly an American propaganda sheet”.
He added: “What is shameful is that while civil servants are going without salaries, while the UZ remains closed, while farmers struggle to plant wheat, and while peasants have been reduced to the life of hunter gatherers, Americans are showering Tsvangirai’s Office with previous US dollars to print and distribute neo-colonial propaganda on glossy paper in the streets of Harare and Bulawayo.”
The Prime Minister’s Office said the newsletter was printed in response to a state media blackout and misrepresentations of the PM’s overseas visit
NewZimbabwe.com
Obama Supports Gays???
U.S. President Barack Obama is extending some benefits to the same-sex partners of federal government employees - a small, but highly symbolic step amidst a national debate about gay marriage.
Gay rights advocates have been pushing President Obama to rally to their cause.
Now, he is taking the first steps in response.
On Wednesday, he signed a memorandum extending some benefits to the same-sex partners of U.S. government employees.
"It is a day that marks an historic step for the changes we seek," said President Obama. "But I think we all have to acknowledge this is only one step."
The president said much more remains to be done, noting he is unable at present to give the partners of gay employees the most important benefits of all, including full health insurance coverage.
Mr. Obama is barred from doing so because of a law enacted in 1996; the Defense of Marriage Act.
Supporters of the act say that even the limited benefits endorsed by the president go too far.
Peter Sprigg is with the Family Research Council in Washington
"We oppose this decision by President Obama to offer benefits to same sex partners of federal employees," said Peter Sprigg. "We feel that it violates at least the spirit, if not the letter, of the Federal Defense of Marriage Act."
President Obama said the limited benefits he is offering now are not specifically mentioned in the act. And he said he would like to see the law repealed.
"I believe it is discriminatory," said Mr. Obama. "I believe it interferes with state's rights. And we will work with congress to overturn it."
The president has long called for the demise of the Defense of Marriage Act. Although he is not a supporter of gay marriage, Mr. Obama has said he favors civil unions for homosexual couples with comparable rights and benefits.
His focus on equal rights has encouraged many leaders of the gay rights movement.
Brad Luna is a spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign - the largest gay rights organization in the United States.
"President Obama's signature today is the first brick in paving what is a long path towards equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans," said Brad Luna.
In addition to the Defense of Marriage Act, President Obama is also seeking to undo policies related to gays in the U.S. military. Currently, they are allowed to serve if they do not volunteer information about their sexual orientation and refrain from homosexual behavior.
VOA News
Gay rights advocates have been pushing President Obama to rally to their cause.
Now, he is taking the first steps in response.
On Wednesday, he signed a memorandum extending some benefits to the same-sex partners of U.S. government employees.
"It is a day that marks an historic step for the changes we seek," said President Obama. "But I think we all have to acknowledge this is only one step."
The president said much more remains to be done, noting he is unable at present to give the partners of gay employees the most important benefits of all, including full health insurance coverage.
Mr. Obama is barred from doing so because of a law enacted in 1996; the Defense of Marriage Act.
Supporters of the act say that even the limited benefits endorsed by the president go too far.
Peter Sprigg is with the Family Research Council in Washington
"We oppose this decision by President Obama to offer benefits to same sex partners of federal employees," said Peter Sprigg. "We feel that it violates at least the spirit, if not the letter, of the Federal Defense of Marriage Act."
President Obama said the limited benefits he is offering now are not specifically mentioned in the act. And he said he would like to see the law repealed.
"I believe it is discriminatory," said Mr. Obama. "I believe it interferes with state's rights. And we will work with congress to overturn it."
The president has long called for the demise of the Defense of Marriage Act. Although he is not a supporter of gay marriage, Mr. Obama has said he favors civil unions for homosexual couples with comparable rights and benefits.
His focus on equal rights has encouraged many leaders of the gay rights movement.
Brad Luna is a spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign - the largest gay rights organization in the United States.
"President Obama's signature today is the first brick in paving what is a long path towards equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans," said Brad Luna.
In addition to the Defense of Marriage Act, President Obama is also seeking to undo policies related to gays in the U.S. military. Currently, they are allowed to serve if they do not volunteer information about their sexual orientation and refrain from homosexual behavior.
VOA News
Obama Ratings Going Down?
New public opinion polls indicate that while President Barack Obama remains personally popular, doubts are emerging about his economic policies.
Two new national surveys paint a picture of growing public concern about the U.S. budget deficit and government intervention in the economy.
A poll by The Wall Street Journal newspaper and NBC News found that 58 percent of those asked want the president and Congress to focus more on the deficit than boosting the economy. In addition, nearly 70 percent of those surveyed expressed concerns about government intervention in the economy, including efforts to save the U.S. auto industry.
Pollster Peter Hart was interviewed about the survey on MSNBC television.
"I think what is happening with the president right now is that they continue to like him personally; they see him as a charismatic leader," said Peter Hart. "But I think the difficulty is that he is making a lot of tough choices and those are the things that are coming back to haunt him."
The president's overall approval rating in the Wall Street Journal-NBC News poll was 56 percent - down from 61 percent in April.
Similar concerns about the deficit and government spending were evident in another survey conducted by The New York Times newspaper and CBS News.
But that poll also found that Mr. Obama remains personally popular with voters, according to CBS pollster Sarah Dutton.
"Sixty-three percent of Americans approve of the job he is doing as president overall, and 57 percent - just under six in ten - approve of the job he is doing handling the economy," said Sarah Dutton.
Presidential spokesman Robert Gibbs reacted to the polls at the White House:
"I think the American people are rightly anxious and concerned about the economy, just as the president is," said Robert Gibbs.
President Obama specifically acknowledged public concerns about the deficit in a recent interview with CNBC television.
"This is something that keeps me awake at night," said President Obama. "As soon as this economy recovers, and that means planning now and starting to take some steps now to deal with it, we are going to have to close that gap between the amount of money coming in and the amount of money going out."
The poll results come as the president is about to mark his first five months in office - a period during which he has enjoyed strong support in public opinion surveys and what many political experts often call an extended honeymoon.
But in recent weeks, opposition Republicans have intensified their criticism of the administration's economic agenda and have accused the White House of further spending the country into debt.
The political challenges for the Obama administration are expected to get even more complicated in the months ahead.
The president has made health care reform a priority and a debate has opened in Congress on how to expand health care coverage for the uninsured while reducing health care costs.
This is Democratic Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut:
"I'm not going to accept failure and I hope you won't either," said Senator Dodd.
Republicans are sounding alarm bells about the president's health care plan, warning it sends the country further into debt.
This is Senator John McCain of Arizona, Mr. Obama's opponent in last year's presidential election:
"And I suggest we not move forward until we have some provision as to how we are going to pay for it," said Senator McCain.
Despite the concerns in the polls about the deficit, the Wall Street Journal-NBC News survey also showed that 46 percent of Americans believe the economy will improve in the year ahead - up from 38 percent in April.
VOA News
Two new national surveys paint a picture of growing public concern about the U.S. budget deficit and government intervention in the economy.
A poll by The Wall Street Journal newspaper and NBC News found that 58 percent of those asked want the president and Congress to focus more on the deficit than boosting the economy. In addition, nearly 70 percent of those surveyed expressed concerns about government intervention in the economy, including efforts to save the U.S. auto industry.
Pollster Peter Hart was interviewed about the survey on MSNBC television.
