This is certainly a much more honest speech about the jihad threat than any speech Barack Obama ever delivered, and Trump delivered it well to a tough audience. How he follows up on it is all-important: will he actually scrap Obama’s fantasy-based counterterror program and allow for study of the motivating ideology of jihad terrorists, without which there can be no effective response to the global jihad threat? We shall see.
“Read full text of Trump’s Riyadh address to the Muslim world,” Jerusalem Post, May 21, 2017:
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.
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.
RAB says
Beautiful language, inspiring concepts, grandiose aspirations – I wonder who actually wrote this fairy tale fantasy? Trump writes only tweets. It must have been his fairy godmother. Tell me I’m wrong a year or less from now. I’m going back to sleep. Wake me up when you know.
Terry Gain says
You are not wrong but it was certainly a brilliant speech filled with enough fantasy about Islam to perhaps convince a lot of Muslims that Islam is a religion of peace rather than terrorism. Trump is clearly wrong about Islam but he definitely took the high road and his speechwriter deserves high praise.
Michael says
Trump is playing a game known as “Impossibilism”.
It consists in making demands of your enemy which he cannot fulfil.
mortimer says
Agree that this is ‘IMPOSSIBLISM”.
When Pres. Trump said, “Drive them out”, does he know that the mullahs are the ones who are CREATING THE JIHADISTS?
One MILLION mullahs are engaged in the DAILY CREATION of jihad. So how can ONE MILLION mullahs be DRIVEN OUT of the mosques where they are teaching jihad?
It is IMPOSSIBLE to drive out the ONE MILLION mullahs.
Samuel Marshall says
You are not going to sleep. You are in a comma and only had a flash of being awake. Before Trump was forced to tweet, he had written many books some of which were on the bestsellers list for sometime. To think that Trump can’t write his speeches is to be openly ignorant.
MasQueNada says
OK so Trump is not a moron, he’s a canny operator and very shrewd. True, but he also suffers from one of the worst cases of attention deficit disorder the world has seen and if you think he wrote any of his books rather than sit down with the ghostwriter for a few sessions, leaving the actual work of writing to the hireling, you are delusional.
Same goes for this speech. A team of advisors wrote it for him, he took a red pencil to a few passages to request changes (minor), and that was the extent of his involvement. The man has no ideology, he’s a populist and he’s smart enough to hire smart people to write his speeches for him.
John Goodwin says
Do you think JFK wrote his own speeches? Presidents don’t write speeches, they deliver them.
Terry Gain says
Whoever wrote this speech should write more speeches for Trump. Behind all the bs praise about Islam was a clear message given as politely as possible: ” you claim that Islam is a religion of peace which opposes terrorism. Prove it.”
This speech is not the last word from Trump on Islam. He has created a wonderful opening for his next speech in which he will ask how the Muslim war against Islamic Terrorism is progressing. This is chess.
underbed cat says
Trump just called for the closing of mosques.
Steve Klein says
A couple of counter jihad Facebook readers are already pushing back against President Trump:
Rhonda: So….they don’t represent Islam? Isn’t that the same thing 2 presidents before him said, and got slammed for it?
Maurizio: He spoke in the kingdom who sponsor jihad and said there is moderate Islam… I strongly disagree.Islam is a totalitarian ideology, brutal like Nazism….
Samuel Marshall says
Never once did President Trump say there is moderate Islam. He called out “Islamic extremism” and “Islamic terror” which are two phrases Obama and people in his administration never used. Arm chair critics never saw anything wrong with that. In fact, they supported him in divorcing Islam from its terrorism. Those who say President Trump didn’t go far enough when they were dead to Obama’s silence are disingenuous.
gravenimage says
Yes–this is a step in the right direction, if only a small one.
Steve Klein says
President Trump repeatedly told these dignitaries to “drive them (the extremists) out” of your holy land. Wouldn’t that entail driving authentic or authoritative Islam out of their holy land?
Terry Gain says
Of course it would; which is why the speech was pure genius.
