Speech Introducing President George H. W. Bush

President Bush,

President Bacow, Dr. Fawaz

Excellencies, Colleagues at Tufts

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great honor for me to welcome President Bush to the Issam Michael Fares Lecture Series at Tufts University.

In 1994, President Bush opened this Lecture Series and set the tone at the highest levels of critical analysis and moral responsibility. He brought forth to this forum the wealth of experience and wisdom he has garnered in a lifetime of public service.

From his perspective as the leader of the sole superpower, he reviewed the role of the American President as he dealt with international affairs, and particularly with the endemic problems of the Middle East. The President had by then formed a broad international coalition that liberated Kuwait, and had initiated an intensive political process to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Under his leadership, Washington and Moscow chaired a peace conference in Madrid, Spain in October 1991. The Conference brought together for the first time Arabs and Israelis in direct negotiations. The process that started in Madrid gradually gained momentum and promised lasting peace in the Middle East. Unfortunately, new and unpredicted events halted this process and brought us to the violence and chaos that now prevail in our region.

Mr. President, Ladies, and Gentlemen,

Successive world Leaders: President Giscard d’Estaing, President Bill Clinton, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Secretary James Baker, General Colin Powell and Senator and Majority Leader George Mitchell spoke all from this Forum and addressed the Middle East crisis from their perspectives and from the facts of their times.

Today, United States President George W. Bush is addressing the Middle East Crisis from a perspective never experienced before. This is the perspective of September 11, 2001. That one single act has changed the rules of the game and has mixed all the cards.

Deeply, and understandably, angered for being attacked in the mainland for the first time, America reacted by declaring war on terrorism worldwide. This act has received strong international support. But, in the heat of war, issues, especially those relating to the Middle East, got clouded. Though those who committed the crime were Arab Muslims, but neither the Arabs nor the Muslims can be held responsible for that evil act. Lebanon, along with almost all Arab and Islamic countries, condemned strongly this act of violence against the United States. The misguided few, should thus never be regarded as representatives of Arabs and / or Islam.

We are delighted that President George W. Bush makes this differentiation clear at every opportunity. He regularly speaks highly of Islam and Muslims and of the Arab Civilization and the Arab peoples. However, the danger of mixing the good with bad persists. There is also the danger of mistaking the symptom for the cause. The symptom is easy to identify and to attack. The cause is often hidden, and not always easy to address.

There is no justification whatsoever for what happened on September 11. We must admit, however, that angry and violent individuals and groups are by-product of frustration boiling below the surface across the Arab and Islamic worlds. We thus need to go below the surface and attempt seriously to resolve conflicts and misunderstandings before they explode further. Resolving the endemic Middle East conflicts will never stop completely all types of terrorist acts, but it will definitely bring the Region closer to a lasting peace.

Thus, while conducting the war on global terrorism, it is important for the United States and the countries of the Middle East to address and tackle honestly and courageously the issues that are contributing to the growth of terrorism around the globe. I would like today to stress three major issues, which I consider to be pre-requisites for a successful war on terrorism:

1. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict has become by virtue of religious and political associations, an Arab-Israeli problem. And by virtue of American interests in the Region, the United States has become substantially involved. It is thus the responsibility of the United States and all the countries of the Region to reach quickly a just and lasting peace that would stop all violence emanating from this prolonged conflict.
2. The fundamentals of American foreign policy namely: concerns for democracy, for human rights, for national aspirations, and for the norms of justice are almost non-existent in our Region. The realization of these objectives ought to be faithfully pursued across the Middle East.
3. Historically, the Western media has formed a simplistic cartoon-like image of Arabs and Islam. The events of 9-11 re-enforced these stereotype images. The Arab-Islamic Civilization is certainly of no lesser importance in world history that the Western-Christian civilization. And as such, it deserves a greater, deeper, and more serious treatment that is presently received in the western world.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The main reason for this Tufts University Lecture Series is to enrich the cultural exchange between America and the Arab world. Here, I would like to challenge the American and Arab business communities with interests in both parts of the world, to do a lot more to improve the understanding among our peoples. I modestly suggest that such events focus on issues that would help bring about the historic conciliation amongst the three religions that emanated from the Middle East: Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and of the civilization that arose from them.

Mr. President,

Again, I welcome you to this Forum and I consider your return to Tufts as the beginning of a new phase in this Lecture Series. I thank you for your readiness to share always with us your views on international issues emerging and affecting the Middle East.

President Bush: Ahlan wa Sahlan, welcome Sir to this Tufts University Forum!!!