Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – In a departure from his anti-Islamic rhetoric, President Donald Trump on Sunday delivered a soft-toned speech on Islam drafted to reset his liaison with the Muslim world.
Calling Islam "one of the world's great faiths,” Mr. Trump said that Muslims are the biggest victims of terrorism.
"More than 95% of the victims of terrorism are themselves Muslim," he said.
In his first major speech to the Muslim world, the President urged Muslim-majority countries to redouble their counterterrorism efforts, and defined the battle against terrorists as a "battle between good and evil"
"This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects or different civilizations," Mr. Trump said.
"This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it. This is a battle between good and evil."
"Drive them out,” he said.
"Drive out the terrorists. Drive out the extremists. Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of your communities. Drive them out of your holy land and drive them out of this Earth."
Mr. Trump asked Middle Eastern countries not to wait for American power, but instead "decide what kind of future they want for themselves, for their countries, and for their children."
The President was speaking in front of the leaders of 55 Muslim-majority countries attending Arab-Islamic-American summit in Riyadh.
Mr. Trump, who wants to speed up the fight against ISIS in Syria and Iraq, hinted that he understands he needs a more productive association with Islamic countries if he hopes to triumph in his war against terror.
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