New Delhi:
If it's not the change of heart, at least a change in tone of US President Donald Trump as he calls Islam ‘one of the world’s great faiths’ during his much-awaited speech in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
President Trump urging Muslim nations to combat radicalisation said the fight against terrorism is a “battle between good and evil,” and not a clash between the West and Islam.
The speech is seen as a reset in Trump’s tone after his harsh campaign rhetoric on Muslims stirred concern in the Islamic world.
“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,” said Trump.
Speaking in Riyad Trump said, "This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it.
However, Trump did not use the term ‘’radical Islamic terrorism’’ as it is considered offensive by many Muslims and he was standing before the region’s leaders.
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Earlier in the past, he has criticised Muslims and even said in an interview - “I think Islam hates us.”
And only a week after taking office, he signed an executive order to ban immigrants from seven Muslim countries - Iraq, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen - from entering the United States.
But today, Trump was full of praise for Muslim world’s history and culture. He declared Islam “one of the world’s great faiths.”
