President Donald Trump's Full Speech to Muslim World Leaders
Video and Transcript
President Donald Trump spoke to Muslim World
leaders during his first foreign trip as
president to Saudi Arabia.
"From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds,
arms, and trains terrorists, militias, and
other extremist groups that spread
destruction and chaos across the region. For
decades, Iran has fueled the fires of
sectarian conflict and terror."
Posted May 21, 2017
Full transcript of U.S. President Donald
Trump's address to the Muslim world from
Saudi Arabia
I want to thank King Salman for his
extraordinary words, and the magnificent
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for hosting today’s
summit. I am honored to be received by such
gracious hosts. I have always heard about
the splendor of your country and the
kindness of your citizens, but words do not
do justice to the grandeur of this
remarkable place and the incredible
hospitality you have shown us from the
moment we arrived.
You
also hosted me in the treasured home of King
Abdulaziz, the founder of the Kingdom who
united your great people. Working alongside
another beloved leader – American President
Franklin Roosevelt – King Abdulaziz began
the enduring partnership between our two
countries. King Salman: your father would be
so proud to see that you are continuing his
legacy – and just as he opened the first
chapter in our partnership, today we begin a
new chapter that will bring lasting benefits
to our citizens.
Let me now also extend my deep and heartfelt
gratitude to each and every one of the
distinguished heads of state who made this
journey here today. You greatly honor us
with your presence, and I send the warmest
regards from my country to yours. I know
that our time together will bring many
blessings to both your people and mine.
I stand before you as a representative of
the American People, to deliver a message of
friendship and hope. That is why I chose to
make my first foreign visit a trip to the
heart of the Muslim world, to the nation
that serves as custodian of the two holiest
sites in the Islamic Faith.
In my inaugural address to the American
People, I pledged to strengthen America’s
oldest friendships, and to build new
partnerships in pursuit of peace. I also
promised that America will not seek to
impose our way of life on others, but to
outstretch our hands in the spirit of
cooperation and trust.
Our vision is one of peace, security, and
prosperity—in this region, and in the world.
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.
And so this historic and unprecedented
gathering of leaders—unique in the history
of nations—is a symbol to the world of our
shared resolve and our mutual respect. To
the leaders and citizens of every country
assembled here today, I want you to know
that the United States is eager to form
closer bonds of friendship, security,
culture and commerce.
For Americans, this is an exciting time. A
new spirit of optimism is sweeping our
country: in just a few months, we have
created almost a million new jobs, added
over 3 trillion dollars of new value, lifted
the burdens on American industry, and made
record investments in our military that will
protect the safety of our people and enhance
the security of our wonderful friends and
allies – many of whom are here today.
Now, there is even more blessed news I am
pleased to share with you. My meetings with
King Salman, the Crown Prince, and the
Deputy Crown Prince, have been filled with
great warmth, good will, and tremendous
cooperation. Yesterday, we signed historic
agreements with the Kingdom that will invest
almost $400 billion in our two countries and
create many thousands of jobs in America and
Saudi Arabia.
This landmark agreement includes the
announcement of a $110 billion Saudi-funded
defense purchase – and we will be sure to
help our Saudi friends to get a good deal
from our great American defense companies.
This agreement will help the Saudi military
to take a greater role in security
operations.
We have also started discussions with many
of the countries present today on
strengthening partnerships, and forming new
ones, to advance security and stability
across the Middle East and beyond.
Later today, we will make history again with
the opening of a new Global Center for
Combating Extremist Ideology – located right
here, in this central part of the Islamic
World.
This groundbreaking new center represents a
clear declaration that Muslim-majority
countries must take the lead in combatting
radicalization, and I want to express our
gratitude to King Salman for this strong
demonstration of leadership.
I have had the pleasure of welcoming several
of the leaders present today to the White
House, and I look forward to working with
all of you.
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.