"I think what is happening with the president right now is that they continue to like him personally; they see him as a charismatic leader," said Peter Hart. "But I think the difficulty is that he is making a lot of tough choices and those are the things that are coming back to haunt him."
The president's overall approval rating in the Wall Street Journal-NBC News poll was 56 percent - down from 61 percent in April.
Similar concerns about the deficit and government spending were evident in another survey conducted by The New York Times newspaper and CBS News.
But that poll also found that Mr. Obama remains personally popular with voters, according to CBS pollster Sarah Dutton.
"Sixty-three percent of Americans approve of the job he is doing as president overall, and 57 percent - just under six in ten - approve of the job he is doing handling the economy," said Sarah Dutton.
Presidential spokesman Robert Gibbs reacted to the polls at the White House:
"I think the American people are rightly anxious and concerned about the economy, just as the president is," said Robert Gibbs.
President Obama specifically acknowledged public concerns about the deficit in a recent interview with CNBC television.
"This is something that keeps me awake at night," said President Obama. "As soon as this economy recovers, and that means planning now and starting to take some steps now to deal with it, we are going to have to close that gap between the amount of money coming in and the amount of money going out."
The poll results come as the president is about to mark his first five months in office - a period during which he has enjoyed strong support in public opinion surveys and what many political experts often call an extended honeymoon.
But in recent weeks, opposition Republicans have intensified their criticism of the administration's economic agenda and have accused the White House of further spending the country into debt.
The political challenges for the Obama administration are expected to get even more complicated in the months ahead.
The president has made health care reform a priority and a debate has opened in Congress on how to expand health care coverage for the uninsured while reducing health care costs.
This is Democratic Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut:
"I'm not going to accept failure and I hope you won't either," said Senator Dodd.
Republicans are sounding alarm bells about the president's health care plan, warning it sends the country further into debt.
This is Senator John McCain of Arizona, Mr. Obama's opponent in last year's presidential election:
"And I suggest we not move forward until we have some provision as to how we are going to pay for it," said Senator McCain.
Despite the concerns in the polls about the deficit, the Wall Street Journal-NBC News survey also showed that 46 percent of Americans believe the economy will improve in the year ahead - up from 38 percent in April.
VOA News
10 June 2009
Who Really Is This Mystrious Woman Linked To Tsvangirai
PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai may have misled the country over a mysterious woman who accompanied him to Jacob Zuma’s inauguration, it was claimed last night.
In May, the Prime Minister’s spokesman James Maridadi identified the bespectacled middle-aged woman as his niece – a Zimbabwean medical doctor based in the United States named Dr Arikana Chiyedzo Chihombori.
But doubt was cast over the truthfulness of that statement after a commercial farmers’ union campaign group claimed the Prime Minister had DENIED the relationship in a conversation with United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe, James McGee.
The fresh controversy over the woman erupted after a white commercial farmer in Chegutu claimed Chihombori had tried to seize his farm. The farmer, named by the ZWNEWS.COM website as L. J. Cremer, claims Chihombori has been “actively trying to seize De Rus Farm since late last year”.
John Worsely Worswick, a spokesman for the farmers’ campaign group Justice for Agriculture (JAG) told SW Radio Africa last night that the farmer had approached the American embassy after getting the visitor “with an American accent looking to take over their property”.
Worswick said: “The feedback that came to the Cremers (from the US embassy) was to the effect that this was the same woman who attended the inauguration with Tsvangirai, and that the ambassador had taken Tsvangirai to task about who this woman was, and that he had denied any knowledge of her. Now that is very alarming.-Advertisement-
”
The controversy was threatening to overshadow the Prime Minister’s visit to Europe and the United States where he is seeking financial aid for his cash-strapped government and the lifting of sanctions against Zimbabwe.
Western countries insist they want to see more reforms, and have stressed on the cessation of farm invasions, which the Prime Minister recently said had been “blown out of proportion”.
There were signs Tsvangirai was moving to contain the developing crisis on Tuesday after he instructed Chihombori to “walk away from that farm”, according to Maridadi.
Chihombori was expected to issue a press statement later on Tuesday under pressure from the Prime Minister’s Office.
And Maridadi insisted Tsvangirai had NOT misled the country. He also denied knowledge of the conversation between the US ambassador and the Prime Minister which JAG alleges took place.
“Dr Chihombori is the Prime Minister’s niece, that’s the truth,” Maridadi said by telephone from Washington DC where the Prime Minister is preparing to meet US President Barack Obama.
Chihombori’s appearance alongside widower Tsvangirai in South Africa on May 9 sparked frenzied speculation on the internet, forcing his Office to issue a statement.
"Dr Chihombori was invited separately to the Zuma inauguration, but she arrived at the same time as the Prime Minister," Maridadi said at the time.
NewZimbabwe.com
In May, the Prime Minister’s spokesman James Maridadi identified the bespectacled middle-aged woman as his niece – a Zimbabwean medical doctor based in the United States named Dr Arikana Chiyedzo Chihombori.
But doubt was cast over the truthfulness of that statement after a commercial farmers’ union campaign group claimed the Prime Minister had DENIED the relationship in a conversation with United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe, James McGee.
The fresh controversy over the woman erupted after a white commercial farmer in Chegutu claimed Chihombori had tried to seize his farm. The farmer, named by the ZWNEWS.COM website as L. J. Cremer, claims Chihombori has been “actively trying to seize De Rus Farm since late last year”.
John Worsely Worswick, a spokesman for the farmers’ campaign group Justice for Agriculture (JAG) told SW Radio Africa last night that the farmer had approached the American embassy after getting the visitor “with an American accent looking to take over their property”.
Worswick said: “The feedback that came to the Cremers (from the US embassy) was to the effect that this was the same woman who attended the inauguration with Tsvangirai, and that the ambassador had taken Tsvangirai to task about who this woman was, and that he had denied any knowledge of her. Now that is very alarming.-Advertisement-
”
The controversy was threatening to overshadow the Prime Minister’s visit to Europe and the United States where he is seeking financial aid for his cash-strapped government and the lifting of sanctions against Zimbabwe.
Western countries insist they want to see more reforms, and have stressed on the cessation of farm invasions, which the Prime Minister recently said had been “blown out of proportion”.
There were signs Tsvangirai was moving to contain the developing crisis on Tuesday after he instructed Chihombori to “walk away from that farm”, according to Maridadi.
Chihombori was expected to issue a press statement later on Tuesday under pressure from the Prime Minister’s Office.
And Maridadi insisted Tsvangirai had NOT misled the country. He also denied knowledge of the conversation between the US ambassador and the Prime Minister which JAG alleges took place.
“Dr Chihombori is the Prime Minister’s niece, that’s the truth,” Maridadi said by telephone from Washington DC where the Prime Minister is preparing to meet US President Barack Obama.
Chihombori’s appearance alongside widower Tsvangirai in South Africa on May 9 sparked frenzied speculation on the internet, forcing his Office to issue a statement.
"Dr Chihombori was invited separately to the Zuma inauguration, but she arrived at the same time as the Prime Minister," Maridadi said at the time.
NewZimbabwe.com
09 June 2009
Ian Khama "Illegimate" President??
A BOTSWANA newspaper has threatened President Ian Khama with a counter-lawsuit and a legal challenge to his presidency after he unsuccessfully tried to get the paper to retract two “defamatory” stories.
The Sunday Standard’s lawyers said even if Khama had been defamed, that did not alter public perceptions that he was “nepotistic, corrupt and misuses government resources for personal or family gain”.
