Posted by
ilubamerica on Saturday, February 02, 2008 12:13:06 AM
Obama wants to hold a summit with Muslim nations
PARIS ( AP )U.S. presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., said in an interview
with a French magazine published Thursday that if he wins he wants to organize a
summit of Muslim nations for frank talks on bridging the divide between Muslims and
the West. His priority, he told Paris Match, would be ending the war in Iraq, removing
one to two brigades per month with all troops out around 2009.
Obama also wants to set aright the U.S. image in the Muslim world, organizing a summit
"with all the heads of state to discuss frankly how to bridge the gap growing each day
between Muslims and the West." He said he would like to ask Muslim heads of state to
join the war against terrorism. "We must also listen to their concerns," he added.
Obama also told Paris Match he wanted direct talks with countries like Iran and Syria.
"We won't be able to stabilize the region if we don't talk to our enemies," Obama was
quoted as saying. His remarks were translated into French. Obama has worked to
correct the misconception that he himself is a Muslim, emphasizing that he attends a
Christian church. His father and stepfather were Muslim and he spent part of his
childhood in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country.