Here at this summit we will discuss many
interests we share together. But above all
we must be united in pursuing the one goal
that transcends every other consideration.
That goal is to meet history’s great test—to
conquer extremism and vanquish the forces of
terrorism.
Young Muslim boys and girls should be able
to grow up free from fear, safe from
violence, and innocent of hatred. And young
Muslim men and women should have the chance
to build a new era of prosperity for
themselves and their peoples.
With God’s help, this summit will mark the
beginning of the end for those who practice
terror and spread its vile creed. At the
same time, we pray this special gathering
may someday be remembered as the beginning
of peace in the Middle East – and maybe,
even all over the world.
But this future can only be achieved through
defeating terrorism and the ideology that
drives it.
Few nations have been spared its violent
reach.
America has suffered repeated barbaric
attacks – from the atrocities of September
11th to the devastation of the Boston
Bombing, to the horrible killings in San
Bernardino and Orlando.
The nations of Europe have also endured
unspeakable horror. So too have the nations
of Africa and even South America. India,
Russia, China and Australia have been
victims.
But, in sheer numbers, the deadliest toll
has been exacted on the innocent people of
Arab, Muslim and Middle Eastern nations.
They have borne the brunt of the killings
and the worst of the destruction in this
wave of fanatical violence.
Some estimates hold that more than 95
percent of the victims of terrorism are
themselves Muslim.
We now face a humanitarian and security
disaster in this region that is spreading
across the planet. It is a tragedy of epic
proportions. No description of the suffering
and depravity can begin to capture its full
measure.
The true toll of ISIS, Al Qaeda, Hezbollah,
Hamas, and so many others, must be counted
not only in the number of dead. It must also
be counted in generations of vanished
dreams.
The Middle East is rich with natural beauty,
vibrant cultures, and massive amounts of
historic treasures. It should increasingly
become one of the great global centers of
commerce and opportunity.
This region should not be a place from which
refugees flee, but to which newcomers flock.
Saudi Arabia is home to the holiest sites in
one of the world’s great faiths. Each year
millions of Muslims come from around the
world to Saudi Arabia to take part in the
Hajj. In addition to ancient wonders, this
country is also home to modern
ones—including soaring achievements in
architecture.
Egypt was a thriving center of learning and
achievement thousands of years before other
parts of the world. The wonders of Giza,
Luxor and Alexandria are proud monuments to
that ancient heritage.
All over the world, people dream of walking
through the ruins of Petra in Jordan. Iraq
was the cradle of civilization and is a land
of natural beauty. And the United Arab
Emirates has reached incredible heights with
glass and steel, and turned earth and water
into spectacular works of art.
The entire region is at the center of the
key shipping lanes of the Suez Canal, the
Red Sea, and the Straits of Hormuz. The
potential of this region has never been
greater. 65 percent of its population is
under the age of 30. Like all young men and
women, they seek great futures to build,
great national projects to join, and a place
for their families to call home.
But this untapped potential, this tremendous
cause for optimism, is held at bay by
bloodshed and terror. There can be no
coexistence with this violence. There can be
no tolerating it, no accepting it, no
excusing it, and no ignoring it.
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.
Terrorists do not worship God, they worship
death.
If we do not act against this organized
terror, then we know what will happen.
Terrorism’s devastation of life will
continue to spread. Peaceful societies will
become engulfed by violence. And the futures
of many generations will be sadly
squandered.
If we do not stand in uniform condemnation
of this killing—then not only will we be
judged by our people, not only will we be
judged by history, but we will be judged by
God.
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.
When we see the scenes of destruction in the
wake of terror, we see no signs that those
murdered were Jewish or Christian, Shia or
Sunni. When we look upon the streams of
innocent blood soaked into the ancient
ground, we cannot see the faith or sect or
tribe of the victims – we see only that they
were Children of God whose deaths are an
insult to all that is holy.
But we can only overcome this evil if the
forces of good are united and strong – and
if everyone in this room does their fair
share and fulfills their part of the burden.
