Excerpt: U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East

U.S. Ambassador to Egypt C. David Welch denied the claim that recent U.S. military actions against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan were directed against the Islamic faith.

"Some critics of the United States have wrongly characterized the struggle against terrorism as a war against Islam. No assertion could be more wrong. Americans respect Islam, a religion that is flourishing in America," said Welch.

Acknowledging recent incidents of violence and prejudice against Arabs and Muslims in the United States, Welch said the U.S. government immediately responded to them as crimes against U.S. laws that prohibit hate crimes and discrimination.

"Those who perpetrated hate crimes are now feeling the sting of U.S. law, and the full weight of the American justice system. America stands with its Muslim and Arab communities, offering them the same freedoms enjoyed by the many other religious and ethnic groups that make up the mosaic that is the United States," said Welch.

Following is an excerpt from the transcript of Ambassador Welch's speech, as prepared for delivery at the American University in Cairo:

Thank you so very much, ladies and gentlemen, for that warm welcome, and I thank you, Nagwa Shoeb, for that very kind and generous introduction. I am very pleased and honored to be here tonight at the American University in Cairo, an institution that has a distinguished and growing reputation for intellectual openness and high quality education. I am also very honored to be part of this very important and prestigious Public Lecture Series, which gives the students, faculty, and others an opportunity to hear directly from senior members of government and other facets of society, both here in Egypt and elsewhere, and to pose questions directly to those officials. . . .

Some critics of the United States have wrongly characterized the struggle against terrorism as a war against Islam. No assertion could be more wrong. Americans respect Islam, a religion that is flourishing in America. Six million Americans call themselves Muslims, and that number is steadily growing. Indeed, Islam is the fastest growing religion in the United States, and its presence enriches and enlightens our culture. This is a struggle against killers of innocents, against murderers. Distinguished Muslim scholars such as Sheikh Tantawi of Al-Azhar and leading Islamic groups around the world have condemned terror. The American Muslim community has also condemned terrorism and those who practice it.

In the days and weeks following the terrorist attacks against the United States, some Americans and foreigners of Arab descent in the United States came under physical attack. Others were the recipients of verbal abuse, causing fear among the American Arab and Muslim communities. I should emphasize that the number of such incidents -- while still regrettable -- was very small compared to the total number of Muslims and Arab-Americans living in the U.S. The U.S. government's response to this outrage was immediate. President Bush, our Secretary of State, Colin Powell, political and religious leaders around the country, and the American people all condemned these anti-Muslim and anti-Arab -- these anti-American -- words and deeds. The U.S. Department of Justice is actively tracking down -- and prosecuting -- those responsible for criminal attacks against America's Muslim citizens.

We have laws in America that protect our citizens -- whatever race, whatever religion -- against hate crimes and against discrimination. Those who perpetrated hate crimes are now feeling the sting of U.S. law, and the full weight of the American justice system. America stands with its Muslim and Arab communities, offering them the same freedoms enjoyed by the many other religious and ethnic groups that make up the mosaic that is the United States. I was very pleased to read today that Arab students on the campuses across the U.S. are once again making their voices heard after several months of reluctance. The numbers of people from Arab and Muslim countries immigrating to America is increasing. These are people who hope to take advantage of the American dream; to seek a better place for their children; to obtain a better education; to seek better economic opportunities. . . .

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)