12 April 2009

President Barack Obama addresses the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Monday, April 6, 2009. He told Muslims around the world that the US "is not and never will be at war with Islam."

Sirte-- The Chairman of the African Union Muammar Gaddafi praised the US President Barack Obama on Tuesday saying he is "a beacon of Light in the darkness of imperialism.”

Speaking to hundreds of thousands of Libyan university students, Gaddafi talked of his fear that this "young American president could be assassinated as happened to American Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John Kennedy, and also to Martin Luther King."

"I am afraid that they liquidate him or they co-opt him to their imperialist policy," Gaddafi added.

Earlier on Monday President Obama declared in a speech to the Turkish Parliament that US "is not and never will be at war with Islam."

"We seek broader engagement based upon mutual interest and mutual respect," Obama said.

“Our partnership with the Muslim world is critical, not just in rolling back the violent ideologies that people of all faiths reject but also to strengthen opportunity for all its people," President Obama added. He portrayed terrorist groups such as al-Qaida as extremists far removed from the vast majority of Muslims.

The AU President said “so far his [Obama’s] political discourse has been logical, breaking with the arrogance that was prevalent in the American discourse."

"[in his speech] there is no 'America leads the world', 'America is in control of the world', 'America dictates and the rest implements its conditions', or 'America is the master and remains so for ever'." Gaddafi had offered to work with Obama to sustain security, stability and prosperity in Africa and elsewhere.

Gaddafi also hailed Obama's "commitment to a world without nuclear weapons", after Obama pledged in a speech in Prague on Sunday to lead the quest for a world without atomic weapons. "Obama is totally right when he says Iran has the right to enrich uranium but not to make nuclear bomb… This is logical. We are all against the manufacturing of nuclear bombs," Gaddafi said."

With regard to terrorism, Gaddafi said the Bin Laden's phenomenon or so-called terrorism is not a result of what they term "clash of civilizations." For this is naive and incorrect of the interpretation of the problem. Civilizations have always lived side by side and benefitted of each other.

Gaddafi stressed that the disagreement between Muslims and the West is a political one, particularly over colonialism. "If they [the West] pledge not to encroach on us, not to insult us, not to colonize us, not to steal our wealth, not to interfere in our affairs, not to humiliate us and not to enslave us, then it is good." We have no objection to civilizations.

"The conflict between us is not on God. It is on the land which they want to colonize.

This represents flagrant interference. Why would they interfere in Fahima and Abdul Basset, two Libyan citizens and say we want to put them on trial in America… this is an insult and colonialism… or when they say want to arrest Bashir and put him on trial for his misdeeds in Darfur…," Gaddafi said.

It is this type of behavior on the part of colonizers which has created the Ben Laden phenomenon.

Speaking of the changes that have taken place at the 33rd anniversary of the Students' Revolution, Gaddafi said "for some years in the past we and the world became familiar with the fact there were cases of liquidation of foreign agents and counterrevolutionaries who were working for the interests of foreign forces. Revolutionary tribunals used to be held and in some cases those who were proved guilty they were sentenced to death."

He pointed out that for some years now the revolutionary tribunals and the death sentences have stopped. Also stopped the expelling and driving away from educational institutions.

However, Gaddafi made it clear that the Libyan people would not allow those same forces to take advantage of the situation.

"If these reactionary and counterrevolutionaries remerge today or tomorrow to steal the People's Authority, or try to return Libya under colonialism or under the American, Zionist, NATO or any other foreign power's control, we would ready to do the same action again."

He said “Accordingly, each one would defend one's self. This must be clear. Has the whole world agreed that one is forbidden to defend one's self? Is it acceptable in the name of freedom, democracy or human rights that you stretch your knick in order that you get slaughtered? We did not agree on this," he said.

He said Libya is as other countries which defend their national interests. "Here are America and Russia willing to defend themselves by using nuclear bombs as well as the Israelis who are imposing themselves on the region by means of nuclear capability…" he said.

"Each one is defending himself. It must not be understood by anyone that just because of the calls we hear, that we will let those who could infiltrate students in educational institutions to steal the people's authority or steal the oil and hand it to the American companies as in the past when the American [oil] companies used to control 90 percent of it and Libya get the remaining ten percent…," he told a large number of student via a closed TV circle.