Key quotes
Pour ceux, entre vous, qui n'avais pas le temp de le voire ou regarder
For those of you who have not had the time to see or watch it
Discours d'Obama au Caire: les principales citations
AP | 04.06.2009 | 19:30
Les principales citations extraites du discours au monde musulman prononcé jeudi par le président américain Barack Obama à l'Université du Caire:
Un nouveau départ
"Je suis venu ici au Caire pour rechercher un nouveau départ entre les Etats-Unis et les musulmans à travers le monde, basé sur un intérêt commun et un respect mutuel, basé sur le fait avéré que l'Amérique et l'islam ne sont pas exclusifs l'un de l'autre et n'ont pas besoin d'être concurrence."
"Ce cycle de la suspicion et de la discorde doit cesser"
Colonialisme
"Plus récemment, les tensions ont été alimentées par le colonialisme qui niait leurs droits et leurs chances à de nombreux musulmans et une Guerre froide au cours de laquelle les pays à majorité musulmane étaient trop souvent traités par procuration, sans tenir compte de leurs propres aspirations."
Stéréotypes négatifs
"Je considère qu'il est de ma responsabilité de président des Etats-Unis de lutter contre les stéréotypes négatifs sur l'islam, où qu'ils se manifestent."
"Tout comme les musulmans ne correspondent pas aux stéréotypes sommaires, l'Amérique n'est pas le stéréotype sommaire d'un empire uniquement préoccupé de ses intérêts."
Conflit israélo-palestinien
"Les liens forts de l'Amérique avec Israël sont bien connus. Ce lien est inaltérable. Il est fondé sur des liens culturels et historiques et sur la reconnaissance de ce que l'aspiration à une patrie juive est enracinée dans une histoire tragique qui ne peut être niée."
"Le Hamas doit mettre un terme à la violence, reconnaître les accords passés et reconnaître le droit à l'existence d'Israël."
"L'Autorité palestinienne doit développer sa capacité à gouverner, avec des institutions qui répondent aux besoins de son peuple."
"Israël doit reconnaître que, tout comme le droit à l'existence d'Israël ne peut être nié, celui de la Palestine non plus. Les Etats-Unis n'acceptent pas la légitimité de la poursuite de la colonisation israélienne. (...) Il est temps que cette colonisation cesse."
Afghanistan
"Ne vous y trompez pas, nous ne voulons pas maintenir nos troupes en Afghanistan. Nous ne cherchons à y installer aucune base militaire. (...) Il est difficile financièrement et politiquement de poursuivre ce conflit."
"Et, malgré les coûts, l'engagement de l'Amérique ne faiblira pas."
"Leurs actions (celles des extrémistes, NDLR) sont irréconciliables avec les droits des êtres humains, le progrès des nations et avec l'islam."
"Ceci dit, nous savons aussi que la puissance militaire ne va pas, à elle seule, résoudre les problèmes en Afghanistan et au Pakistan."
Irak, démocratie et unilatéralisme
"Même si je crois que le peuple irakien, en fin de compte, se porte mieux sans la tyrannie de Saddam Hussein, je crois aussi que les événements en Irak ont rappelé à l'Amérique la nécessité d'avoir recours à la diplomatie et de bâtir un consensus international pour résoudre nos problèmes, chaque fois que cela est possible."
"Je sais qu'il y a eu une controverse concernant la promotion de la démocratie ces dernières années. Et, l'essentiel de cette controverse est lié à la guerre en Irak. Je veux donc être clair. Aucun système de gouvernement ne peut ou ne doit être imposé à un pays par tout autre pays. Cela ne réduit pas, pour autant, mon attachement aux gouvernements qui reflètent la volonté du peuple."
"L'Amérique ne prétend pas savoir ce qui est le mieux pour chacun, tout comme nous ne prétendrions pas choisir l'issue d'une élection pacifique."
Iran
"Plutôt que de rester prisonnier du passé, j'ai fait savoir clairement aux dirigeants et au peuple iraniens que mon pays est prêt à aller de l'avant. La question, à présent, n'est pas de savoir ce contre quoi est l'Iran, mais plutôt l'avenir qu'il veut construire."
