The White House, Washington

Hello –

As a Senior Advisor to the President, I’m here in Cairo, Egypt where I watched President Obama deliver an unprecedented speech calling for a new beginning for the United States and Muslim communities around the world.

We all know that there has been tension between the United States and some Muslim communities. But, as the President said this morning, if all sides face the sources of tension squarely and focus on mutual interests, we can find a new way forward.

The President outlined some big goals for this new beginning in his speech — including disrupting, dismantling, and defeating violent extremism. It was a historic speech, and since many Americans were asleep at the time it was given we wanted to make sure you had a chance to see it:

A New Beginning [ http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/NewBeginning/ ]

Majority-Muslim countries around the world are filled with extraordinary people who simply want to live their lives and see their children live better lives, just as in America. Indeed, part of what makes America great is having nearly seven million Muslim Americans living here today and enriching our culture and communities.

We can extend that kind of relationship abroad. It won’t always be easy, but if we make an effort to bridge our differences rather than resigning ourselves to animosity, we can move toward a more peaceful world over time.

Thank you,
David Axelrod
Senior Advisor to the President

The White House o 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW o Washington, DC 20500 o 202-456-1111

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Date: Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:50:36 -0500 [10:50:36 CDT]
From: “David Axelrod, The White House”
Subject: A New Beginning — Watch the President’s Speech