'Good omen' seen for US ties with Islamic world
Originally published in Gulf Times on February 15, 2009
HE THE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy and Industry, Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah, yesterday called for a relationship that is based on “mutual respect” between the US and the Islamic world.
Delivering the keynote address at the opening session of the sixth US-Islamic World Forum at Doha’s Four Seasons Hotel, the deputy premier said: “We face pressing issues…now that a new administration is in the White House headed by Barack Obama, our hopes are now focusing on him and judging by his recent statements, it is a good omen.”
Wishing the new president success on consolidating the relations between the US and the Muslim world, al-Attiyah also suggested the “ideology of conflict” be abandoned.
As the economic situation in most Muslim countries remain bleak, especially in light of the current global economic crisis, al-Attiyah hoped the international institutions would find ways for “these countries to go back to the path of development”.
“To achieve success in this regard there has to be concrete steps to solve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the greater Israeli-Middle East problems. Without it there can be no development,” he added.
The organisers of the conference also have pinned their hopes on Obama for improving relations, saying that for the first time since the forum’s inauguration in 2004, there was a ray of hope after the new US president had made it a policy for his administration to improve relations with the Islamic world.
Earlier addressing a press conference, Qatar’s Assistant Foreign Minister for Follow-up Affairs, HE Mohamed Abdullah al-Rumaihi, also urged for “imposition of peace” on Israel.
“We Arabs chose peace; we chose the roadmap… but peace should be imposed on Israel by the US or UN,” he maintained.
Hosted annually by Qatar, the forum aims at promoting dialogue and bridging the differences between the US and over a billion Muslims around the world. This year’s focus is on common global challenges.
‘Path of dialogue’ – Page 7
As Published