"Ce sera dur de surmonter des décennies de méfiance, mais nous avancerons avec courage, rectitude et détermination. (...) Mais, s'agissant des armes nucléaires, nous touchons à un point décisif. Il ne s'agit pas simplement des intérêts de l'Amérique. Il 's'agit de prévenir une course aux armes nucléaires au Moyen-Orient qui pourrait conduire cette région et le monde sur une voie extrêmement dangereuse."
"Tout pays, y compris l'Iran, doit avoir le droit d'accéder à l'énergie nucléaire pacifique s'il respecte ses responsabilités au terme du Traité de non-prolifération nucléaire. (...) J'espère que tous les pays de la région pourront partager cet objectif."
AP
From Times Online
June 4, 2009
Obama speech in Cairo: the key quotes
Excerpts from keynote speech by President in bridge-building exercise to Muslim world
A wordle of the Obama speech, highlighting key themes
Judith Evans
Tensions between US and the Islamic world
"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 globalisation 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.
“I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world, one based upon 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."
On Afghanistan
"We did not go by choice, we went because of necessity. I am aware that some question or justify the events of 9/11. But let us be clear: al-Qaeda 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-Qaeda chose to ruthlessly murder these people, claimed credit for the attack, and even now state 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 seek no military bases there ... 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 Pakistan determined to kill as many Americans as they possibly can. But that is not yet the case."
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.
"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 that we pursue no bases, and no claim on their territory or resources. Iraq's sovereignty is its own."
Terrorism
“None of us should tolerate these extremists. They have killed in many countries. They have killed people of different faiths – 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 Koran teaches that whoever kills an innocent, it is as if he has killed all mankind; and whoever saves a person, it is as if he has saved all mankind.”
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
"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, ignorant, and hateful.
"They [Palestinians] endure the daily humiliations – large and small – that come with occupation. So let there be no doubt: the situation for the Palestinian people is intolerable.
“The only resolution is for the aspirations of both sides to be met through two states, where Israelis and Palestinians each live in peace and security.
“Israelis must acknowledge that just as Israel's right to exist cannot be denied, neither can Palestine's. 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.
"Just as it devastates Palestinian families, the continuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza does not serve Israel's security; neither does the continuing lack of opportunity in the West Bank. Progress in the lives of Palestinian people must be part of a road to peace, and Israel must take concrete steps to enable such progress.
"All of us have a responsibility to work for the day when the mothers of Israelis and Palestinians can see their children grow up without fear; when the Holy Land of three great faiths is the place of peace that God intended it to be; when Jerusalem is a secure and lasting home for Jews and Christians and Muslims, and a place for all of the children of Abraham to mingle peacefully together as in the story of Israel, when Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed – peace be upon them – joined in prayer."
Nuclear weapons
“No single nation should pick and choose which nations hold nuclear weapons. That is why I strongly reaffirmed America's commitment to seek a world in which no nations hold nuclear weapons. 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.”
Iran
“For many years, Iran has defined itself in part by opposition to my country, and there is indeed a tumultuous history between us. In the middle of the Cold War, the United States played a role in the overthrow of a democratically elected Iranian government. SInce the Islamic Revolution, Iran has played a role in acts of hostage-taking and violence against US troops and civilians. This history is well known.
"Rather than remain trapped in the past, I have made it clear to Iran's leaders and people that my country is prepared to move forward. The question now is not what Iran is against, but rather what future it wants to build.”
Democracy
“No system of government can or should be imposed upon one nation by any other. That does not lessen my commitment, however, to governments that reflect the will of the 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. Those are not just American ideas, they are human rights, and that is why we will support them everywhere.
“There are some who advocate for democracy only when they are out of power; once in power, they are ruthless in suppressing the rights of others.”
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 first hand as a child in Indonesia, where devout Christians worshipped freely in an overwhelmingly Muslim country. That is the spirit we need today ... Among some Muslims, there is a disturbing tendency to measure one's own faith by the rejection of another's. The richness of religious diversity must be upheld – whether it is for Maronites in Lebanon or the Copts in Egypt. And fault lines must be closed among Muslims as well.
“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.
“The US 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.“
On women
"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. And it is no coincidence that countries where women are well educated are far more likely to be prosperous.
"Issues of women's equality are by no means simply an issue for Islam. In Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia, we have 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."
Concluding
"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.
"The Holy Koran tells us, 'O 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.'
"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."
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