One Stick Short of a Box?

Bush urged Muslim leaders to speak out against "radical extremists" [Reuters]

Bush creates Muslim envoy post

28 June 2007

The US president has said he will send an envoy to the largest grouping of Islamic nations and called on Muslims to speak out against "extremists" he says are Islam's "true enemy".

George Bush said appointing an envoy would demonstrate to Muslim communities "our interest in respectful dialogue and continued friendship".

Bush did not say who would be made the first US envoy to the 57-nation Organisation of the Islamic Conference, in his latest bid to counter the tide of anti-Americanism in the Muslim world.

In his speech marking the 50th anniversary of the Islamic Centre of Washington, Bush said that while the principles of religious freedom have been expanding elsewhere in the world, in the Middle East there had been a rise of "extremists".

"This enemy falsely claims that America is at war with Muslims and the Muslim faith, when in fact it is these radicals who are Islam's true enemy," he said.

"We must encourage more Muslim leaders to add their voices, to speak out against radical extremists who infiltrate mosques, to denounce organisations that use the veneer of Islamic belief to support and fund acts of violence."

Anti-American sentiment has increased since the US-led invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Bush's past use of terms such as "crusade" and "Islamo-fascists" in referring to the "war on terror" and Iraq has angered many Muslims worldwide.

Source