RichardL says
Trump does deals. Deals are not made in speeches – they may be destroyed with speeches. Whether this is a good speech depends on what he told these terror-financing bastards in private.
That counter-terror centre in Saudi Arabia is a joke, of course. A sick one at that.
Charli Main says
That was a million dollar speech. Ooops, I meant a 110 BILLION DOLLAR speech.
Lou says
”Drive them out of your places of worship”….
Who ? Those who read the violent parts of the Q’ran ??? Those who read aloud Mohammad and the adiths teachings ?
Sharia certainly prescribes the kuffars dictating Islam what to do…isn’t it ?
The whole Ummah must be laughing so hard !
How can we fight ”evil” when what we think is ”evil” is an integral part of a ”holy” book? (massacres, slavery, violent impositions on women and infidels…ETC)
Islam is a trap. And guess who keep falling in it ?
Mr Trump, you should have respected your own opinion and put America first. And leave Islam and Israel do what they want to do. This would have been the first step toward the end of the West problems…..It did not need a new puppet on the NWO string….cashing in the Saudis money and crap altogether.
Minding others’ business and getting only shit back ….from everywhere…
All Westerners putting the West first, and minding our own business…(sigh of relief)….is THE only path to our Civilization’s survival.
Wellington says
An important question to ask is how much does Trump really believe what he said here? Don’t know for certain. Arguably he had to say what he did, if for no other reason than that Saudi Arabia and America do have a common enemy——–Iran. I have no doubt Iran has taken note of this speech.
Well, sometimes you have to be diplomatic with those you don’t really trust or like at all. Rather like Winston Churchill with Stalin during WWII. FDR it seems foolishly liked Stalin and thought he could work with him. The Great Man knew otherwise. Let’s hope Trump is more like Churchill than FDR here. Better be.
Steve Klein says
“Well, sometimes you have to be diplomatic with those you don’t really trust or like at all. Rather like Winston Churchill with Stalin during WWII….”
I do not think Churchill minced words about Germans, Hitler or Nazism.
The Germans, Churchill told readers of the Strand in 1935, constituted “the most industrious, tractable, fierce and martial race in the world.” And Hitler, having risen “by violence and passion,” was “surrounded by men as ruthless as he.”
‘…Later, after the Nazis had seized power, Fritz Hesse, the press attaché in Germany’s London embassy, called on Winston to sound him out again. Churchill told him, with Hitler in power there was only one solution to the “German problem”—“ If a dog makes a dash for my trousers, I shoot him down before he can bite.”
The problem with this diplomatic rationale Wellington, if President Trump has bought into his National Security Adviser’s view that devout Muslims are perverting their religion then the president will further confuse the bulk of American people, leaving them in the dark, just as George W. Bush and Barack Obama did.
Wellington says
Uh, Steve Klein, you missed my point big time by bringing up the Nazis. Yes, of course, Churchill was not diplomatic about them but he was often diplomatic during WWII with the Soviet Union and Stalin whom he needed as an ally to fight the Nazis even though Churchill detested Marxism as much as he did Nazism.
And I don’t know that Trump has bought into McMaster’s view of Islam just as you don’t. For America’s sake, for freedom’s sake, for the West’s sake, let’s hope not. Presidents have often been served by people with whom they have certain disagreements. I’m reminded here of LBJ who was asked by someone why he brought into his administration a long time critic of his administration and LBJ’s classic reply was, “Well, I’d rather have this guy inside the tent pissing out then outside the tent pissing in.”
Steve Klein says
OK, but I very much doubt the custodian of Islam’s two holiest sites is going to be our ally in the war against authoritative Islam from whence it originated.
Do you?
JIMJFOX says
Quite so, Steve. There is NO alternative answer to that one…
Wellington says
I don’t trust the Saudis any farther than I could throw a grand piano, Steve, and I despise all of Islam. But SA may be useful against Iran. Use them but don’t let them use us. And this gets back to what Trump really thinks about Islam. Not sure at this point. And keep in mind too what Robert Spencer wrote above, i.e., that Trump’s speech is certainly much more honest about the jihad threat than anything Obama ever said. Time will tell about all this. Let’s hope what unfolds will be beneficial to liberty and deleterious to Islam.
