By IINA,
Doha : The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy and Industry of Qatar Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah said that fresh hopes are pinned on a new course in relationship between the US and the Islamic world with the emergence of the US administration under President Barack Obama. Delivering the keynote address at the opening session of the Sixth Edition of the US-Islamic world Forum at the Four Seasons Hotel here yesterday, he said that there are indications that President Obama is aiming to establish relations based on mutual respect and maintaining joint interests with the Islamic world. “It will herald a new era, which all of us have been looking for long,” he said.
Former US Secretary of State Madeleine K Albright, Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq Barham Salih, Commander of the US Central Command Gen David Petraeus and Leader of the Opposition in Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim spoke at the forum.. The three-day event brought together key leaders in the fields of politics, business, media, academia and civil society from across the Muslim world and the United States.
Al Attiyah expressed hope that President Obama will succeed in fostering and enhancing ties of friendship between the US and the Islamic world, the matter which requires first of all abandoning ideologies of the permanent conflict which embodied several aspects of the past polices towards the Islamic world and failed to achieve stability. “We hope that Obama would strengthen the relations with the Islamic world by giving up the ideology of eternal conflict, a dominant feature of the US traditional policies when it comes to the Islamic world. Such policies have failed in realizing stability in the region. A breakaway from their traditional policies will help restore lasting peace and development in the region,” he said.
Meanwhile, Gen David Petraeus said that the US is looking for signs that Iran is willing to cooperate, but he warned Iran should stop backing extremist groups that contribute to ongoing violence in Iraq, adding that the US is watching Tehran “very, very closely.” The US commander of the region that includes both countries was firm when he asked at the world forum what concrete steps Iran could take to improve relations. Foremost on his list was that there be an end to the “training, equipping, funding of extremist elements” in the region, particularly in Iraq. “One of the elements fueling that violence was indeed the assistance provided by Iran,” he continued. “There is absolutely no question about this, and there is also no question that some of this does continue to this day.”
The Forum is addressing common challenges and critical issues dividing the United States and the Muslim world by providing a unique platform for frank dialogue, learning, and the development of positive partnership between key leaders and opinion shapers from both sides. It also provides the foundation for a range of complementary activities designed toe enhance the effectiveness of the dialogue. This includes task forces and initiative workshops of policymakers and experts as well as associated outreach, research and publications.
This time, the Forum will feature a special session –“The Next Generation Speaks”-that would discuss what do Muslim men and women under the age of 30, who make up over 60 percent of the Muslim world population, regard as priorities for their future? Using web technology and polling data, this session will showcase the perspectives of the region’s next generation, as to the key challenges they see ahead. Cultural engagement with the Muslim world, the Arab-Israeli Conflict, Global Economic Crisis, Energy Security in the 21st Century, Strengthening knowledge societies, Obama administration and the Muslim world are some of the critical issues being discussed at the Forum.
The session on the “Cultural engagement with the Muslim world”, is exploring what are specific recommendations for cultural interaction between the United States and he Muslim world, particularly involving collaboration, co-production, and capacity building; and what are the opportunities and new paradigms offered by the wave of partnerships between US companies and entities in the Gulf. The energy security session will discuss how the major trends in the energy sector are affecting the producer countries and what would be the US energy policy in an Obama administration likely to look like. The session will also address another critical issue in the energy sector- the importance of alternative fuels. How can American and Muslim-world scientists, engineers, educators, business people, philanthropists and governments work together to strengthen knowledge societies is another question to be addressed by the Science and Technology leaders at the Forum.