22 May,2017 05:46 AM IST | Riyadh | Agencies
Trump urges Arab leaders to combat 'Islamist extremism' by taking up responsibility without waiting for America
DonaAbdulaziz al-Saud (left) dancing with swords. Pic/AFP
US President Donald Trump yesterday called on Middle Eastern leaders to combat a "crisis of Islamic extremism" emanating from the region, casting the fight against terrorism as a "battle between good and evil," not a clash between the West and Islam.
He said, "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," Trump said. "Instead, we are here to offer partnership - based on shared interests and values - to pursue a better future for us all."
He put the onus for combating terrorism on the region. Bellowing into the microphone, he implored Muslim leaders to aggressively fight extremists.
Trump, who had repeatedly slammed former President Barack Obama for refusing to use the term "radical Islamic extremism," himself backed away from the term yesterday as he stood before the region's leaders. He condemned "Islamic terror of all kinds," but never specifically referred to radical Islam.
