Hassan Diene, a store owner in Dakar, Senegal, adjusts his television so he could watch President Barack Obama’s speech from Cairo to the Islamic World. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

The president of the United States says he wants a new beginning between his country and Muslims around the world. President Barack Obama says the relationship should be based on mutual interest and mutual respect.

Obama took on the issue when he spoke June 4th in Cairo, Egypt. Obama had long promised to give a major speech on America’s relationship with Islam. He also had promised to give the speech in one of the larger cities in the Muslim world.

Tension between U.S. and Muslims have gone on too long
Islam is one of the major religions worldwide. About 1.4 billion people practice Islam as their religion. About 7 million Muslims live in America.

Obama said tensions between some Muslims and the United States had gone on too long. He said there now needs to be an effort on both sides to listen to each other.
The president said both sides need to learn from each other and to respect one another. He also called for seeking common ground.

Obama said a small number of Muslims are violent extremists. He blamed some of them for the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. About 3,000 people died in those terrorist attacks.

The president listed a number of issues that he believes must be confronted together.

The first issue raised by the president was that of violent extremism in all forms. He said America is not and never will be at war with Islam. But he said his nation will continue to confront people who are a “grave threat to our security.”

Obama said the situation between Israel, the Arab world and Palestinians was the second issue he felt needed to be discussed. He said America’s bonds with Israel are “unbreakable.” He said threatening Israel with destruction is deeply wrong. Most Israelis are Jewish. Judaism is another one of the world’s ancient religions.

Obama said the only way to settle differences in the Middle East is to allow the Palestinian people to have their own nation. He said Palestinians must abandon violence.

Many Palestinians currently live in refugee camps or in other nations. A Palestinian state has been proposed for an area next to the borders of Israel.