ArcadiaP says
Wellington and Klein great discussion thanks.
cunamarra says
“OK, but I very much doubt the custodian of Islam’s two holiest sites is going to be our ally in the war against authoritative Islam from whence it originated.”
One cannot be familiar with Islam and not at the same time be skeptical about any notion that the Muslims of Saudi Arabia might make sincere moves to expunge Islam of Evil. Were this to happen Islam would no longer be Islam. Trumps speech, however, put the responsibility on them. He has offered them a new slate and a way to make good on it. That may mean abandoning Islam. America wants peace and trade. Trump has offered the Muslim world to abandon their evil and come into the fold of civilized human beings.
Islam is the destroyer of civilization, and has destroyed every civilization of the ancient world that it infected. Trump laid down the premise that to murder for Allah condemns one’s soul. This is an alien concept to Muslims. The deity they worship delights in such bloodshed. A powerful man has said something without saying it. What Islam teaches is Evil. Muslims heard what they need to hear. What they do with the information is up to them. The consequences of what they decide is their responsibility.
Richard Paulsen says
No expert, but got the impression Assad is the best leader for Syria. UN inspected and has not blamed Assad for being responsible for gasattacks. As I have learned.
Of course unacceptable to use such methods.
somehistory says
He couldn’t very well say that islam itself is the evil source, because he was surrounded by those who believe non-moslims don’t deserve to live. But he did say it, throughout.
One thing he said is unmistakable:” Some estimates hold that more than 95 percent of the victims of terrorism are themselves Muslim.”
Taken apart, this means that he knows moslims are the terrorists…the ones doing the killing.
And he knows, by everything he said, that they know it too.
bleeps says
In order to make Islam a harmless “religion of peace” we need to cut Koran in half to the first half, take out Hadith and Sira and polish the half of Koran of the rest of the words left with violent or minority or majority itself naming! PS. Someone in Europe who took Bachelor degree with a study on History of Writing.
K. says
“Innocent of hatred” and “Muslim”. Right. I guess he couldn’t really say more than he already did. I just hope that deep inside he does know better.
Alien Republican says
Trump did not say “That means honestly confronting the crisis of Islamist extremism and the Islamist terror ”
Check the video posted on JW later. Around 22:20. DT speaks of “islamic terrorism”.
Great speech in the sense that after years of Obama finally someone is not sugar coating what he wants.
Wellington says
Agreed, AR. Too many people want too much too soon. Now, this, conversely, does not mean Trump will ultimately be successful in dealing with what Islam intends for us all, i.e., the eradication of freedom and the enslavement of the human mind. Perhaps he will simply not do enough to combat the freedom-destroying ideology which is Mo’s creed (N.B., Modern Western Leftism is also a freedom-destroying ideology and one knows this or should know this by now), but compared to the complete doofus who was his predecessor in the Oval Office, Trump is a breath of fresh air even though he might eff-up at times—–about Islam and other matters.
One step at a time and all that. Eventually, assuming Trump is a step in the right direction (message to all those who once believed in Trump but no longer do: You don’t get all you want at once; getting what you want tends very much so to come in increments, many indeed too slowly at times——–SO GROW UP), we are on the right path, though it is a very long path that must be travelled, compliments of foolhardiness, avarice and evil. It’s always been this way in man’s history and, sorry to say, I think it always will be, due to the fact that while the species, Homo sapiens, is quite impressive in sundry ways, it is also profoundly pathetic in other ways (a la Mark Twain)———-no better “other way” being dispositive here of this contended verity than the continued existence of the totalitarian ideology which is Islam, which ideology masquerades as something good when it is indubitably something not good at all. Yeah, welcome to the great mix of things which is the human experience.
Always has been this way. Always will be. Which is why a very long perspective is paramount. Knowledge and courage too.
