The White House
Office of the Press
Secretary
For Immediate Release
September 25, 2012
Remarks by the
President to the UN General Assembly
United Nations
Headquarters
New York, New York
10:22 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Mr. President, Mr. Secretary General, fellow
delegates, ladies and gentleman: I would
like to begin today by telling you about an American named Chris Stevens.
Chris was born in a
town called Grass Valley, California, the son of a lawyer and a musician. As a young man, Chris joined the Peace Corps,
and taught English in Morocco. And he
came to love and respect the people of North Africa and the Middle East. He
would carry that commitment throughout his life. As a diplomat, he worked from Egypt to Syria,
from Saudi Arabia to Libya. He was known
for walking the streets of the cities where he worked -- tasting the local
food, meeting as many people as he could, speaking Arabic, listening with a
broad smile.
Chris went to Benghazi
in the early days of the Libyan revolution, arriving on a cargo ship. As America’s representative, he helped the
Libyan people as they coped with violent conflict, cared for the wounded, and crafted
a vision for the future in which the rights of all Libyans would be respected.
And after the revolution, he supported the birth of a new democracy, as Libyans
held elections, and built new institutions, and began to move forward after
decades of dictatorship.
Chris Stevens loved
his work. He took pride in the country
he served, and he saw dignity in the people that he met. And two weeks ago, he traveled to Benghazi to
review plans to establish a new cultural center and modernize a hospital. That’s when America’s compound came under attack. Along with three of his colleagues, Chris was
killed in the city that he helped to save. He was 52 years old.
I tell you this story
because Chris Stevens embodied the best of America. Like his fellow Foreign Service officers, he
built bridges across oceans and cultures, and was deeply invested in the
international cooperation that the United Nations represents. He acted with humility, but he also stood up
for a set of principles -- a belief that individuals should be free to
determine their own destiny, and live with liberty, dignity, justice, and
opportunity.
The attacks on the
civilians in Benghazi were attacks on America.
We are grateful for the assistance we received from the Libyan
government and from the Libyan people.
There should be no doubt that we will be relentless in tracking down the
killers and bringing them to justice.
And I also appreciate that in recent days, the leaders of other
countries in the region -- including Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen -- have taken
steps to secure our diplomatic facilities, and called for calm. And so have religious authorities around the
globe.
But understand, the
attacks of the last two weeks are not simply an assault on America. They are also an assault on the very ideals
upon which the United Nations was founded -- the notion that people can resolve
their differences peacefully; that diplomacy can take the place of war; that in
an interdependent world, all of us have a stake in working towards greater
opportunity and security for our citizens.
If we are serious
about upholding these ideals, it will not be enough to put more guards in front
of an embassy, or to put out statements of regret and wait for the outrage to
pass. If we are serious about these
ideals, we must speak honestly about the deeper causes of the crisis -- because
we face a choice between the forces that would drive us apart and the hopes
that we hold in common.
Today, we must
reaffirm that our future will be determined by people like Chris Stevens -- and
not by his killers. Today, we must
declare that this violence and intolerance has no place among our United
Nations.
It has been less than
two years since a vendor in Tunisia set himself on fire to protest the
oppressive corruption in his country, and sparked what became known as the Arab
Spring. And since then, the world has
been captivated by the transformation that’s taken place, and the United States
has supported the forces of change.
We were inspired by
the Tunisian protests that toppled a dictator, because we recognized our own
beliefs in the aspiration of men and women who took to the streets.
We insisted on change
in Egypt, because our support for democracy ultimately put us on the side of
the people.
We supported a
transition of leadership in Yemen, because the interests of the people were no
longer being served by a corrupt status quo.
We intervened in Libya
alongside a broad coalition, and with the mandate of the United Nations
Security Council, because we had the ability to stop the slaughter of
innocents, and because we believed that the aspirations of the people were more
powerful than a tyrant.
And as we meet here,
we again declare that the regime of Bashar al-Assad must come to an end so that
the suffering of the Syrian people can stop and a new dawn can begin.
We have taken these
positions because we believe that freedom and self-determination are not unique
to one culture. These are not simply
American values or Western values -- they are universal values. And even as there will be huge challenges to
come with a transition to democracy, I am convinced that ultimately government
of the people, by the people, and for the people is more likely to bring about
the stability, prosperity, and individual opportunity that serve as a basis for
peace in our world.
So let us remember
that this is a season of progress. For
the first time in decades, Tunisians, Egyptians and Libyans voted for new
leaders in elections that were credible, competitive, and fair. This democratic spirit has not been
restricted to the Arab world. Over the
past year, we’ve seen peaceful transitions of power in Malawi and Senegal, and
a new President in Somalia. In Burma, a
President has freed political prisoners and opened a closed society, a
courageous dissident has been elected to parliament, and people look forward to
further reform. Around the globe, people
are making their voices heard, insisting on their innate dignity, and the right
to determine their future.