The episode has focused attention of President Khama’s increasingly autocratic rule, with human rights groups accusing him of spying on private citizens and showing irritation at public criticism of his heavily militarised government.
Khama, through his lawyers Collins Newman and Company, slapped the paper with a defamation suit, demanding P850,000 (about £77,000) in damages.
The suit relates to two stories published by the Standard. The first is the story of John Kalafatis who was gunned down in front of his friends two weeks ago by Botswana’s military intelligence after allegedly robbing Khama’s sister. The second story questioned Khama's motives in his clampdown on alcohol consumption in the country.
The Standard, through the law firm Bayford and Associates, has in turn raised a counter claim against Khama, warning that if the President goes ahead with the suit, he would have “tacitly waived the immunity conferred on the President of Botswana by Section 41 of the Constitution”.
The lawyers said they also held instructions from the newspaper to “challenge the legitimacy of his presidency”, adding: “His ascendancy to power, it will be contended, was not in conformity with Section 35 (4) of the Constitution, which requires that where the office of Presidency is vacant, the National Assembly shall meet to appoint the presidency within 7 days.
“To the extent that no such meeting took place it is questionable whether Khama is entitled to the rights and privileges attaching to the presidency.”
Kalafatis’ murder has dominated news headlines in Botswana and opened new debates around Khama’s presidency.
In its report, the Standard said Kalafitis had been linked to a series of robberies between January and February this year at Rurets Farms, near Oodi Village in Kgatleng District, where Jacqueline Khama lives.
After Khama’s sister had been robbed, the paper reported, the President “took his motor bike and raced to where the incident had taken place. Later, and after a meeting with Khama, the security agents launched a serious manhunt.”
Kalafatis was gunned down hours later while sitting in a car with friends outside a bar in the capital, Gaberone. The police and army both said they were not involved in the shooting – pointing an accusing finger at military intelligence.
The Standard’s lawyers said: “We do not consider the Kalafatis article defamatory, because it does not bear the meaning which you wish to ascribe to it, nor was it ever our client’s intention to make the insinuation alluded to in your letter.”
The Standard said “even if Kalafatis article bore the meaning contended for by yours, it did not in anyway alter public perceptions which have already been shaped by past publications and which the President has done little to erode.-Advertisement-
These perceptions are that:
“He is nepotistic, corrupt and misuses government resources for personal or family gain. Specifically, that various transactions entered into by the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) and certain third parties, at the time he was commander, were marred by conflict of interest concerning him.
“As Vice President, he was contemptuous of Parliament, the institution to which he was accountable, by failing to regularly attend its sittings without justifiable cause.
“As Vice President he abused Government property by flying BDF helicopters and other aircraft despite repeated calls from the public and the Ombudsman not to do so.
“Under his presidency, security agents have become emboldened to kill unarmed citizens which incidents have not been subjected to judicial scrutiny of any form;
“He uses the Directorate of Intelligence and Security to spy on citizens because he is paranoid about being displaced as leader of the ruling party.
“He surrounds himself with friends, relatives and sycophants as advisors.”
On Khama's war on alcohol, the paper contends the clampdown has nothing to do with societal interests.
"The decision to introduce the 30 percent alcohol levy was not in the public interest and seemed more to be driven by sentiment as opposed to any empirical data," the paper’s lawyers said.
The paper intends to argue that there is a history of alcohol abuse within the Khama family, which the paper claims is the motive behind Khama's crusade to increase its cost and cut consumption.
Thapelo Ndlovu, the Director of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (Botswana) said: “Kalafatis' death reminds me of the dark days of the mid-1980s and the early-1990s, when innocent Batswana as well as foreign nationals were frequently shot and killed by members of the Botswana Defence Force in the name of safeguarding the security of the country.
“Admittedly, those were difficult times in terms of Botswana's national security; but the incidents were clearly irrational and excessive, and all the victims innocent individuals.”
The country’s Minister of Defence, Justice and Security said between April 2008 and March 2009, there had been a total of 12 shooting incidents involving the police. Eight suspects were killed over the same period.
The Law Society of Botswana has demanded that all the security officers involved in the shootings be prosecuted, warning the country was sliding towards “anarchy”.
It said in a statement: “Who is being protected, is it the killers or are the killers acting on instruction?
“We know that these killings have caused immense fear in the nation and in our view indicate a dangerous slide down towards anarchy."
NewZimbabwe.com
The Sunday Standard’s lawyers said even if Khama had been defamed, that did not alter public perceptions that he was “nepotistic, corrupt and misuses government resources for personal or family gain”.
The episode has focused attention of President Khama’s increasingly autocratic rule, with human rights groups accusing him of spying on private citizens and showing irritation at public criticism of his heavily militarised government.
Khama, through his lawyers Collins Newman and Company, slapped the paper with a defamation suit, demanding P850,000 (about £77,000) in damages.
The suit relates to two stories published by the Standard. The first is the story of John Kalafatis who was gunned down in front of his friends two weeks ago by Botswana’s military intelligence after allegedly robbing Khama’s sister. The second story questioned Khama's motives in his clampdown on alcohol consumption in the country.
The Standard, through the law firm Bayford and Associates, has in turn raised a counter claim against Khama, warning that if the President goes ahead with the suit, he would have “tacitly waived the immunity conferred on the President of Botswana by Section 41 of the Constitution”.
The lawyers said they also held instructions from the newspaper to “challenge the legitimacy of his presidency”, adding: “His ascendancy to power, it will be contended, was not in conformity with Section 35 (4) of the Constitution, which requires that where the office of Presidency is vacant, the National Assembly shall meet to appoint the presidency within 7 days.
“To the extent that no such meeting took place it is questionable whether Khama is entitled to the rights and privileges attaching to the presidency.”
Kalafatis’ murder has dominated news headlines in Botswana and opened new debates around Khama’s presidency.
In its report, the Standard said Kalafitis had been linked to a series of robberies between January and February this year at Rurets Farms, near Oodi Village in Kgatleng District, where Jacqueline Khama lives.
After Khama’s sister had been robbed, the paper reported, the President “took his motor bike and raced to where the incident had taken place. Later, and after a meeting with Khama, the security agents launched a serious manhunt.”
Kalafatis was gunned down hours later while sitting in a car with friends outside a bar in the capital, Gaberone. The police and army both said they were not involved in the shooting – pointing an accusing finger at military intelligence.
The Standard’s lawyers said: “We do not consider the Kalafatis article defamatory, because it does not bear the meaning which you wish to ascribe to it, nor was it ever our client’s intention to make the insinuation alluded to in your letter.”
The Standard said “even if Kalafatis article bore the meaning contended for by yours, it did not in anyway alter public perceptions which have already been shaped by past publications and which the President has done little to erode.-Advertisement-
These perceptions are that:
“He is nepotistic, corrupt and misuses government resources for personal or family gain. Specifically, that various transactions entered into by the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) and certain third parties, at the time he was commander, were marred by conflict of interest concerning him.
“As Vice President, he was contemptuous of Parliament, the institution to which he was accountable, by failing to regularly attend its sittings without justifiable cause.
“As Vice President he abused Government property by flying BDF helicopters and other aircraft despite repeated calls from the public and the Ombudsman not to do so.
“Under his presidency, security agents have become emboldened to kill unarmed citizens which incidents have not been subjected to judicial scrutiny of any form;
“He uses the Directorate of Intelligence and Security to spy on citizens because he is paranoid about being displaced as leader of the ruling party.