Always. But meanwhile good and subordinate dhimmis aplenty in the West (e.g., Chuck Schumer) and Muzzies in bunches (e.g., Linda Sarsour) will continue to make excuses for what they have no defensible reason to make excuses for. Thus is the way of things. Count on it and prepare accordingly.
ArcadiaP says
Thanks again Well your wisdom comes from very thoughtful and insightful study I am sure.
gravenimage says
True, Alien Republican and Wellington–still *much* better than anything we would have heard from Hillary Clinton.
Islam_Macht_Frei says
“How he follows up on it is all-important: will he actually scrap Obama’s fantasy-based counterterror program and allow for study of the motivating ideology of jihad terrorists, without which there can be no effective response to the global jihad threat?”
Nope – Trump is an immediate-gratification guy, not much on “follow up” – apparnetly winners don’t have time for that – too busy winning and all.. And “study” – come on Robert – again, study implies effort, attention, and concentration – words whose very meanings are alien to this guy.
gravenimage says
Good to see you posting again.
Islam_Macht_Frei says
Thank you GI. Very kind of you. I tend to post more when I have a contrarian or otherwise unsaid point to make, and that rarely happens at JihadWatch. But with Trump it might happen more, as my faith in him is zero. I rarely, if ever, disagree with Robert, but on this matter, until Trump finally convinces Robert that he (Trump) is nothing but posture and hype, I will be weighing in more. For me, the only good thing I can say about Trump is that at least he’s not Hillary, and he saved us from her (she would likely have been America’s Merkel, and given Linda Sarsour a White House role, to say nothing of Huma). But that is classic damning with faint praise.
gravenimage says
Hi, IMF. I am perhaps a bit more optimistic than you are–and like you, I still think Trump is better than the alternative would have been.
I was concerned from the beginning, though, that Trump’s lack of understanding about Islam itself–though he is refreshingly anti-Jihad terror–would prove to be a problem, and that seems to be the case, sadly.
Anon says
Well I for one was quite disappointed. Sure, he used phrases like “Islamist terror” and it was good to say “drive them out of your places of worship”. It was good to condemn Hamas.
However, here are some problems with his speech:
“… magnificent Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” Magnificent?
“Saudi Arabia is home to the holiest sites in one of the world’s great faiths.” Great?
“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.” Kind of obscures the fact that the Islamic terrorists are motivated by Islam, doesn’t it?
“… the three Abrahamic Faiths” There are not three Abrahamic faiths. There are two Judeo-Christian faiths. And then there’s Islam. They don’t all believe in the same Abraham.
Mike Proulx says
Folks,
The stage is being set for the one world government, economic system, and religious system. We are in the last days.
This Presidential pilgrimage is very prophetic biblically from so many angles.
Zacharia 12:3 is in the process of being fulfilled before our very eyes.
WhenJerusalem gets divided, so will America, it’s already well on its way as we see what is unfolding daily and being propagated on MSM.
Time to seek the Lord while He may be found.
gravenimage says
Well, at least Trump mentions Jihad terror and keeping Americans safe up front. Compared to Obama, this is something, I suppose.
gravenimage says
“Drive them out of your places of worship”
…………………….
Here is Qur’an 2:191:
And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution is worse than slaughter. And fight not with them at the Inviolable Place of Worship until they first attack you there, but if they attack you (there) then slay them. Such is the reward of disbelievers.
…
In other words, pious Muslims take being driven out as an excuse for mass murder.
Islam_Macht_Frei says
Thank you for using the phrase “pious Muslims.” One thing I have in common with Obama (and now with Trump) is that neither do I ever use the phrase “radical Islam” or “radical Muslims” (but I avoid it for the opposite reasons that they do). Instead I use the more accurate and meaningful “devout,” ” pious,” or “orthodox” qualifiers. For me, the term “radical Islam” might arguably be applied to Ahmadi Islam or Bahai, but never to Sunni or Shi’ite Islam.
gravenimage says
Agreed.