And yet the turmoil of
recent weeks reminds us that the path to democracy does not end with the
casting of a ballot. Nelson Mandela once
said: "To be free is not merely to
cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the
freedom of others." (Applause.)
True democracy demands
that citizens cannot be thrown in jail because of what they believe, and that
businesses can be opened without paying a bribe. It depends on the freedom of citizens to
speak their minds and assemble without fear, and on the rule of law and due
process that guarantees the rights of all people.
In other words, true
democracy -- real freedom -- is hard work.
Those in power have to resist the temptation to crack down on
dissidents. In hard economic times,
countries must be tempted -- may be tempted to rally the people around perceived
enemies, at home and abroad, rather than focusing on the painstaking work of
reform.
Moreover, there will
always be those that reject human progress -- dictators who cling to power,
corrupt interests that depend on the status quo, and extremists who fan the
flames of hate and division. From
Northern Ireland to South Asia, from Africa to the Americas, from the Balkans
to the Pacific Rim, we’ve witnessed convulsions that can accompany transitions
to a new political order.
At time, the conflicts
arise along the fault lines of race or tribe.
And often they arise from the difficulties of reconciling tradition and
faith with the diversity and interdependence of the modern world. In every country, there are those who find
different religious beliefs threatening; in every culture, those who love
freedom for themselves must ask themselves how much they’re willing to tolerate
freedom for others.
That is what we saw
play out in the last two weeks, as a crude and disgusting video sparked outrage
throughout the Muslim world. Now, I have
made it clear that the United States government had nothing to do with this
video, and I believe its message must be rejected by all who respect our common
humanity.
It is an insult not
only to Muslims, but to America as well -- for as the city outside these walls
makes clear, we are a country that has welcomed people of every race and every
faith. We are home to Muslims who
worship across our country. We not only
respect the freedom of religion, we have laws that protect individuals from
being harmed because of how they look or what they believe. We understand why people take offense to this
video because millions of our citizens are among them.
I know there are some
who ask why we don’t just ban such a video.
And the answer is enshrined in our laws:
Our Constitution protects the right to practice free speech.
Here in the United
States, countless publications provoke offense.
Like me, the majority of Americans are Christian, and yet we do not ban
blasphemy against our most sacred beliefs.
As President of our country and Commander-in-Chief of our military, I
accept that people are going to call me awful things every day -- (laughter) --
and I will always defend their right to do so.
(Applause.)
Americans have fought and
died around the globe to protect the right of all people to express their
views, even views that we profoundly disagree with. We do not do so because we support hateful
speech, but because our founders understood that without such protections, the
capacity of each individual to express their own views and practice their own
faith may be threatened. We do so
because in a diverse society, efforts to restrict speech can quickly become a
tool to silence critics and oppress minorities.
We do so because given
the power of faith in our lives, and the passion that religious differences can
inflame, the strongest weapon against hateful speech is not repression; it is
more speech -- the voices of tolerance that rally against bigotry and
blasphemy, and lift up the values of understanding and mutual respect.
Now, I know that not
all countries in this body share this particular understanding of the
protection of free speech. We recognize
that. But in 2012, at a time when anyone
with a cell phone can spread offensive views around the world with the click of
a button, the notion that we can control the flow of information is
obsolete. The question, then, is how do
we respond?
And on this we must
agree: There is no speech that justifies
mindless violence. (Applause.) There are no words that excuse the killing of
innocents. There's no video that
justifies an attack on an embassy.
There's no slander that provides an excuse for people to burn a
restaurant in Lebanon, or destroy a school in Tunis, or cause death and
destruction in Pakistan.
In this modern world
with modern technologies, for us to respond in that way to hateful speech
empowers any individual who engages in such speech to create chaos around the
world. We empower the worst of us if
that’s how we respond.
More broadly, the
events of the last two weeks also speak to the need for all of us to honestly
address the tensions between the West and the Arab world that is moving towards
democracy.
Now, let me be
clear: Just as we cannot solve every
problem in the world, the United States has not and will not seek to dictate
the outcome of democratic transitions abroad.
We do not expect other nations to agree with us on every issue, nor do
we assume that the violence of the past weeks or the hateful speech by some
individuals represent the views of the overwhelming majority of Muslims, any
more than the views of the people who produced this video represents those of
Americans. However, I do believe that it
is the obligation of all leaders in all countries to speak out forcefully
against violence and extremism.