“He surrounds himself with friends, relatives and sycophants as advisors.”
On Khama's war on alcohol, the paper contends the clampdown has nothing to do with societal interests.
"The decision to introduce the 30 percent alcohol levy was not in the public interest and seemed more to be driven by sentiment as opposed to any empirical data," the paper’s lawyers said.
The paper intends to argue that there is a history of alcohol abuse within the Khama family, which the paper claims is the motive behind Khama's crusade to increase its cost and cut consumption.
Thapelo Ndlovu, the Director of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (Botswana) said: “Kalafatis' death reminds me of the dark days of the mid-1980s and the early-1990s, when innocent Batswana as well as foreign nationals were frequently shot and killed by members of the Botswana Defence Force in the name of safeguarding the security of the country.
“Admittedly, those were difficult times in terms of Botswana's national security; but the incidents were clearly irrational and excessive, and all the victims innocent individuals.”
The country’s Minister of Defence, Justice and Security said between April 2008 and March 2009, there had been a total of 12 shooting incidents involving the police. Eight suspects were killed over the same period.
The Law Society of Botswana has demanded that all the security officers involved in the shootings be prosecuted, warning the country was sliding towards “anarchy”.
It said in a statement: “Who is being protected, is it the killers or are the killers acting on instruction?
“We know that these killings have caused immense fear in the nation and in our view indicate a dangerous slide down towards anarchy."
NewZimbabwe.com
04 June 2009
USA President Obama Reaches Out To The Moslams
Below is USA President Barack Obama's speach in Cairo. I have always doubted his stand in Christianity!
Text of President Barack Obama's speech at Cairo University, as provided by CQ Transcriptions.
Good afternoon. 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 had 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'm grateful for your hospitality and the hospitality of the people of Egypt. And I'm also proud to carry with me the good will of the American people and a greeting of peace from Muslim communities in my country: Assalamu-alaikum.
(APPLAUSE)
We meet at a time of great 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 coexistence 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 11, 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.
All this has bred more fear and more mistrust. So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, those who promote conflict rather than the cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity. And this cycle of suspicion and discord must end.
I've come here to Cairo to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world, one based on 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. I know there's been a lot of publicity about this speech, but no single speech can eradicate years of mistrust nor can I answer in the time that I have this afternoon all the complex questions that brought us to this point.
But I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly to each other 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 Quran tells us, Be conscious of God and speak always the truth.
(APPLAUSE)
That is what I will try to do today, 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.
Now, part of this conviction is rooted in my own experience. I'm 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 at 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 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...
(APPLAUSE)
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.
(APPLAUSE)
I also know 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. They have served in our government. They have stood for civil rights. They have started businesses. They have taught at our universities. They've excelled in our sports arenas. They've 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 Quran that one of our founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, kept in his personal library.
(APPLAUSE)
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.
(APPLAUSE)
But that same principle must apply to Muslim perceptions of America. Just as...
(APPLAUSE)
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.
Now much has been made of the fact that an African-American with the name Barack Hussein Obama could be elected president.
(APPLAUSE)
But my personal story is not so unique. The dream of opportunity for all people has not come true for everyone in America, but its promise exists for all who come to our shores. And that includes nearly 7 million American Muslims in our country today who, by the way, enjoy incomes and educational levels that are higher than the American average.
Moreover, freedom in America is indivisible from the freedom to practice one's religion. That is why there is a mosque in every state in our union and over 1,200 mosques within our borders. That's why the United States government has gone to court to protect the right of women and girls to wear the hijab, and to punish those who would deny it.
So let there be no doubt...
(APPLAUSE)
... let there be no doubt, Islam is a part of America. And I believe that America holds within her the truth that regardless of race, religion, or station in life, all of us share common aspirations: to live in peace and security, to get an education and to work with dignity, to love our families, our communities, and our God. These things we share. This is the hope of all humanity.
Of course, recognizing our common humanity is only the beginning of our task. Words alone cannot meet the needs of our people. These needs will be met only if we act boldly in the years ahead. And if we understand that the challenges we face are shared and our failure to meet them will hurt us all.
For we have learned from recent experience that when a financial system weakens in one country, prosperity is hurt everywhere. When a new flu infects one human being, all are at risk. When one nation pursues a nuclear weapon, the risk of nuclear attack rises for all nations.
When violent extremists operate in one stretch of mountains, people are endangered across an ocean. When innocents in Bosnia and Darfur are slaughtered, that is a stain on our collective conscience.
(APPLAUSE)
That is what it means to share this world in the 21st Century. That is the responsibility we have to one another as human beings. This is a difficult responsibility to embrace, for human history has often been a record of nations and tribes, and, yes, religions subjugating one another in pursuit of their own interests.
Yet in this new age, such attitudes are self-defeating. Given our interdependence, any world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail. So whatever we think of the past, we must not be prisoners to it. Our problems must be dealt with through partnership, our progress must be shared.
(APPLAUSE)
Now, that does not mean we should ignore sources of tension. Indeed, it suggests the opposite. We must face these tensions squarely. And so, in that spirit, let me speak as clearly and as plainly as I can about some specific issues that I believe we must finally confront together.
The first issue that we have to confront is violent extremism in all its forms. In Ankara, I made clear that America is not and never will be at war with Islam.
(APPLAUSE)
We will, however, relentlessly confront violent extremists who pose a grave threat to our security because we reject the same thing that people of all faiths reject, the killing of innocent men, women, and children. And it is my first duty as president to protect the American people.
The situation in Afghanistan demonstrates America's goals and our need to work together. Over seven years ago, the United States pursued Al Qaida and the Taliban with broad international support. We did not go by choice. We went because of necessity. I'm aware that there's still some who would question or even justify the offense of 9/11. But let us be clear. Al Qaida killed nearly 3,000 people on that day.
The victims were innocent men, women, and children from America and many other nations who had done nothing to harm anybody. And yet Al Qaida chose to ruthlessly murder these people, claimed credit for the attack, and even now states their determination to kill on a massive scale. They have affiliates in many countries and are trying to expand their reach.
These are not opinions to be debated. These are facts to be dealt with. Make no mistake, we do not want to keep our troops in Afghanistan. We see no military -- we seek no military bases there. It is agonizing for America to lose our young men and women. It is costly and politically difficult to continue this conflict.
We would gladly bring every single one of our troops home if we could be confident that there were not violent extremists in Afghanistan and now Pakistan determined to kill as many Americans as they possibly can. But that is not yet the case.
And that's why we're partnering with a coalition of 46 countries. And despite the costs involved, America's commitment will not weaken. Indeed, none of us should tolerate these extremists. They have killed in many countries. They have killed people of different faiths but, more than any other, they have killed Muslims. Their actions are irreconcilable with the rights of human beings, the progress of nations, and with Islam.
The Holy Quran teaches that whoever kills an innocent is as -- it is as it if has killed all mankind.
(APPLAUSE)
And the Holy Quran also says whoever saves a person, it is as if he has saved all mankind.
(APPLAUSE)
The enduring faith of over a billion people is so much bigger than the narrow hatred of a few. Islam is not part of the problem in combating violent extremism; it is an important part of promoting peace.
Now, we also know that military power alone is not going solve the problems in Afghanistan and Pakistan. That's why we plan to invest $1.5 billion each year over the next five years to partner with Pakistanis to build schools and hospitals, roads and businesses, and hundreds of millions to help those who've been displaced.
