Text 4899, 78 rader
Skriven 2007-06-27 23:31:00 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0706278) for Wed, 2007 Jun 27
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Fact Sheet: Strengthening Our Friendship with the Muslim Community
Worldwide
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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary June 27, 2007

Fact Sheet: Strengthening Our Friendship with the Muslim Community
Worldwide President Bush Announces He Will Appoint A Special Envoy To The
Organization Of The Islamic Conference

˙˙White House News

˙˙˙˙˙ President Bush Rededicates Islamic Center of Washington

Today, President Bush Participated In The Rededication Of The Islamic
Center Of Washington, In Washington, D.C.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower attended the Dedication Ceremony of the
Islamic Center of Washington on June 28, 1957, to demonstrate America's
respect for the Islamic faith. To underscore this respect for Muslims
everywhere, President Bush visited the Islamic Center of Washington six
days after the 9/11 attacks to denounce any prejudice against
Muslim-Americans.

The President Announced He Will Appoint A Special Envoy To The Organization
Of The Islamic Conference (OIC). The OIC is an inter-governmental
organization that strengthens political, economic, social, cultural, and
scientific cooperation among its 57 member states.

  ū The President's Announcement Reaffirms The United States Government's
    Outreach To Muslim Communities Based On Mutual Respect And
    Understanding. This is the first time in history that a president has
    made such an appointment to the OIC.

  ū The Special Envoy Will Represent America's Views And Values And Work To
    Demonstrate To The Wider Islamic World Our Interest In Respectful
    Dialogue And Continued Friendship. The Envoy will maintain formal
    contact with the OIC Secretariat, the Secretary General, the chairing
    country, plus other member countries, to follow OIC affairs and
    activities, understand the views of OIC members and leaders, seek ways
    for the U.S. and the OIC to cooperate, and seek to promote U.S. views
    on important policy matters that may come before the OIC.

Today, We Have An Opportunity To Help The Forces Of Moderation Win The
Great Struggle Against Extremism. In the Middle East, we have seen the rise
of a group of extremists who seek to use religion as a path to power and a
means of domination.

  ū Extremists Falsely Claim That America Is At War With The Muslim People
    And The Muslim Faith, When In Fact It Is These Radicals Who Are Islam's
    True Enemy. They have staged spectacular attacks on Muslim holy sites
    to divide Muslims and make them fight one another, and they have killed
    more Muslims than they have killed people of any other faith.

  ū The President Has Committed His Administration To Helping People Fight
    Off Terrorism And Find Their Own Paths To Prosperity And Peace. The
    efforts underway in Afghanistan and Iraq are central to this struggle,
    but the struggle will not end there. The stirrings of a democratic
    future have already been seen in other parts of the Middle East, though
    they may take time to be realized.

  ū Men And Women Of Conscience Have A Duty To Speak Out And Condemn The
    Murderous Movement Of Extremists - And In This Effort, Moderate Muslim
    Leaders Have The Most Powerful And Influential Voice. America admires
    and thanks those Muslims who have denounced what the OIC Secretary
    General called "radical fringe elements who pretend that they act in
    the name of Islam," and we must encourage more Muslim leaders to add
    their voices.

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