I wasn't able to watch the much-hyped speech that President Obama gave in Cairo this morning. There has been so much talk about it over the past few days, a lot of positive and negative back and forth, and quite frankly, I was bored with it before it even happened. But, since he is our president, and because of where he was speaking and what he was addressing, I decided to read the full transcript of his speech earlier this afternoon.
The end of his speech truly touched me. I am a realistic person, and I realize that a lot of what he said is wishful thinking that will never come to fruition, becuase let's face it, there are too many people who really don't want peace, understanding, or to find common ground. There are people who are so filled with hate and misunderstanding that all they can do is hate and judge because they don't understand. And I'm not just talking about people in the Muslim countries...
Anyway, here's the last few paragraphs of his speech. What do you think?
"...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.
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.
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.'
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."