That's why we are providing more than $2.8 billion to help Afghans develop their economy and deliver services that people depend on.
Now, let me also address the issue of Iraq. Unlike Afghanistan, Iraq was a war of choice that provoked strong differences in my country and around the world. Although I believe that the Iraqi people are ultimately better off without the tyranny of Saddam Hussein, I also believe that events in Iraq have reminded America of the need to use diplomacy and build international consensus to resolve our problems whenever possible.
(APPLAUSE)
Indeed, we can recall the words of Thomas Jefferson, who said, I hope that our wisdom will grow with our power and teach us that the less we use our power, the greater it will be. Today America has a dual responsibility to help Iraq forge a better future and to leave Iraq to Iraqis.
I have made it clear to the Iraqi people...
(APPLAUSE)
I have made it clear to the Iraqi people that we pursue no basis and no claim on their territory or resources. Iraq's sovereignty is its own. And that's why I ordered the removal of our combat brigades by next August. That is why we will honor our agreement with Iraq's democratically-elected government to remove combat troops from Iraqi cities by July and to remove all of our troops from Iraq by 2012.
(APPLAUSE)
We will help Iraq train its security forces and develop its economy. But we will support a secure and united Iraq as a partner and never as a patron.
And finally, just as America can never tolerate violence by extremists, we must never alter or forget our principles. 9/11 was an enormous trauma to our country. The fear and anger that it provoked was understandable. But in some cases, it led us to act contrary to our traditions and our ideals.
We are taking concrete actions to change course. I have unequivocally prohibited the use of torture by the United States. And I have ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed by early next year.
(APPLAUSE)
So America will defend itself, respectful of the sovereignty of nations and the rule of law. And we will do so in partnership with Muslim communities, which are also threatened. The sooner the extremists are isolated and unwelcome in Muslim communities, the sooner we will all be safer.
Now, the second major source of tension that we need to discuss is the situation between Israelis, Palestinians and the Arab world. America's strong bonds with Israel are well-known. This bond is unbreakable. It is 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.
Around the world the Jewish people were persecuted for centuries. And anti-Semitism in Europe culminated in an unprecedented holocaust. Tomorrow I will visit Buchenwald, which was part of a network of camps where Jews were enslaved, tortured, shot and gassed to death by the Third Reich.
Six million Jews were killed, more than the entire Jewish population of Israel today. Denying that fact is baseless. It is ignorant, and it is hateful.
It's about preventing a nuclear arms race in the Middle East that could lead this region and the world down a hugely dangerous path.
Now, I understand those who protest that some countries have weapons that others do not. No single nations should pick and choose which nation holds nuclear weapons. And that's why I strongly reaffirmed America's commitment to seek a world in which no nations hold nuclear weapons.
(APPLAUSE)
And any nation, including Iran, should have the right to access peaceful nuclear power if it complies with its responsibilities under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. That commitment is at the core of the treaty. And it must be kept for all who fully abide by it. And I am hopeful that all countries in the region can share in this goal.
The fourth issue that I will address is democracy.
(APPLAUSE)
I know there has been controversy about the promotion of democracy in recent years. And much of this controversy is connected to the war in Iraq. So let me be clear. No system of government can or should be imposed by one nation by any other. That does not lessen my commitment, however, to governments that reflect the will of the people.
Each nation gives life to this principle in its own way, grounded in the traditions of its own people. America does not presume to know what is best for everyone, just as we would not presume to pick the outcome of a peaceful election.
But I do have an unyielding belief that all people yearn for certain things: the ability to speak your mind and have a say in how you are governed, confidence in the rule of law and the equal administration of justice, government that is transparent and doesn't steal from the people, the freedom to live as you choose. These are not just American ideas. They are human rights. And that is why we will support them everywhere.
(APPLAUSE)
Now, there is no straight line to realize this promise. But this much is clear. Governments that protect these rights are ultimately more stable, successful and secure. Suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away. America respects the right of all peaceful and law-abiding voices to be heard around the world, even if we disagree with them. And we will welcome all elected, peaceful governments, provided they govern with respect for all their people.
This last point is important because there are some who advocate for democracy only when they're out of power. Once in power, they are ruthless in suppressing the rights of others.
(APPLAUSE)
So no matter where it takes hold, government of the people and by the people sets a single standard for all who would hold power. You must maintain your power through consent, not coercion. You must respect the rights of minorities and participate with a spirit of tolerance and compromise. You must place the interests of your people and the legitimate workings of the political process above your party.
Without these ingredients, elections alone do not make true democracy.
(AUDIENCE MEMBER SHOUTS)
Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
The fifth issue that we must address together is religious freedom. Islam has a proud tradition of tolerance. We see it in the history of Andalusia and Cordoba during the Inquisition. I saw it firsthand as a child in Indonesia where devote Christians worshipped freely in an overwhelmingly Muslim country.
That is the spirit we need today. People in every country should be free to choose and live their faith based upon the persuasion of the mind and the heart and the soul.
This tolerance is essential for religion to thrive. But it's being challenged in many different ways. Among some Muslims, there's a disturbing tendency to measure one's own faith by the rejection of somebody else's faith.
The richness of religious diversity must be upheld, whether it is for Maronites in Lebanon or the Copts in Egypt.
(APPLAUSE)
And if we are being honest, fault lines must be closed among Muslims as well as the divisions between Sunni and Shia have led to tragic violence, particularly in Iraq.
Freedom of religion is central to the ability of peoples to live together. We must always examine the ways in which people protect it. For instance, in the United States, rules on charitable giving have made it harder for Muslims to fulfill their religious obligation.
That's why I'm committed to work with American Muslims to ensure that they can fulfill zakat. Likewise, it is important for Western countries to avoid impeding Muslim citizens from practicing religion as they see fit, for instance, by dictating what clothes a Muslim woman should wear.
We can't disguise hostility towards any religion behind the pretense of liberalism. In fact, faith should bring us together. And that's why we're forging service projects in America to bring together Christians, Muslims, and Jews.
That's why we welcome efforts like Saudi Arabian King Abdullah's interfaith dialogue and Turkey's leadership in the Alliance of Civilizations.
Around the world, we can turn dialogue into interfaith service so bridges between peoples lead to action, whether it is combating malaria in Africa or providing relief after a natural disaster.
The sixth issue -- the sixth issue that I want to address is women's rights.
(APPLAUSE)
I know...
(APPLAUSE)
I know, and you can tell from this audience, that there is a healthy debate about this issue. I reject the view of some in the West that a woman who chooses to cover her hair is somehow less equal. But I do believe that a woman who is denied an education is denied equality.
(APPLAUSE)
And it is no coincidence that countries where women are well- educated are far more likely to be prosperous.
Now let me be clear, issues of women's equality are by no means simply an issue for Islam. In Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, we've seen Muslim-majority countries elect a woman to lead.
Meanwhile, the struggle for women's equality continues in many aspects of American life and in countries around the world. I am convinced that our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons.
(APPLAUSE)
Our common prosperity will be advanced by allowing all humanity, men and women, to reach their full potential. I do not believe that women must make the same choices as men in order to be equal. And I respect those women who choose to live their lives in traditional roles. But it should be their choice.
That is why the United States will partner with any Muslim- majority country to support expanded literacy for girls and to help young women pursue employment through micro-financing that helps people live their dreams.
(APPLAUSE)
Finally, I want to discuss economic development and opportunity. I know that for many, the face of globalization is contradictory. The Internet and television can bring knowledge and information but also offensive sexuality and mindless violence into the home.
