Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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May 9, 2009

Obama to Travel to Egypt, Give Speech to Muslim World
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=24253F3:A6F02AD83191E16071234AEAF353BFCD0531BB26A5003E7B&
 
Speech on June 4 is part of ongoing effort by new administration to ease
tensions between US and Muslims 
 Pres. Obama asks the audience to be seated as he visits a Spanish
language meeting on H1N1 virus at the White House, 08 May 2009U.S.
President Barack Obama will deliver his long-anticipated speech to the
Islamic world on June 4 in Egypt. VOA's Paula Wolfson reports it is part
of an ongoing effort by the new administration to ease tensions between
the United States and Muslims.

 The official announcement came from White House Press Secretary Robert
Gibbs. "The president will give a speech in Egypt. The speech will be
about America's relations with the Muslim world," he said.

 During a session with reporters, Gibbs was asked why the president
chose to go to Egypt, given U.S. concerns about the human rights
situation there and its commitment to true democracy.

 He said those issues will be raised in the president's meetings with
Egyptian leaders. He said Egypt lies at the heart of the Arab world, but
then noted that the president will be speaking to a much wider Muslim
community. "The scope of the speech, the desire for the president to
speak is bigger than where the speech was going to be given or who is
the leadership of the country where the speech is given," he said.

 From day one, President Obama has spoken of his desire for a dialogue
with the Islamic world.

 In his inaugural address, he said America would lend a hand if Muslim
leaders unclench their fists.

 He built on that theme last month in a speech to the Turkish parliament
in Ankara. "Let me say this as clearly as I can: The United States is
not and will never be at war with Islam," Mr. Obama said.

 But most of that address was about U.S.-Turkish relations. And in his
speech at a still-undisclosed location in Egypt, President Obama is
expected to speak at far greater length about his hopes and dreams for
future relations with Muslims.

 It is sure to be a journey full of emotional moments. From Egypt, Mr.
Obama will travel to Germany, where he will visit two places that
witnessed the horrors of World War Two. The first is Dresden, which was
virtually destroyed by allied bombers in 1945. The other is Buchenwald,
the Nazi concentration camp where thousands died.

 From there he will go on to France, where he will attend ceremonies
commemorating the 65th anniversary of the allied invasion of the beaches
of Normandy that turned the tide of that war, beginning the process of
pushing Nazi forces back to Germany.


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