Trump speech

Mr Trump also promised that his country would help Gulf Arab states to crush the enemy

It was in many ways a history of firsts for US President Donald Trump. It was his first major speech outside America, his first foreign tour (as president) and probably the first time he has addressed dozens of Muslim leaders (again as president). It was a severe test for the blunt-speaking, usually unrestrained US leader. Excerpts from the speech released by the White House showed Mr Trump exhorting the Muslim world to confront the crisis of extremism. He followed that up with an appeal to religious leaders to condemn extremist attacks. There was none of the anti-Islamic rhetoric that Mr Trump has readily espoused before last November’s presidential election. There was instead a much calmer US leader telling Muslim counterparts that “this is not a battle between different faiths” but “a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it”. There was a George W Bush moment too when Mr Trump referred to the battle between good and evil.

There were also no undertones of lecturing that punctuated some of the speeches made by Barack Obama to Arab and Muslim leaders in the past. And, most importantly to the delight of Arab leaders, as the White House itself pointed out, Mr Trump was not soft on Iran. There was no mention also of civil liberties and human rights violations – and Arab leaders should feel relieved. “We are not here to lecture -- we are not here to tell other people how to live... or how to worship. Instead, we are here to offer partnership -- based on shared interests and values.”

Mr Trump also promised that his country would help Gulf Arab states and other countries in the Middle East to crush the enemy (terrorist groups) for them. This is exactly the kind of language that the 35 heads of state and government from Muslim-majority countries attending the Arab Islamic American Summit would be pleased to hear. It remains to be seen whether Mr Trump’s speech will gain the same kind of impact that Mr Obama made in his remarks in Cairo in 2009.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 22^nd, 2017.

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