Trade can bring new wealth and opportunities but also huge disruptions and change in communities. In all nations, including America, this change can bring fear; fear that, because of modernity, we lose control over our economic choices, our politics, and most importantly, our identities, those things we most cherish about our communities, our families, our traditions, and our faith.
But I also know that human progress cannot be denied. There need not be contradictions between development and tradition. Countries like Japan and South Korea grew their economies enormously while maintaining distinct cultures. The same is true for the astonishing progress within Muslim majority countries from Kuala Lumpur to Dubai.
In ancient times and in our times, Muslim communities have been at the forefront of innovation and education. And this is important because no development strategy can be based only upon what comes out of the ground nor can it be sustained while young people are out of work.
Many Gulf States have enjoyed great wealth as a consequence of oil, and some are beginning to focus it on broader development. But all of us must recognize that education and innovation will be the currency of the 21st century. And in too...
(APPLAUSE)
And in too many Muslim communities, there remains underinvestment in these areas. I am emphasizing such investment within my own country. And while America, in the past, has focused on oil and gas when it comes to this part of the world, we new seek a broader engagement.
On education, we will expand change programs and increase scholarships like the one that brought my father to America.
(APPLAUSE)
At the same time, we will encourage more Americans to study in Muslim communities. And we will match promising Muslim students are internships in America, invest in online learning for teachers and children around the world and create a new, online network so a young person in Kansas can communicate instantly with a young person in Cairo.
On economic development, we will create a new core of business volunteers to partner with counterparts in Muslim majority countries. And I will host a summit on entrepreneurship this year to identify how we can deepen ties between business leaders, foundations, and social entrepreneurs in the United States and Muslim communities around the world.
On science and technology, we will launch a new fund to support technological development in Muslim majority country and to help transfer ideas to the marketplace so they can create more jobs. We will open centers of scientific excellence in Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia and appoint new science envoys to collaborate on programs that develop new sources of energy, create green jobs, digitize records, clean water, grow new crops.
Today, I'm announcing a new global effort with the organization of the Islamic Conference to eradicate polio. And we will also expand partnerships with Muslim communities to promote child and maternal health.
All these things must be done in partnership. Americans are ready to join with citizens and governments, community organizations, religious leaders, and businesses in Muslim communities around the world to help our people pursue a better life.
The issues that I have described will not be easy to address, but we have a responsibility to join together to behalf of the world that we seek, a world where extremists no longer threaten our people and American troops have come home; a world where Israelis and Palestinians are each secure in a state of their own and nuclear energy is used for peaceful purposes, a world where governments serve their citizens and the rights of all God's children are respected. Those are mutual interests. That is the world we seek.But we can only achieve it together. I know there are many, Muslim and non-Muslim, who question whether we can forge this new beginning. Some are eager to stoke the flames of division and to stand in the way of progress. Some suggest that it isn't worth the effort, that we are fated to disagree and civilizations are doomed to clash.
Many more are simply skeptical that real change can occur. There is so much fear, so much mistrust that has built up over the years. But if we choose to be bound by the past, we will never move forward. And I want to particularly say this to young people of every faith in every country. You more than anyone have the ability to reimagine the world, the remake this world.
All of us share this world for but a brief moment in time. The question is whether we spend that time focused on what pushes us apart or whether we commit ourselves to an effort, a sustained effort to find common ground, to focus on the future we seek for our children and to respect the dignity of all human beings.
It's easier to start wars than to end them. It's easier to blame others than to look inward. It's easier to see what is different about someone than to find the things we share. But we should choose the right path, not just the easy path. There is one rule that lies at the heart of every religion, that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us.
(APPLAUSE)
This truth transcends nations and peoples, a belief that isn't new, that isn't black or white or brown, that isn't Christian or Muslim or Jew. It's a belief that pulsed in the cradle of civilization and that still beats in the hearts of billions around the world. It's a faith in other people. And it's what brought me here today.
We have the power to make the world we seek, but only if we have the courage to make a new beginning, keeping in mind what has been written. The Holy Quran tells us, Mankind, we have created you male and a female. And we have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another.
The Talmud tells us, The whole of the Torah is for the purpose of promoting peace.
The Holy Bible tells us, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
(APPLAUSE)
The people of the world can live together in peace. We know that is God's vision. Now that must be our work here on Earth.
Thank you. And may God's peace be upon you. Thank you very much.
Thank you.
END
Text of President Barack Obama's speech at Cairo University, as provided by CQ Transcriptions.
Good afternoon. 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 had 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'm grateful for your hospitality and the hospitality of the people of Egypt. And I'm also proud to carry with me the good will of the American people and a greeting of peace from Muslim communities in my country: Assalamu-alaikum.
(APPLAUSE)
We meet at a time of great 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 coexistence 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 11, 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.
All this has bred more fear and more mistrust. So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, those who promote conflict rather than the cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity. And this cycle of suspicion and discord must end.
I've come here to Cairo to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world, one based on 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. I know there's been a lot of publicity about this speech, but no single speech can eradicate years of mistrust nor can I answer in the time that I have this afternoon all the complex questions that brought us to this point.
But I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly to each other 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 Quran tells us, Be conscious of God and speak always the truth.
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That is what I will try to do today, 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.
Now, part of this conviction is rooted in my own experience. I'm 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 at 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 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...
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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.
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I also know 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. They have served in our government. They have stood for civil rights. They have started businesses. They have taught at our universities. They've excelled in our sports arenas. They've 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 Quran that one of our founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, kept in his personal library.
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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.
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But that same principle must apply to Muslim perceptions of America. Just as...
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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.
Now much has been made of the fact that an African-American with the name Barack Hussein Obama could be elected president.
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But my personal story is not so unique. The dream of opportunity for all people has not come true for everyone in America, but its promise exists for all who come to our shores. And that includes nearly 7 million American Muslims in our country today who, by the way, enjoy incomes and educational levels that are higher than the American average.
Moreover, freedom in America is indivisible from the freedom to practice one's religion. That is why there is a mosque in every state in our union and over 1,200 mosques within our borders. That's why the United States government has gone to court to protect the right of women and girls to wear the hijab, and to punish those who would deny it.
So let there be no doubt...
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... let there be no doubt, Islam is a part of America. And I believe that America holds within her the truth that regardless of race, religion, or station in life, all of us share common aspirations: to live in peace and security, to get an education and to work with dignity, to love our families, our communities, and our God. These things we share. This is the hope of all humanity.
Of course, recognizing our common humanity is only the beginning of our task. Words alone cannot meet the needs of our people. These needs will be met only if we act boldly in the years ahead. And if we understand that the challenges we face are shared and our failure to meet them will hurt us all.
For we have learned from recent experience that when a financial system weakens in one country, prosperity is hurt everywhere. When a new flu infects one human being, all are at risk. When one nation pursues a nuclear weapon, the risk of nuclear attack rises for all nations.
When violent extremists operate in one stretch of mountains, people are endangered across an ocean. When innocents in Bosnia and Darfur are slaughtered, that is a stain on our collective conscience.
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That is what it means to share this world in the 21st Century. That is the responsibility we have to one another as human beings. This is a difficult responsibility to embrace, for human history has often been a record of nations and tribes, and, yes, religions subjugating one another in pursuit of their own interests.
Yet in this new age, such attitudes are self-defeating. Given our interdependence, any world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail. So whatever we think of the past, we must not be prisoners to it. Our problems must be dealt with through partnership, our progress must be shared.