(Applause.)
It is time to
marginalize those who -- even when not directly resorting to violence -- use
hatred of America, or the West, or Israel, as the central organizing principle
of politics. For that only gives cover, and sometimes makes an excuse, for
those who do resort to violence.
That brand of politics
-- one that pits East against West, and South against North, Muslims against
Christians and Hindu and Jews -- can’t deliver on the promise of freedom. To the youth, it offers only false hope. Burning an American flag does nothing to
provide a child an education. Smashing
apart a restaurant does not fill an empty stomach. Attacking an embassy won’t create a single
job. That brand of politics only makes
it harder to achieve what we must do together:
educating our children, and creating the opportunities that they
deserve; protecting human rights, and extending democracy’s promise.
Understand America
will never retreat from the world. We
will bring justice to those who harm our citizens and our friends, and we will
stand with our allies. We are willing to
partner with countries around the world to deepen ties of trade and investment,
and science and technology, energy and development -- all efforts that can
spark economic growth for all our people and stabilize democratic change.
But such efforts
depend on a spirit of mutual interest and mutual respect. No government or company, no school or NGO
will be confident working in a country where its people are endangered. For partnerships to be effective our citizens
must be secure and our efforts must be welcomed.
A politics based only
on anger -- one based on dividing the world between "us" and
"them" -- not only sets back international cooperation, it ultimately
undermines those who tolerate it. All of
us have an interest in standing up to these forces.
Let us remember that
Muslims have suffered the most at the hands of extremism. On the same day our civilians were killed in
Benghazi, a Turkish police officer was murdered in Istanbul only days before
his wedding; more than 10 Yemenis were killed in a car bomb in Sana’a; several
Afghan children were mourned by their parents just days after they were killed
by a suicide bomber in Kabul.
The impulse towards
intolerance and violence may initially be focused on the West, but over time it
cannot be contained. The same impulses
toward extremism are used to justify war between Sunni and Shia, between tribes
and clans. It leads not to strength and
prosperity but to chaos. In less than
two years, we have seen largely peaceful protests bring more change to Muslim-majority
countries than a decade of violence. And
extremists understand this. Because they
have nothing to offer to improve the lives of people, violence is their only
way to stay relevant. They don’t build;
they only destroy.
It is time to leave
the call of violence and the politics of division behind. On so many issues, we face a choice between
the promise of the future, or the prisons of the past. And we cannot afford to get it wrong. We must seize this moment. And America stands ready to work with all who
are willing to embrace a better future.
The future must not
belong to those who target Coptic Christians in Egypt -- it must be claimed by
those in Tahrir Square who chanted, "Muslims, Christians, we are
one." The future must not belong to
those who bully women -- it must be shaped by girls who go to school, and those
who stand for a world where our daughters can live their dreams just like our
sons. (Applause.)
The future must not
belong to those corrupt few who steal a country’s resources -- it must be won
by the students and entrepreneurs, the workers and business owners who seek a
broader prosperity for all people. Those
are the women and men that America stands with; theirs is the vision we will
support.
The future must not
belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam. But to be credible, those who condemn that
slander must also condemn the hate we see in the images of Jesus Christ that
are desecrated, or churches that are destroyed, or the Holocaust that is
denied. (Applause.)
Let us condemn
incitement against Sufi Muslims and Shiite pilgrims. It’s time to heed the words of Gandhi: "Intolerance is itself a form of
violence and an obstacle to the growth of a true democratic spirit." (Applause.)
Together, we must work towards a world where we are strengthened by our
differences, and not defined by them.
That is what America embodies, that’s the vision we will support.
Among Israelis and
Palestinians, the future must not belong to those who turn their backs on a
prospect of peace. Let us leave behind
those who thrive on conflict, those who reject the right of Israel to
exist. The road is hard, but the
destination is clear -- a secure, Jewish state of Israel and an independent,
prosperous Palestine. (Applause.) Understanding that such a peace must come
through a just agreement between the parties, America will walk alongside all
who are prepared to make that journey.
In Syria, the future
must not belong to a dictator who massacres his people. If there is a cause that cries out for
protest in the world today, peaceful protest, it is a regime that tortures
children and shoots rockets at apartment buildings. And we must remain engaged to assure that
what began with citizens demanding their rights does not end in a cycle of
sectarian violence.
Together, we must
stand with those Syrians who believe in a different vision -- a Syria that is
united and inclusive, where children don’t need to fear their own government,
and all Syrians have a say in how they are governed -- Sunnis and Alawites,
Kurds and Christians. That’s what
America stands for. That is the outcome
that we will work for -- with sanctions and consequences for those who
persecute, and assistance and support for those who work for this common
good. Because we believe that the
Syrians who embrace this vision will have the strength and the legitimacy to
lead.
