Trump aims to unite against terrorism in speech before Muslim leaders

President Donald Trump, in a high-profile speech Sunday, will look to set the US and himself on new footing with the 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide who have heard much of the President's Islamophobic comments on the campaign trail and little in the way of outreach.

کد خبر: ۶۹۶۲۴۱

تاریخ: ۳۱ ارديبهشت ۱۳۹۶ - ۱۶:۲۳

But the main objective of Trump's address will be to galvanize the Muslim world into confronting the radical Islamist ideology that birthed terrorist groups like ISIS, which Trump has vowed to destroy

"Our goal is a coalition of nations who share the aim of stamping out extremism and providing our children a hopeful future that does honor to God ... Every time a terrorist murders an innocent person, and falsely invokes the name of God, it should be an insult to every person of faith," Trump will say, according to excerpts of his speech.

"This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilizations. This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it. This is a battle between good and evil," Trump will say. "That means honestly confronting the crisis of Islamist extremism and the Islamist terror groups it inspires."

Trump will deliver the speech in Saudi Arabia, which is home to Islam's two holiest sites, in what administration officials have described as a symbolic statement.

He will pledge America's support in the fight against terror, but press Middle Eastern countries into greater action.

"America is prepared to stand with you -- in pursuit of shared interests and common security. But the nations of the Middle East cannot wait for American power to crush this enemy for them," he will say. "The nations of the Middle East will have to decide what kind of future they want for themselves, for their countries, and for their children."

H.R. McMaster, the President's national security adviser, said the address will be an "inspiring, yet direct speech on the need to confront radical ideology and his hopes for a peaceful vision of Islam to dominate across the world."

Those listening to the President's speech on Sunday will also have to contend with the rhetoric of Trump's campaign, which experts say hasexacerbated anti-Muslim sentiment.

During his campaign, Trump called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States," floated the possibility of creating a database of Muslims in the US and called for surveillance of US mosques.
"I think Islam hates us," Trump told CNN's Anderson Cooper in March 2016.

Trump's speech also comes as he and his administration have continued to defend the executive order barring visitors to the US from six Muslim-majority countries, which the administration is seeking to reinstate in litigation after it was blocked by federal judges.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said the Saudi kingdom, which agreed to host Trump's attempt at a reset with the Muslim world, praised Trump for his plans to deliver the speech and expressed optimism at the content.

"If we can change the conversation in the Islamic world from enmity toward the US to partnership with the US, and if we can change the conversation in the US and in the west from enmity toward the Islamic world to one of partnership, we will have truly changed our world and truly drowned the voices of extremism, and drain the swamps from which extremism and terrorism emanates," Jubeir said.