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Now, that does not mean we should ignore sources of tension. Indeed, it suggests the opposite. We must face these tensions squarely. And so, in that spirit, let me speak as clearly and as plainly as I can about some specific issues that I believe we must finally confront together.
The first issue that we have to confront is violent extremism in all its forms. In Ankara, I made clear that America is not and never will be at war with Islam.
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We will, however, relentlessly confront violent extremists who pose a grave threat to our security because we reject the same thing that people of all faiths reject, the killing of innocent men, women, and children. And it is my first duty as president to protect the American people.
The situation in Afghanistan demonstrates America's goals and our need to work together. Over seven years ago, the United States pursued Al Qaida and the Taliban with broad international support. We did not go by choice. We went because of necessity. I'm aware that there's still some who would question or even justify the offense of 9/11. But let us be clear. Al Qaida killed nearly 3,000 people on that day.
The victims were innocent men, women, and children from America and many other nations who had done nothing to harm anybody. And yet Al Qaida chose to ruthlessly murder these people, claimed credit for the attack, and even now states their determination to kill on a massive scale. They have affiliates in many countries and are trying to expand their reach.
These are not opinions to be debated. These are facts to be dealt with. Make no mistake, we do not want to keep our troops in Afghanistan. We see no military -- we seek no military bases there. It is agonizing for America to lose our young men and women. It is costly and politically difficult to continue this conflict.
We would gladly bring every single one of our troops home if we could be confident that there were not violent extremists in Afghanistan and now Pakistan determined to kill as many Americans as they possibly can. But that is not yet the case.
And that's why we're partnering with a coalition of 46 countries. And despite the costs involved, America's commitment will not weaken. Indeed, none of us should tolerate these extremists. They have killed in many countries. They have killed people of different faiths but, more than any other, they have killed Muslims. Their actions are irreconcilable with the rights of human beings, the progress of nations, and with Islam.
The Holy Quran teaches that whoever kills an innocent is as -- it is as it if has killed all mankind.
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And the Holy Quran also says whoever saves a person, it is as if he has saved all mankind.
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The enduring faith of over a billion people is so much bigger than the narrow hatred of a few. Islam is not part of the problem in combating violent extremism; it is an important part of promoting peace.
Now, we also know that military power alone is not going solve the problems in Afghanistan and Pakistan. That's why we plan to invest $1.5 billion each year over the next five years to partner with Pakistanis to build schools and hospitals, roads and businesses, and hundreds of millions to help those who've been displaced.
That's why we are providing more than $2.8 billion to help Afghans develop their economy and deliver services that people depend on.
Now, let me also address the issue of Iraq. Unlike Afghanistan, Iraq was a war of choice that provoked strong differences in my country and around the world. Although I believe that the Iraqi people are ultimately better off without the tyranny of Saddam Hussein, I also believe that events in Iraq have reminded America of the need to use diplomacy and build international consensus to resolve our problems whenever possible.
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Indeed, we can recall the words of Thomas Jefferson, who said, I hope that our wisdom will grow with our power and teach us that the less we use our power, the greater it will be. Today America has a dual responsibility to help Iraq forge a better future and to leave Iraq to Iraqis.
I have made it clear to the Iraqi people...
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I have made it clear to the Iraqi people that we pursue no basis and no claim on their territory or resources. Iraq's sovereignty is its own. And that's why I ordered the removal of our combat brigades by next August. That is why we will honor our agreement with Iraq's democratically-elected government to remove combat troops from Iraqi cities by July and to remove all of our troops from Iraq by 2012.
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We will help Iraq train its security forces and develop its economy. But we will support a secure and united Iraq as a partner and never as a patron.
And finally, just as America can never tolerate violence by extremists, we must never alter or forget our principles. 9/11 was an enormous trauma to our country. The fear and anger that it provoked was understandable. But in some cases, it led us to act contrary to our traditions and our ideals.
We are taking concrete actions to change course. I have unequivocally prohibited the use of torture by the United States. And I have ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed by early next year.
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So America will defend itself, respectful of the sovereignty of nations and the rule of law. And we will do so in partnership with Muslim communities, which are also threatened. The sooner the extremists are isolated and unwelcome in Muslim communities, the sooner we will all be safer.
Now, the second major source of tension that we need to discuss is the situation between Israelis, Palestinians and the Arab world. America's strong bonds with Israel are well-known. This bond is unbreakable. It is 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.
Around the world the Jewish people were persecuted for centuries. And anti-Semitism in Europe culminated in an unprecedented holocaust. Tomorrow I will visit Buchenwald, which was part of a network of camps where Jews were enslaved, tortured, shot and gassed to death by the Third Reich.
Six million Jews were killed, more than the entire Jewish population of Israel today. Denying that fact is baseless. It is ignorant, and it is hateful.
It's about preventing a nuclear arms race in the Middle East that could lead this region and the world down a hugely dangerous path.
Now, I understand those who protest that some countries have weapons that others do not. No single nations should pick and choose which nation holds nuclear weapons. And that's why I strongly reaffirmed America's commitment to seek a world in which no nations hold nuclear weapons.
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And any nation, including Iran, should have the right to access peaceful nuclear power if it complies with its responsibilities under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. That commitment is at the core of the treaty. And it must be kept for all who fully abide by it. And I am hopeful that all countries in the region can share in this goal.
The fourth issue that I will address is democracy.
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I know there has been controversy about the promotion of democracy in recent years. And much of this controversy is connected to the war in Iraq. So let me be clear. No system of government can or should be imposed by one nation by any other. That does not lessen my commitment, however, to governments that reflect the will of the people.
Each nation gives life to this principle in its own way, grounded in the traditions of its own people. America does not presume to know what is best for everyone, just as we would not presume to pick the outcome of a peaceful election.
But I do have an unyielding belief that all people yearn for certain things: the ability to speak your mind and have a say in how you are governed, confidence in the rule of law and the equal administration of justice, government that is transparent and doesn't steal from the people, the freedom to live as you choose. These are not just American ideas. They are human rights. And that is why we will support them everywhere.
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Now, there is no straight line to realize this promise. But this much is clear. Governments that protect these rights are ultimately more stable, successful and secure. Suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away. America respects the right of all peaceful and law-abiding voices to be heard around the world, even if we disagree with them. And we will welcome all elected, peaceful governments, provided they govern with respect for all their people.
This last point is important because there are some who advocate for democracy only when they're out of power. Once in power, they are ruthless in suppressing the rights of others.
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So no matter where it takes hold, government of the people and by the people sets a single standard for all who would hold power. You must maintain your power through consent, not coercion. You must respect the rights of minorities and participate with a spirit of tolerance and compromise. You must place the interests of your people and the legitimate workings of the political process above your party.
Without these ingredients, elections alone do not make true democracy.
(AUDIENCE MEMBER SHOUTS)
Thank you.
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The fifth issue that we must address together is religious freedom. Islam has a proud tradition of tolerance. We see it in the history of Andalusia and Cordoba during the Inquisition. I saw it firsthand as a child in Indonesia where devote Christians worshipped freely in an overwhelmingly Muslim country.
That is the spirit we need today. People in every country should be free to choose and live their faith based upon the persuasion of the mind and the heart and the soul.
This tolerance is essential for religion to thrive. But it's being challenged in many different ways. Among some Muslims, there's a disturbing tendency to measure one's own faith by the rejection of somebody else's faith.