Karl says
I preface my comment by stating that I do not believe that Islam is susceptible to being transformed through the fervent declarations of non-Muslims that it is really a peaceful religion and those who say otherwise have hijacked it. If so, when did the hijacking first occur? The only honest answer is that Mohammed hijacked Judaism and Christianity to create Islam, and in doing so, he created a very violent religion to suit his own purposes and to create his predatory empire which was carried on after his death.
At its core, Islam is uniquely resistant to a reformation for several reasons. First is the unassailable belief that Mohammed is the Perfect Man. Second is the unchangeable hadiths which indicate that the Perfect Man found it perfectly okay to do a lot of horrible things which pretty much every other religion would condemn as a violation of the Golden Rule. Third is the belief that the Koran is the direct Word of God and that Islam is a revealed religion, meaning that any reformation requires adherence to original Islam. That leaves you with Mohammed, the hadiths, and the last-written verses of the Koran which were never abrogated.
That said, I think that President Trump was faced with a nearly impossible task, and that those commentators criticizing his speech would benefit from reading “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. What would Trump have gained by coming in and openly attacking Islam?
What he did do, was quite a bit. He came into a group of avowed Muslims, accompanied by his uncovered wife and daughter and his Jewish son-in-law and told them, in essence, that their mosques and countries are infested with terrorists and that they darn well better do something about that. Only he was more clever in making his point:
“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.”
Can anyone honestly imagine Barrack Obama or George Bush going to Saudi Arabia and telling them that their mosques are filled with terrorists that need to be driven out? So, President Trump laid down an important challenge, yet was well-received.
The closest similar statement by an ex-President I can think of would be Obama’s “get off your high horse” speech to Christians. Trump’s speech was a welcome reversal, I would think. If it was not good enough in the eyes of some of you, I would suggest that you take on the media and the deep state and get yourself elected President and show us how to do it better.
The key to Trump’s speech is the phrase: “principled realism” which will one day be seen as the essence of a “Trump Doctrine.” Trump knows that the Muslim leaders to whom he spoke are themselves threatened by fundamental Islam and would be better off without extreme imams, teachers, and religious police. Trump is letting them know he will be a strong horse with whom they can safely make an alliance, despite his campaign utterances. In the Middle East, strength is respected. The Muslim leaders present at the speech will never openly call for an end to Islam or even openly call for its reformation, but they can, and hopefully will, seek to tone down its most horrible and fundamentalist manifestations and seek to get rid of its worst trouble-makers. It is in their own self-interest to work with the USA to that end.
It is emblematic that Egyptian President Al Sisi stepped in to drive out Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and curtail the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood. He managed to pull that off without the support of the Obama Administration, and he did it out of self-preservation. The way things were going, Al Sisi and many others in the Army were in line to be devoured by the Muslim Brotherhood, so they took preemptive action.
Likewise, the King of Jordan is waging war against ISIS.
We would be foolish to put too much faith in the idea that all of our problems can be solved by seeking out moderate Muslims with whom to work, but making this sort of alliance is certainly a tool in the tool-box that should not be overlooked, and Trump is pragmatic enough to reach for it, without throwing away or forgetting about other tools which might serve our best interest.
Here is some food for thought:
Q: Who are the most Islamophobic people in the world?
A. Muslims, because members of every other religion, knowing the violent tendencies of Islam and the dangers of not converting, are courageous enough to stick with their religion. Muslims, out of fear of their own religion and its adherents, are afraid to leave it. Don’t expect Trump to change that by giving a speech condemning Islam. He is a pragmatist who believes in principled realism. By focusing on doing the possible, he might just achieve the impossible. President Al Sisi thinks he can.
I am going to give President Trump a high mark for his speech. Bear in mind that he is performing his high-wire act without the benefit of a safety net, even as Democrats and Never-Trump Republicans are doing their best to shake him off his wire.
Davegreybeard says
Spot on Karl.
SoliDeoGloria says
Karl, I appreciate your clear critique and I agree with several of the points you make.
