United States, 2012

I would like to begin today by

telling the Assembly 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, arriving on a cargo ship, in the early days

of the Libyan revolution. 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. 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.

Two weeks ago, he travelled to Benghazi to review

plans to establish a new cultural center and modernize

a hospital. That is when America’s compound came

under attack. Along with three of his colleagues, Chris

was killed in the city that he had helped to save. He was

52 years old.

I tell 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 American 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. 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. So have religious authorities around the globe.

But it should be understood that 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, and 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 those 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 those 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 we hold in common.

Today, we must affirm that our future will be

determined by people like Chris Stevens, and not by

his killers. Today, we must declare that such 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. Since then, the world has

been captivated by the transformation that has 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 aspirations of the men and women who

took to the streets.

We supported change in Egypt, because our

support for democracy ultimately put us on the side of

the people.

We welcomed 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 those positions because we believe

that freedom and self-determination are not unique to one culture. Those values are not simply American

values or Western values — they are universal values.

And even as there will be huge challenges that 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 the

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. That democratic spirit

has not been restricted to the Arab world. Over the past

year, we have 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”. 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,

which guarantee 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 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 who reject

human progress — dictators who cling to power, corrupt

interests that depend upon 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 have witnessed

convulsions that can accompany transitions to a new

political order. At times, 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 are 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 that 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 offence at that

video, because millions of our citizens are among those

people.

I know there are some who ask why we do not 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 offence. 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, and

I will always defend their right to do so.

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 individuals to express their own views

and practise 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.

I know that not all countries in this body share

that 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 f low 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. There are no words that excuse the

killing of innocents. There is no video that justifies

an attack on an embassy. There is 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 our 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 is how we respond.

More broadly, the events of the past two weeks also

speak to the need for all of us to honestly address the

tensions between the West and the Arab world, which

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 of some individuals represents the

views of the overwhelming majority of Muslims, any

more than the views of the people who produced that

video represent 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. 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 provides 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 Hindus and Jews, cannot deliver on the

promise of freedom. To young people, it offers only

false hope. Burning an American f lag does nothing to

provide a child with an education. Smashing apart a

restaurant does not fill an empty stomach. Attacking

an embassy will not create a single job. That brand of

politics only makes it harder to achieve what we must

do together, namely, to educate our children and create the opportunities that they deserve; protect human

rights and extend democracy’s promise.

It should be understood that America will never

retreat from the world. We will bring to justice 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, science and technology, energy and

development — all efforts that can spark economic

growth for all our peoples and stabilize democratic

change.

But such efforts depend on a spirit of mutual

interest and mutual respect. No Government or

company, no school or non-governmental organization

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 those forces.

Let us remember that Muslims have suffered the

most at the hands of extremism. On the same day that

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 towards 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 do not build; they only destroy.

It is time to leave the call to 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.

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.

Let us condemn incitement against Sufi Muslims

and Shia pilgrims. It is 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”.

Together we must work towards a world where we are

strengthened by our differences, not defined by them.

That is what America embodies; that is the vision that

we will support.

Among Israelis and Palestinians, the future must

not belong to those who turn their backs on the 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. 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. We must remain engaged to

ensure 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 do not need to fear their own

Government and all Syrians have a say in how they are governed, Sunnis and Alawites, Kurds and Christians.

That is 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 neighbours. 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 programme

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. 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 unravelling

of the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear

Weapons. That is why a coalition of countries is holding

the Iranian Government accountable, and that is 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 is 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 travelled this difficult path. Europe,

the bloodiest battlefield of the twentieth 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.

It is because of the progress that I have witnessed

in my own lifetime, the progress that I have 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

have begun a transition in Afghanistan, and America

and our allies will end our war on schedule in 2014.

Al-Qaida 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 Group of 20, 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 has 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.

Later today, I will discuss our efforts to combat the

scourge of human trafficking.

All those things give me hope. But what gives

me the most hope is not the actions taken by us, not

the actions of leaders; it is the people that I have

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. Those 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 is what we see on the news. That is 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.

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.