    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book I)]
    [May 18, 2008]
    [Pages 696-701]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks to the World Economic Forum in Sharm el-Sheikh
    May 18, 2008

        Klaus, thank you very much. Thanks for
    inviting me. Klaus said, ``It's about time you showed up.'' Proud to be
    here. Laura and I are so honored that, Klaus, you
    gave us a chance to come. I do want to thank President Mubarak and Mrs. Mubarak for
    their wonderful hospitality. I want to thank the Members of Congress who
    are here. I appreciate the heads of state who've joined us. I thank the
    foreign ministers who are here, including my own, Secretary of State
    Condoleezza Rice. And I want to thank the
    members of the diplomatic corps.
        Laura and I are delighted to be in Egypt, and
    we bring the warm wishes of the American people. We're proud of our long
    friendship with your citizens. We respect your remarkable history. And
    we're humbled to walk in the ancient land of pharaohs, where a great
    civilization took root and wrote some of the first chapters in the epic
    story of humanity.
        America is a much younger nation, but we've made our mark by
    advancing ideals as old as the pyramids. Those ideals of liberty and
    justice have sparked a revolution across much of the world. This hopeful
    movement made its way to places where dictators once reigned and
    peaceful democracies seemed unimaginable, places like Chile and
    Indonesia and Poland and the Philippines and South Korea.
        These nations have different histories and different traditions, yet
    each made the same democratic transition, and they did it on their own
    terms. In these countries, millions every year are rising from poverty.
    Women are realizing overdue opportunities. And people of faith are
    finding the blessing of worshiping God in peace.
        All these changes took place in the second half of the 20th century.
    I strongly believe that if leaders, like those of you in this room, act
    with vision and resolve, the first half of the 21st century can be the
    time when similar advances reach the Middle East. This region is home to
    energetic people, a powerful spirit of enterprise, and tremendous
    resources. It is capable of a very bright future, a future in which the
    Middle East is a place of innovation and discovery driven by free men
    and women.
        In recent years, we've seen hopeful beginnings toward this vision.
    Turkey, a nation with a majority Muslim population, is a prosperous,
    modern democracy. Afghanistan, under the leadership of President
    Karzai, is overcoming the Taliban and building
    a free society. Iraq, under the leadership of Prime Minister
    Maliki, is establishing a multiethnic
    democracy. We've seen the stirrings of reform from Morocco and Algeria
    to Jordan and the Gulf States. And isolation from the outside world is
    being overcome by the most democratic of innovations: the cell phone and
    the Internet. America appreciates the challenges facing the Middle East,
    yet the light of liberty is beginning to shine.
        There's much to do to build on this momentum. From diversifying your
    economies to investing in your people to extending the reach of freedom,
    nations across the region have an opportunity to move forward with bold
    and confident reforms and to lead the Middle East to its rightful place
    as a center of progress and achievement.
        Taking your place as a center of progress and achievement requires
    economic reform. This is a time of strength for many of your

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    nations' economies. Since 2004, economic growth in the region has
    averaged more than 5 percent. Trade has expanded significantly.
    Technology has advanced rapidly. Foreign investment has increased
    dramatically. And unemployment rates have decreased in many nations.
        Egypt, for example, has posted strong economic growth, developed
    some of the world's fastest growing telecommunications companies, and
    made major investments that will boost tourism and trade. In order for
    this economic progress to result in permanent prosperity and an Egypt
    that reaches its full potential, however, economic reform must be
    accompanied by political reform. And I continue to hope that Egypt can
    lead the region in political reform.
        This is also a time to prepare for the economic changes ahead.
    Rising price of oil has brought great wealth to some in this region, but
    the supply of oil is limited, and nations like mine are aggressively
    developing alternatives to oil. Over time, as the world becomes less
    dependent on oil, nations in the Middle East will have to build more
    diverse and more dynamic economies.
        Your greatest asset in this quest is the entrepreneurial spirit of
    your people. The best way to take advantage of that spirit is to make
    reforms that unleash individual creativity and innovation. Your
    economies will be more vibrant when citizens who dream of starting their
    own companies can do so quickly, without high regulatory and
    registration costs. Your economies will be more dynamic when property
    rights are protected and risk-taking is encouraged, not punished, by
    law. Your economies will be more resilient when you adopt modern
    agricultural techniques that make farmers more productive and the food
    supply more secure. And your economies will have greater long-term
    prosperity when taxes are low and all your citizens know that their
    innovation and hard work will be rewarded.
        One of the most powerful drivers of economic growth is free trade.
    So nations in this region would benefit greatly from breaking down
    barriers to trade with each other. And America will continue working to
    open up trade at every level.
        In recent years, the United States has completed free trade
    agreements with Jordan, Oman, Morocco, and Bahrain. America will
    continue to negotiate bilateral free trade agreements in the region. We
    strongly supported Saudi Arabia's accession to the World Trade
    Organization, and we will continue to support nations making the reforms
    necessary to join the institutions of a global economy. And to break
    down trade barriers and ignite economic growth around the world, we will
    work tirelessly for a successful outcome to the Doha round this year.
        As we seek to open up new markets abroad, America will keep our
    markets open at home. There are voices in my country that urge America
    to adopt measures that would isolate us from the global economy. I
    firmly reject these calls for protectionism. We will continue to welcome
    foreign investment and trade. And the United States of America will stay
    open for business.
        Taking your place as a center of progress and achievement requires
    investing in your people. Some analysts believe the Middle East and
    North Africa will need to create up to 100 million new jobs over the
    next 10 to 15 years just to keep up with population growth. The key to
    realizing this goal is an educated workforce.
        This starts early on, with primary schools that teach basic skills
    such as reading and math rather than indoctrinating children with
    ideologies of hatred. An educated workforce also requires good high
    schools and universities where students are exposed to a variety of
    ideas, learn to think for themselves, and develop the capacity to
    innovate.
        Not long ago, the region marked a hopeful milestone in higher
    education. In our