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.
It is a choice between two futures – and it
is a choice America CANNOT make for you.
A better future is only possible if your
nations drive out the terrorists and
extremists. Drive. Them. Out.
DRIVE THEM OUT of your places of worship.
DRIVE THEM OUT of your communities.
DRIVE THEM OUT of your holy land, and
DRIVE THEM OUT OF THIS EARTH.
For our part, America is committed to
adjusting our strategies to meet evolving
threats and new facts. We will discard those
strategies that have not worked—and will
apply new approaches informed by experience
and judgment. We are adopting a Principled
Realism, rooted in common values and shared
interests.
Our friends will never question our support,
and our enemies will never doubt our
determination. Our partnerships will advance
security through stability, not through
radical disruption. We will make decisions
based on real-world outcomes – not
inflexible ideology. We will be guided by
the lessons of experience, not the confines
of rigid thinking. And, wherever possible,
we will seek gradual reforms – not sudden
intervention.
We must seek partners, not perfection—and to
make allies of all who share our goals.
Above all, America seeks peace – not war.
Muslim nations must be willing to take on
the burden, if we are going to defeat
terrorism and send its wicked ideology into
oblivion.
The first task in this joint effort is for
your nations to deny all territory to the
foot soldiers of evil. Every country in the
region has an absolute duty to ensure that
terrorists find no sanctuary on their soil.
Many are already making significant
contributions to regional security:
Jordanian pilots are crucial partners
against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Saudi Arabia
and a regional coalition have taken strong
action against Houthi militants in Yemen.
The Lebanese Army is hunting ISIS operatives
who try to infiltrate their territory.
Emirati troops are supporting our Afghan
partners. In Mosul, American troops are
supporting Kurds, Sunnis and Shias fighting
together for their homeland. Qatar, which
hosts the U.S. Central Command, is a crucial
strategic partner. Our longstanding
partnership with Kuwait and Bahrain continue
to enhance security in the region. And
courageous Afghan soldiers are making
tremendous sacrifices in the fight against
the Taliban, and others, in the fight for
their country.
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As
we deny terrorist organizations control of
territory and populations, we must also
strip them of their access to funds. We must
cut off the financial channels that let ISIS
sell oil, let extremists pay their fighters,
and help terrorists smuggle their
reinforcements.
I am proud to announce that the nations here
today will be signing an agreement to
prevent the financing of terrorism, called
the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center –
co-chaired by the United States and Saudi
Arabia, and joined by every member of the
Gulf Cooperation Council. It is another
historic step in a day that will be long
remembered.
I also applaud the Gulf Cooperation Council
for blocking funders from using their
countries as a financial base for terror,
and designating Hezbollah as a terrorist
organization last year. Saudi Arabia also
joined us this week in placing sanctions on
one of the most senior leaders of Hezbollah.
Of course, there is still much work to do.
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.
And political leaders must speak out to
affirm the same idea: heroes don’t kill
innocents; they save them. Many nations here
today have taken important steps to raise up
that message. Saudi Arabia’s Vision for 2030
is an important and encouraging statement of
tolerance, respect, empowering women, and
economic development.
The United Arab Emirates has also engaged in
the battle for hearts and souls—and with the
U.S., launched a center to counter the
online spread of hate. Bahrain too is
working to undermine recruitment and
radicalism.
I also applaud Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon
for their role in hosting refugees. The
surge of migrants and refugees leaving the
Middle East depletes the human capital
needed to build stable societies and
economies. Instead of depriving this region
of so much human potential, Middle Eastern
countries can give young people hope for a
brighter future in their home nations and
regions.
That means promoting the aspirations and
dreams of all citizens who seek a better
life – including women, children, and
followers of all faiths. Numerous Arab and
Islamic scholars have eloquently argued that
protecting equality strengthens Arab and
Muslim communities.
