"My fellow Americans, citizens around the world, especially
those in the Middle East, including Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Kurdistan,
the Gaza Strip, Saudi Arabia, Iran, the Gulf States of Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the
United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen, Somalia, as well as those in Malaysia and
any other countries where Muslims or Arabs live:
"It’s time for the Arab World and the Muslim World to grow
up!
"For the last sixty or so years, ever since the United States
recognized Israel, you’ve acted like petulant two-year-olds, expecting the
Western World, the United States and its Allies, in particular, to grant your
every wish just so you wouldn’t throw a temper tantrum and then reach for your
guns, your bombs and your knives.
"You kill your own people, even those who share your
religious faith. You outright
murder innocent Americans trying to tell your story and – even more horrifying
– those attempting to help you, like that Briton you recently beheaded.
"Seriously, what gives with you people?
"I’m not going to tell you that U.S. policies in the Middle
East have been perfect because, I, like so many others, know they haven’t
been. But one thing is for sure –
more often not, certainly in the last 50 years, the United States has stood for
equal rights, human rights and civil rights and, more importantly, the rule of
law.
"Women have voted in every U.S. presidential election since
1920. And today many women hold
top positions not only in government but also in industry. Women – and this is critical for all
you Arabs and Muslims to understand especially if you think your God-given
mission is to put them down – are equal partners with men. They drive cars, fly airplanes, are in
the military, are doctors, scientists, stockbrokers, politicians as well as mothers
and wives.
"For those of you who think you need to keep women down,
well, all that shows me is how weak you really are. Strong men never fear strong women. So if you think Allah wants to you to
keep her barefoot and pregnant or remain some third-class citizen, think again.
"This sectarian warfare you wage against those who share the
basic tenants of your faith or those who don’t, needs to stop immediately. Even Northern Ireland, once the scene
of many battles between Christians in the Catholic and Protestant wings, is peaceful. And, in a far earlier
time, in the 1640s, Catholics and Protestants stopped fighting one another in
Europe – for religious reasons.
'The United States has had strong presidents but never once
has it had – and never will it have – a dictator. We vote and adjust our policies based on those in political
power. And as a result, we’re successful. You buy our products. You use our social media.
"The only thing we get from you is oil. And given what we’re doing in the
United States – what with fracking and developing alternative energy sources –
soon the United States and the West won’t need the only thing you have to offer.
"Which means if you don’t change your ways, there won’t be a
single reason to invest in your part of the world. Which means more of you will be unemployed and many more of
you will be impoverished. And if
you think turning to your guns, your bombs and your knives – and hijacking your
religious faith – is going to solve your problems, keep something in mind.
"The American people have limits. If we feel pressured, whether it’s to end a war in the
Middle East or elsewhere around the globe, any president, including this one,
has an arsenal that includes some quite nasty weapons that will end any
conflict – quickly!
"Of course, no speech is complete without a proposal. Therefore, today, I’m suggesting that
all the Arab and Muslim nations in the Middle East as well as Iran, Israel, Turkey
and the Kurds, come to together to write and agree on their version of the
Treaty of Westphalia.
"For those of you who don’t know about this Treaty, way back in
the 1640s, it ended thirty years of fighting between Catholics and Protestants
in Europe. It was the beginning of
international law and forced each country to recognize each other’s religious
preferences – even if they disagreed with it. Even if they didn’t like it. It also recognized the rights of religious minorities in
those countries.
"The United States is prepared to host this meeting or, if
necessary, we can find another country, a neutral one, where this meeting can take
place. For the sake of your
children, for the sake of your very own lives, for the sake of peace, I highly
suggest you take me up on this proposal.
"If you don’t want to come together, then the Middle East will
remain what it’s been recently – nothing more than a backwater ghetto.
"The choice is up to you. And know this – it’s time for the Arab World and the Muslim
World to grow up!
"Thank you for listening."