In Iran, we see where
the path of a violent and unaccountable ideology leads. The Iranian people have a remarkable and
ancient history, and many Iranians wish to enjoy peace and prosperity alongside
their neighbors. But just as it
restricts the rights of its own people, the Iranian government continues to
prop up a dictator in Damascus and supports terrorist groups abroad. Time and again, it has failed to take the
opportunity to demonstrate that its nuclear program is peaceful, and to meet
its obligations to the United Nations.
So let me be
clear. America wants to resolve this
issue through diplomacy, and we believe that there is still time and space to
do so. But that time is not
unlimited. We respect the right of
nations to access peaceful nuclear power, but one of the purposes of the United
Nations is to see that we harness that power for peace. And make no mistake, a nuclear-armed Iran is
not a challenge that can be contained.
It would threaten the elimination of Israel, the security of Gulf
nations, and the stability of the global economy. It risks triggering a nuclear-arms race in
the region, and the unraveling of the non-proliferation treaty. That’s why a coalition of countries is
holding the Iranian government accountable.
And that’s why the United States will do what we must to prevent Iran
from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
We know from painful
experience that the path to security and prosperity does not lie outside the
boundaries of international law and respect for human rights. That’s why this institution was established
from the rubble of conflict. That is why
liberty triumphed over tyranny in the Cold War.
And that is the lesson of the last two decades as well.
History shows that
peace and progress come to those who make the right choices. Nations in every part of the world have traveled
this difficult path. Europe, the
bloodiest battlefield of the 20th century, is united, free and at peace. From Brazil to South Africa, from Turkey to
South Korea, from India to Indonesia, people of different races, religions, and
traditions have lifted millions out of poverty, while respecting the rights of
their citizens and meeting their responsibilities as nations.
And it is because of
the progress that I’ve witnessed in my own lifetime, the progress that I’ve
witnessed after nearly four years as President, that I remain ever hopeful
about the world that we live in. The war
in Iraq is over. American troops have
come home. We’ve begun a transition in
Afghanistan, and America and our allies will end our war on schedule in
2014. Al Qaeda has been weakened, and
Osama bin Laden is no more. Nations have
come together to lock down nuclear materials, and America and Russia are
reducing our arsenals. We have seen hard
choices made -- from Naypyidaw to Cairo to Abidjan -- to put more power in the
hands of citizens.
At a time of economic
challenge, the world has come together to broaden prosperity. Through the G20, we have partnered with
emerging countries to keep the world on the path of recovery. America has pursued a development agenda that
fuels growth and breaks dependency, and worked with African leaders to help
them feed their nations. New
partnerships have been forged to combat corruption and promote government that
is open and transparent, and new commitments have been made through the Equal
Futures Partnership to ensure that women and girls can fully participate in
politics and pursue opportunity. And
later today, I will discuss our efforts to combat the scourge of human
trafficking.
All these things give
me hope. But what gives me the most hope
is not the actions of us, not the actions of leaders -- it is the people that
I’ve seen. The American troops who have
risked their lives and sacrificed their limbs for strangers half a world away;
the students in Jakarta or Seoul who are eager to use their knowledge to
benefit mankind; the faces in a square in Prague or a parliament in Ghana who
see democracy giving voice to their aspirations; the young people in the
favelas of Rio and the schools of Mumbai whose eyes shine with promise. These men, women, and children of every race
and every faith remind me that for every angry mob that gets shown on
television, there are billions around the world who share similar hopes and
dreams. They tell us that there is a
common heartbeat to humanity.
So much attention in
our world turns to what divides us.
That’s what we see on the news.
That's what consumes our political debates. But when you strip it all away, people
everywhere long for the freedom to determine their destiny; the dignity that
comes with work; the comfort that comes with faith; and the justice that exists
when governments serve their people --
and not the other way around.
The United States of
America will always stand up for these aspirations, for our own people and for
people all across the world. That was
our founding purpose. That is what our
history shows. That is what Chris
Stevens worked for throughout his life.
And I promise you
this: Long after the killers are brought
to justice, Chris Stevens’s legacy will live on in the lives that he touched --
in the tens of thousands who marched against violence through the streets of
Benghazi; in the Libyans who changed their Facebook photo to one of Chris; in
the signs that read, simply, "Chris Stevens was a friend to all Libyans."
They should give us
hope. They should remind us that so long
as we work for it, justice will be done, that history is on our side, and that
a rising tide of liberty will never be reversed.
Thank you very
much. (Applause.)
END
10:16 A.M. EDT