I am very disappointed, however, with some of the President’s reported remarks; they convey to me his ignorance of the underlying issues (and/or of those who advise him) and why Islam is a threat to the whole world, not just he West.
While in a sense he is to be admired for visiting the den of those viperous reptiles, he must realise that among his hearers are the very ones who are (literally) behind Qur’anic-inspired, reprehensible violence and terror.
Should there be any intentions of reining in terror, it’d be exclusively to save face and limited in time and space.
All the rest is taqiyya – lie and deceive for the sake of the advancement of the cause – the dark horse of islamic death galloping through the world.
“This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilizations”. YES IT IS!!
On one side of the chasm stands Islam, clothed in all its arrogance, entitlement and intolerance. On the other side stand all other worldviews and civilisations.
If that weren’t enough, Mr Trump further piles naive (at best), willfully ignorant (at worst) statements when he talks about the “the three Abrahamic Faiths”. NO, THERE ARE NOT 3!!
What Islam has done is plagiarise much of the Old and New Testament, stolen bits to make it palatable to the uninformed, re-worked them, and voila’, the acceptable alternative to Judaism and Christianity.
Why? even Isa (Jesus) makes his presence felt in the Qur’an!
Don’t be fooled, it’s all smoke in eyes for the ignorant and the naive.
I realise the speech was never meant to be a theology lecture, and it is to be appreciated after the pallid and vacuous speeches of his predecessors.
However, perpetuating the lies of the barbaric ideology gave Mr Trump no kudos from the better informed.
Karl says
SoliDeoGloria: You are right. President Trump’s speech was not meant to be a theology lecture. And that being the case, it should not be critiqued as a theology lecture.
Any speaker, President Trump included, needs to know his audience. Given his audience, he was not going to achieve anything by denouncing Islam as a Fake Religion, or by a dramatic reading of “The Snake.”
But Trump did achieve something, and it was important.
Following the 9/11 attack, Saudi Arabia refused to cooperate with the U.S. in tracing funding of terrorism through financial networks coming out of Saudi Arabia, probably to protect wealthy Saudis who were heavily involved in funding of Al Quaeda. There is one benefit to monarchy, and that is that as old monarchs die, they are replaced with a new generation which might take a different view of things.
There was at least one important development coming out of this meeting, other than the arms sales. You will recall that U.S Treasury Sec. Mnuchin was also present, doing his best to keep up with the sword dance. On May 21, 2017, the U.S., Saudi Arabia, and 5 other Arab oil states signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create Terrorist Financing Targeting Center which promises to reign in the funding of terrorist networks such as Al Quaeda and ISIS. It is explained on the U.S. Treasury Department website: https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/sm0092.aspx.
That is a tangible accomplishment, and was one of the few things Trump could accomplish without the support of the legislative and judicial branches, neither one of which has been very helpful in helping President Trump in the implementation of his campaign promises.
The arms sales were also important. The Saudis were going to purchase arms, and the only question was where. By steering the Saudis to American arms manufacturers, Trump benefited our arms industry which has been harmed by the many years of the Obama sequester. Our arms industry needs cash flow to keep up with technological development. If the Saudis buy arms from the U.S., they will be dependent on the U.S. for training and spare parts, which will give the U.S. a significant degree of control.
The main purpose of this trip was not to convert Muslims to a different faith, but to convince them to reign in the craziest of the crazies in their midst, and to renew their alliances with the U.S. in furtherance of that objective.
SoliDeoGloria says
I am fully aware that Mr Trump’s intention was not the conversion of the wealthy towel-wearers from their religion to whatever.
Be that as it may Karl, I still think that caressing the ideological egos of the islamists (I’m referring to the sentences I took exception to) was not a good move.
Personally I won’t hold my breath waiting for those robed royals to rein crazies of varying degree. What they’ll work hard at, as they have done until now, is never show their hand and make sure their signatures are not on the large payment cheques to the crazies murderers and mosque builders the world over.
