Rashad Hussain

“ The President’s vision, of course, is a comprehensive one that is not based exclusively on political conflict or violent extremism, but is a framework built on the premise that people all around the world share the same fundamental concerns- their ability to pursue opportunities, take care of their families, and have access to fundamental resources such as education and health care. ”

“ We will also look back on a time, God willing, that we worked together to create meaningful, successful partnerships in areas we have shared interests – a time we seeded a number of programs that produced real change for many years. And we will see it as a time that the United States and Muslim communities came together to achieve peace and prosperity for ourselves and future generations. ”

“ And when they are unable or unwilling to do so, won’t they look weak for not being able enforce the speech restrictions they have put in place. This is why I believe that the resolution as it stands is actually bad for Muslims and Muslim-majority countries. An alternative approach which supports free speech and freedom of religion, while condemning negative racial and religious stereotyping and actions by individuals, provides a better way forward. ”

“ The President has also articulated a clear strategy for Afghanistan that combines a military strategy to break the Taliban's momentum and increase Afghanistan's capacity, as well as a civilian strategy, because we recognize that "military power alone is not going to solve the problems in Afghanistan and Pakistan." We have focused on increasing our engagement and our foreign assistance commitments to help build opportunity and brighter futures for the Afghan and Pakistani people. ”

“ Despite these attacks, and the recent attempt in Times Square, the President has reaffirmed our commitment to engaging Muslim communities all over the world, and we will not let a group of extremists take us off this course.
We must continue to work together to end violent extremism, and in doing so, we must recognize that U.S. policies cannot be blamed for this violence. The overwhelming majority of victims of terrorism are Muslims. ”

“ We are also working on the issues of religious intolerance and discrimination at the UN. The United States would like to reach agreement with the OIC on an alternative to the defamation of religion resolution at the UN that addresses the problems of intolerance and discrimination. There is much that we agree on. The United States encourages respect for all religions and as a general matter discourages speech that is offensive. ”

“ I will continue to reach out to Muslim communities around the world. Our relationship with the OIC is vital to this effort, as it serves as a foundation for sharing common interests and setting common goals.
We understand that change will not happen overnight, and that success in this arena will be measured in terms of the quality, impact, and longevity of our partnerships, and the effectiveness of our policies. That said, the United States is deeply committed to realizing the President’s vision of a new beginning. ”

“ In Cairo, the President has also repeatedly emphasized that violent extremism has no place in Islam and is rejected by its holy texts. In doing so, he quoted a famous verse of the Quran, which equates the murder of any innocent person with the killing of all humanity. ”

“ On science and technology, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation has issued a call for proposals for funds to support private sector investments that promote access to and growth of technology. These funds will invest hundreds of millions of dollars in companies that address areas such as technology, education, telecom, media, business services and financial technology, and clean-tech. ”

“ Moreover, we have seen first-hand the discrimination and violence that can be exacerbated by intolerance towards and fear of persons with different religious faiths. Measures taken by governments to unduly control religious dress or symbols like the hijab and minarets are offensive and wrong. ”

“ That is why the President has a long term strategic vision that recognizes that once we have solutions to major political conflicts, it will be important to have created partnerships in these other important areas that will allow us to maximize prosperity. ”

“ We are implementing a government-wide approach, engaging not only the Department of State, but also the Department of Labor, the Department of Education, USAID, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Energy, the Small Business Administration and others to works towards developing true partnerships based on mutual respect, mutual interest, and mutual responsibility. ”

“ It is incumbent upon all countries to behave in a responsible manner to promote peace and stability, and to live up to their international obligations. We expect this of ourselves and ask it of others. ”

“ On the issues of targeting religions, while we are also deeply concerned by hate speech that denigrates venerable figures such as the Prophet Muhammad, one area of negotiation that remains on the resolution is whether governments should place legal restrictions on speech. ”

“ This year the OIC will make great strides toward achieving the goals set forward in its 10-year plan. You will inaugurate a new Secretariat for Human Rights and center for Women's Development, fully demonstrating the keen interest the Islamic world has in the promotion of human and women's rights. ”

“ We also encourage the Turkish Government to partner with the OIC and other stakeholders to initiate a dual-track to the summit, which will specifically address the role governments play in shaping the conditions for entrepreneurship to flourish. ”

“ It highlighted the importance of entrepreneurship, job creation and community development and identified ways to advance economic and social entrepreneurship. It also worked to build networks among stakeholders in entrepreneurship and provided an opportunity to establish partnerships that advance entrepreneurship.
We thank the Government of Turkey for its commitment to host next year’s entrepreneurship summit in Istanbul. ”