“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.”
That is certainly true. There are decent Muslims who seek to protect human life. In 2014 in Iraq, jihadis gunned down an imam, Sheikh Abdullah al-Hassan, for standing against terrorism. Similarly, in 2013 in Morocco, a human rights activist, Ahmed Assid, said: “To call [upon people] to follow Islam by the use of violence and constraint is an act of terrorism.” For that, Muslim clerics condemned him and declared him a non-Muslim, and threatened him with death.
The salient question here, however, is whether in saying this, Trump will continue the Bush/Obama policy of ignoring and denying the motivating ideology behind the global jihad threat. If he does continue that policy, the U.S. will continue to implement policies based on false analyses, and continue to fail to counter the jihad threat adequately.
“This is a battle between good and evil.”
That it is.
“Read excerpts from Trump’s speech at Islamic Summit in Riyadh,” Al Arabiya, May 21, 2017:
The Arab-Islamic-American Summit will be held in Riyadh on Sunday, in which US President Donald Trump is also scheduled to give a speech on terrorism in a bid to appeal to Muslims worldwide.
Trump’s speech, the centerpiece of his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, will address the leaders of 50 Muslim-majority countries to cast the challenge of extremism as a “battle between good and evil.”
Here are the excerpts from his speech released by the White House:“We are adopting a principled realism, rooted in common values and shared interests….
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“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.
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“America is a sovereign nation and our first priority is always the safety and security of our citizens. We are not here to lecture—we are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship. Instead, we are here to offer partnership – based on shared interests and values – to pursue a better future for us all.“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….
“Terrorism has spread across the world. But the path to peace begins right here, on this ancient soil, in this sacred land.
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. 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.
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“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.
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“That means honestly confronting the crisis of Islamist extremism and the Islamist terror groups it inspires. And it means standing together against the murder of innocent Muslims, the oppression of women, the persecution of Jews, and the slaughter of Christians.“Religious leaders must make this absolutely clear: Barbarism will deliver you no glory – piety to evil will bring you no dignity. If you choose the path of terror, your life will be empty, your life will be brief, and your soul will be condemned.”