For many centuries the Middle East has been
home to Christians, Muslims and Jews living
side-by-side. We must practice tolerance and
respect for each other once again—and make
this region a place where every man and
woman, no matter their faith or ethnicity,
can enjoy a life of dignity and hope.
In that spirit, after concluding my visit in
Riyadh, I will travel to Jerusalem and
Bethlehem, and then to the Vatican –
visiting many of the holiest places in the
three Abrahamic Faiths. If these three
faiths can join together in cooperation,
then peace in this world is possible –
including peace between Israelis and
Palestinians. I will be meeting with both
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Starving terrorists of their territory,
their funding, and the false allure of their
craven ideology, will be the basis for
defeating them.
But no discussion of stamping out this
threat would be complete without mentioning
the government that gives terrorists all
three—safe harbor, financial backing, and
the social standing needed for recruitment.
It is a regime that is responsible for so
much instability in the region. I am
speaking of course of Iran.
From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds,
arms, and trains terrorists, militias, and
other extremist groups that spread
destruction and chaos across the region. For
decades, Iran has fueled the fires of
sectarian conflict and terror.
It is a government that speaks openly of
mass murder, vowing the destruction of
Israel, death to America, and ruin for many
leaders and nations in this room.
Among Iran’s most tragic and destabilizing
interventions have been in Syria. Bolstered
by Iran, Assad has committed unspeakable
crimes, and the United States has taken firm
action in response to the use of banned
chemical weapons by the Assad Regime –
launching 59 tomahawk missiles at the Syrian
air base from where that murderous attack
originated.
Responsible nations must work together to
end the humanitarian crisis in Syria,
eradicate ISIS, and restore stability to the
region. The Iranian regime’s
longest-suffering victims are its own
people. Iran has a rich history and culture,
but the people of Iran have endured hardship
and despair under their leaders’ reckless
pursuit of conflict and terror.
Until the Iranian regime is willing to be a
partner for peace, all nations of conscience
must work together to isolate Iran, deny it
funding for terrorism, and pray for the day
when the Iranian people have the just and
righteous government they deserve.
The decisions we make will affect countless
lives.
King Salman, I thank you for the creation of
this great moment in history, and for your
massive investment in America, its industry
and its jobs. I also thank you for investing
in the future of this part of the world.
This fertile region has all the ingredients
for extraordinary success – a rich history
and culture, a young and vibrant people, a
thriving spirit of enterprise. But you can
only unlock this future if the citizens of
the Middle East are freed from extremism,
terror and violence.
We in this room are the leaders of our
peoples. They look to us for answers, and
for action. And when we look back at their
faces, behind every pair of eyes is a soul
that yearns for justice.
Today, billions of faces are now looking at
us, waiting for us to act on the great
question of our time.
Will we be indifferent in the presence of
evil? Will we protect our citizens from its
violent ideology? Will we let its venom
spread through our societies? Will we let it
destroy the most holy sites on earth? If we
do not confront this deadly terror, we know
what the future will bring—more suffering
and despair. But if we act—if we leave this
magnificent room unified and determined to
do what it takes to destroy the terror that
threatens the world—then there is no limit
to the great future our citizens will have.
The birthplace of civilization is waiting to
begin a new renaissance. Just imagine what
tomorrow could bring.
Glorious wonders of science, art, medicine
and commerce to inspire humankind. Great
cities built on the ruins of shattered
towns. New jobs and industries that will
lift up millions of people. Parents who no
longer worry for their children, families
who no longer mourn for their loved ones,
and the faithful who finally worship without
fear.
These are the blessings of prosperity and
peace. These are the desires that burn with
a righteous flame in every human heart. And
these are the just demands of our beloved
peoples.
I ask you to join me, to join together, to
work together, and to FIGHT together—
BECAUSE UNITED, WE WILL NOT FAIL.
Thank you. God Bless You. God Bless Your
Countries. And God Bless the United States
of America.