Barack Obama, the US president, has vowed to forge a "new beginning" for Islam and America in a landmark speech to the world's Muslims.

Laying out his vision for a new US partnership with the Muslim world during a visit to the Egyptian capital, Cairo, Obama said the "cycle of suspicion and discord" must end.

"I've come here to Cairo to seek a new beginning, one based on mutual interest and mutual respect and based on the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive and need not be in competition," Obama told a crowd of hundreds at the Cairo University.

"Instead, they overlap, and share common principles, principles of justice and progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings," he continued.

But he cautioned against expecting immediate change.

"A new beginning ... cannot happen overnight," he said.

“…no single speech can eradicate years of mistrust, nor can I answer in the time that I have all the complex questions that brought us to this point. But I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly the things we hold in our hearts..."

In what may be a defining moment of his presidency, Obama laid out a new blueprint for US Middle East policy, vowing to end mistrust, forge a state for Palestinians.

"Too many tears have been shed. Too much blood has been shed."

"America will not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of their own," Obama said, calling on both sides to live up to obligations under the stalled "roadmap" for Middle East peace.

"The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements. This construction violates previous agreements and undermines efforts to achieve peace. It is time for these settlements to stop."

Specifically targeting young Muslims, the President said "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 is not worth the effort - that we are fated to disagree, and civilizations are doomed to clash. There is so much fear, so much mistrust. But if we choose to be bound by the past, we will never move forward," he added.

Obama said Islam has a tradition of tolerance, something he saw firsthand as a child in Indonesia.

"...I consider it part of my responsibility as President of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear...Just as Muslims do not fit a crude stereotype, America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire," the President underlined.

He spoke at Cairo University after meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. He first traveled Wednesday to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, where met with King Abdullah.

From Egypt, Obama will head to Germany and France.
(Aljazeera, AFP, AP, CBC News)

Global Arab Network