Let’s also hope that those arms, irrespective of the US involvement in training & spare parts, at some not-too-distant future will not be used against US soldiers deployed somewhere in the ME or other friends (read Israel).
Islam_Macht_Frei says
Excellent post. But the problem is always the same with Trump:
1. Does he know anything at all about the subject he is addressing? This is particularly worth asking when the subject is Islam.Think about it – he has mused that he might be able to solve the Israel-“Palestinian” conflict, meaning he has absolutely no clue of the genocidal imperative embraced by mainstream “Palestinian” society. No clue why this “problem” has never been solved or reduced.
2. Does he actually believe or care about anything he says?
3. Does he have the attention span to stick with a thorny matter to see it through to completion or even mere progress?
We saw these in spades with the “repeal” of ObamaCare, the non-wall on the border, and we will now see it with Islam-related matters I fear. Anything that can’t be “solved” with a simple executive order will likely not get acted on by this guy.
rubiconcrest says
To stand in Saudi Arabia and make such a speech is historic. Holding Muslim nations accountable is of ground breaking significance. This is certainly a road map that can bring much good to the region and it puts solving the problem squarely where it belongs.
More Ham Ed says
Quote “A better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists and extremists. “
Drive them out to where? Northern Syria and Western Iraq?
Also, how ’bout the root cause. Is anyone driving out the violent passages out of the unholy ko ‘ran? Any book that denies the Son of God can never be reformed enough to be un-violent. No-one can earn a right-standing with God and “good people” do not automatically end up in Heaven. Anyone who denies God’s only Son will not be in Heaven. You’ll have plenty of time to yell and scream how you disagree with what Jesus said – it will be as hot as burnt bacon.
Davegreybeard says
@More Ham Ed
“No-one can earn a right-standing with God and “good people” do not automatically end up in Heaven. No-one can earn a right-standing with God and “good people” do not automatically end up in Heaven.
Got it.
And people like you give Christians a bad name.
Troybeam says
This whole speech was off: in the land of terrorists (9/11) Trump’s speech preaching to these people about violence when all the Middle Eastern nations are violent against each other and the world. From this speech Trump needs a crash course along with family members in Islam 101, Whom ever is speech writer is had better wake up along with the rest of them or he’s playing directly into Islam’s hands.
Dennis says
He said this to the #1 supporters of wahabism? Like they are really going to listen and rid themselves of wahab!
DENNIS ALLEN DURKOP says
When the pagan cult of Mohammad have the knives out it is just like having a gun out in view for intimidation purposes just like the current mass demonstrations of prayer outside that are now taking place in the West! The Saudi Arabia regime is the lead member state of the 57 United Nations members of the radical ORGANIZATION OF ISLAMIC COOPERATION that has links to terrorist groups funding and controlling them for the purpose to put all the world’s non-Muslims under oppressive barbaric Sunni Sharia Law!
Mike Proulx says
Patriots,
I believe President Trumps biggest challenge is to drive the extremist leftist terrorist out of America. Evil ideologies like communism who have infiltrated within the Democratic party.
Sad to say that a country divided against itse4lf cannot stand.
Anne Smith says
Let us hope President Trump will also give orders to drive out Islamic extremism from America, starting by having all mosques monitored and all the preachings recorded and translated. Anyone found guilty of encouraging hate and extremism should be immediately deported or imprisoned.
Schools should no longer be permitted to promulgate Islam.
It seems a good idea to clean up one’s one home when suggesting to foreigners that they should do likewise.
gravenimage says
Islam is an invading force in the US and the rest of the West. Saudi Arabia is a Shari’ah state.
We are not a Muslim nation–certainly not yet.
Lydia says
This is fitting into the script.
Anyway, all I will say for now is that Islam is not an Abrahamic faith.
The descendants of Ishmael are Abrahamic according to the Bible.
But that religion they created has nothing to do with Abraham,
and there is nothing ‘Abrahamic’ about it.
I can never unite with it or anything like it in any way.
Alexis Maestre-Saborit says
United States Government is the Support of Saudi Arabia Genocide Government.