The richness of religious diversity must be upheld, whether it is for Maronites in Lebanon or the Copts in Egypt.
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And if we are being honest, fault lines must be closed among Muslims as well as the divisions between Sunni and Shia have led to tragic violence, particularly in Iraq.
Freedom of religion is central to the ability of peoples to live together. We must always examine the ways in which people protect it. For instance, in the United States, rules on charitable giving have made it harder for Muslims to fulfill their religious obligation.
That's why I'm committed to work with American Muslims to ensure that they can fulfill zakat. Likewise, it is important for Western countries to avoid impeding Muslim citizens from practicing religion as they see fit, for instance, by dictating what clothes a Muslim woman should wear.
We can't disguise hostility towards any religion behind the pretense of liberalism. In fact, faith should bring us together. And that's why we're forging service projects in America to bring together Christians, Muslims, and Jews.
That's why we welcome efforts like Saudi Arabian King Abdullah's interfaith dialogue and Turkey's leadership in the Alliance of Civilizations.
Around the world, we can turn dialogue into interfaith service so bridges between peoples lead to action, whether it is combating malaria in Africa or providing relief after a natural disaster.
The sixth issue -- the sixth issue that I want to address is women's rights.
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I know...
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I know, and you can tell from this audience, that there is a healthy debate about this issue. I reject the view of some in the West that a woman who chooses to cover her hair is somehow less equal. But I do believe that a woman who is denied an education is denied equality.
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And it is no coincidence that countries where women are well- educated are far more likely to be prosperous.
Now let me be clear, issues of women's equality are by no means simply an issue for Islam. In Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, we've seen Muslim-majority countries elect a woman to lead.
Meanwhile, the struggle for women's equality continues in many aspects of American life and in countries around the world. I am convinced that our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons.
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Our common prosperity will be advanced by allowing all humanity, men and women, to reach their full potential. I do not believe that women must make the same choices as men in order to be equal. And I respect those women who choose to live their lives in traditional roles. But it should be their choice.
That is why the United States will partner with any Muslim- majority country to support expanded literacy for girls and to help young women pursue employment through micro-financing that helps people live their dreams.
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Finally, I want to discuss economic development and opportunity. I know that for many, the face of globalization is contradictory. The Internet and television can bring knowledge and information but also offensive sexuality and mindless violence into the home.
Trade can bring new wealth and opportunities but also huge disruptions and change in communities. In all nations, including America, this change can bring fear; fear that, because of modernity, we lose control over our economic choices, our politics, and most importantly, our identities, those things we most cherish about our communities, our families, our traditions, and our faith.
But I also know that human progress cannot be denied. There need not be contradictions between development and tradition. Countries like Japan and South Korea grew their economies enormously while maintaining distinct cultures. The same is true for the astonishing progress within Muslim majority countries from Kuala Lumpur to Dubai.
In ancient times and in our times, Muslim communities have been at the forefront of innovation and education. And this is important because no development strategy can be based only upon what comes out of the ground nor can it be sustained while young people are out of work.
Many Gulf States have enjoyed great wealth as a consequence of oil, and some are beginning to focus it on broader development. But all of us must recognize that education and innovation will be the currency of the 21st century. And in too...
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And in too many Muslim communities, there remains underinvestment in these areas. I am emphasizing such investment within my own country. And while America, in the past, has focused on oil and gas when it comes to this part of the world, we new seek a broader engagement.
On education, we will expand change programs and increase scholarships like the one that brought my father to America.
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At the same time, we will encourage more Americans to study in Muslim communities. And we will match promising Muslim students are internships in America, invest in online learning for teachers and children around the world and create a new, online network so a young person in Kansas can communicate instantly with a young person in Cairo.
On economic development, we will create a new core of business volunteers to partner with counterparts in Muslim majority countries. And I will host a summit on entrepreneurship this year to identify how we can deepen ties between business leaders, foundations, and social entrepreneurs in the United States and Muslim communities around the world.
On science and technology, we will launch a new fund to support technological development in Muslim majority country and to help transfer ideas to the marketplace so they can create more jobs. We will open centers of scientific excellence in Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia and appoint new science envoys to collaborate on programs that develop new sources of energy, create green jobs, digitize records, clean water, grow new crops.
Today, I'm announcing a new global effort with the organization of the Islamic Conference to eradicate polio. And we will also expand partnerships with Muslim communities to promote child and maternal health.
All these things must be done in partnership. Americans are ready to join with citizens and governments, community organizations, religious leaders, and businesses in Muslim communities around the world to help our people pursue a better life.
The issues that I have described will not be easy to address, but we have a responsibility to join together to behalf of the world that we seek, a world where extremists no longer threaten our people and American troops have come home; a world where Israelis and Palestinians are each secure in a state of their own and nuclear energy is used for peaceful purposes, a world where governments serve their citizens and the rights of all God's children are respected. Those are mutual interests. That is the world we seek.But we can only achieve it together. I know there are many, Muslim and non-Muslim, who question whether we can forge this new beginning. Some are eager to stoke the flames of division and to stand in the way of progress. Some suggest that it isn't worth the effort, that we are fated to disagree and civilizations are doomed to clash.
Many more are simply skeptical that real change can occur. There is so much fear, so much mistrust that has built up over the years. But if we choose to be bound by the past, we will never move forward. And I want to particularly say this to young people of every faith in every country. You more than anyone have the ability to reimagine the world, the remake this world.
All of us share this world for but a brief moment in time. The question is whether we spend that time focused on what pushes us apart or whether we commit ourselves to an effort, a sustained effort to find common ground, to focus on the future we seek for our children and to respect the dignity of all human beings.
It's easier to start wars than to end them. It's easier to blame others than to look inward. It's easier to see what is different about someone than to find the things we share. But we should choose the right path, not just the easy path. There is one rule that lies at the heart of every religion, that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us.
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This truth transcends nations and peoples, a belief that isn't new, that isn't black or white or brown, that isn't Christian or Muslim or Jew. It's a belief that pulsed in the cradle of civilization and that still beats in the hearts of billions around the world. It's a faith in other people. And it's what brought me here today.
We have the power to make the world we seek, but only if we have the courage to make a new beginning, keeping in mind what has been written. The Holy Quran tells us, Mankind, we have created you male and a female. And we have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another.
The Talmud tells us, The whole of the Torah is for the purpose of promoting peace.
The Holy Bible tells us, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
(APPLAUSE)
The people of the world can live together in peace. We know that is God's vision. Now that must be our work here on Earth.
Thank you. And may God's peace be upon you. Thank you very much.
Thank you.
END
03 June 2009
16 May Rally
We had a succesiful prayer on the 16th of May 209. Honorable Minister Dr Olivia Muchena gave a detailed analysis on women issues, women in political leadership & current GPA and the opstacles currently changelling the implimentation.
Honorable minister Godern Moyo also talked about the GPA. There were also issues raised by the people for minister to consider: The issue of the multi currency cross rate especially the Rand Vs USD, the issue of NUST students that were turned away from writting exams, etc.
We had time to also pray for our nation, leaders, national healing & resotaration of our nation's economy, etc,
Honorable minister Godern Moyo also talked about the GPA. There were also issues raised by the people for minister to consider: The issue of the multi currency cross rate especially the Rand Vs USD, the issue of NUST students that were turned away from writting exams, etc.
We had time to also pray for our nation, leaders, national healing & resotaration of our nation's economy, etc,
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