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    meeting yesterday, President Karzai told me he
    recently handed out diplomas to university graduates, including 300
    degrees in medicine and 100 degrees in engineering and a lot of degrees
    to lawyers. And many of the recipients were women.
        The people of the Middle East can count on the United States to be a
    strong partner in improving your educational systems. We're sponsoring
    training programs for teachers and administrators in nations like Jordan
    and Morocco and Lebanon. We sponsored English language programs where
    students can go for intensive language instruction. We've translated
    more than 80 children's books into Arabic. We've developed new online
    curricula for students from kindergarten through high school.
        It is also in America's interest to continue welcoming aspiring
    young adults from this region for higher education to the United States.
    There were understandable concerns about student visas after 9/11. My
    administration has worked hard to improve the visa process. And I'm
    pleased to report that we are issuing a growing number of student visas
    to young people from the Middle East. And that's the way it should be.
    And we'll continue to work to expand educational exchanges, because we
    benefit from the contribution of foreign students who study in America,
    because we're proud to train the world's leaders of tomorrow, and
    because we know there is no better antidote to the propaganda of our
    enemies than firsthand experience with life in the United States of
    America.
        Building powerful economies also requires expanding the role of
    women in society. This is a matter of morality and of basic math. No
    nation that cuts off half its population from opportunities will be as
    productive or prosperous as it could be. Women are a formidable force,
    as I have seen in my own family--[laughter]--and my own administration.
    As the nations of the Middle East open up their laws and their societies
    to women, they are learning the same thing.
        I applaud Egypt. Egypt is a model for the development of
    professional women. In Afghanistan, girls who were once denied even a
    basic education are now going to school, and a whole generation of
    Afghans will grow up with the intellectual tools to lead their nation
    toward prosperity. In Iraq and in Kuwait, women are joining political
    parties and running campaigns and serving in public office. In some Gulf
    States, women entrepreneurs are making a living and a name for
    themselves in the business world.
        Recently, I learned of a woman in Bahrain
    who owns her own shipping company. She started with a small office and
    two employees. When she first tried to register her business in her own
    name, she was turned down. She attended a business training class and
    was the only woman to participate. And when she applied for a customs
    license, officials expressed surprise because no woman had ever asked
    for one before.
        And yet with hard work and determination, she turned her small company into a $2 million enterprise.
    And this year, Huda Janahi was named one of the 50 most powerful
    businesswomen in the Arab world. Huda is an inspiring example for the
    whole region. And America's message to other women in the Middle East is
    this: You have a great deal to contribute; you should have a strong
    voice in leading your countries; and my Nation looks to the day when you
    have the rights and privileges you deserve.
        Taking your place as a center of progress and achievement requires
    extending the reach of freedom. Expanding freedom is vital to turning
    temporary wealth into lasting prosperity. Free societies stimulate
    competition in the marketplace. Free societies give people access to
    information they need to make informed and responsible decisions. And
    free societies give citizens the rule of law, which exposes corruption
    and builds confidence in the future.
        Freedom is also the basis for a democratic system of government,
    which is the

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    only fair and just ordering of society and the only way to guarantee the
    God-given rights of all people. Democracies do not take the same shape.
    They develop at different speeds and in different ways, and they reflect
    the unique cultures and traditions of their people. There are skeptics
    about democracy in this part of the world. I understand that. But as
    more people in the Middle East gain firsthand experience from freedom,
    many of the arguments against democracy are being discredited.
        For example, some say that democracy is a Western value that America
    seeks to impose on unwilling citizens. This is a condescending form of
    moral relativism. The truth is that freedom is a universal right, the
    Almighty's gift to every man, woman, and child on the face of the Earth.
    And as we've seen time and time again, when people are allowed to make a
    choice between freedom and the alternative, they choose freedom.
        In Afghanistan, 8 million people defied the terrorist threats to
    vote for a democratic President. In Iraq, 12 million people waved ink-
    stained fingers to celebrate the first democratic election in decades.
    And in a recent survey of the Muslim world, there was overwhelming
    support for one of the central tenets of democracy, freedom of speech:
    99 percent in Lebanon, 94 percent here in Egypt, and 92 percent in Iran.
        There are people who claim that democracy is incompatible with
    Islam. But the truth is that democracies, by definition, make a place
    for people of religious belief. America is one of the most--is one of
    the world's leading democracies, and we're also one of the most
    religious nations in the world. More than three-quarters of our citizens
    believe in a higher power. Millions worship every week and pray every
    day, and they do so without fear of reprisal from the state. In our
    democracy, we would never punish a person for owning a Koran. We would
    never issue a death sentence to someone for converting to Islam.
    Democracy does not threaten Islam or any religion. Democracy is the only
    system of government that guarantees their protection.
        Some say any state that holds an election is a democracy. But true
    democracy requires vigorous political parties allowed to engage in free
    and lively debate. True democracy requires the establishment of civic
    institutions that ensure an election's legitimacy and hold leaders
    accountable. And true democracy requires competitive elections in which
    opposition candidates are allowed to campaign without fear or
    intimidation.
        Too often in the Middle East, politics has consisted of one leader
    in power and the opposition in jail. America is deeply concerned about
    the plight of political prisoners in this region as well as democratic
    activists who are intimidated or repressed, newspapers and civil society
    organizations that are shut down, and dissidents whose voices are
    stifled. The time has come for nations across the Middle East to abandon
    these practices and treat their people with dignity and the respect they
    deserve. I call on all nations to release their prisoners of conscience,
    open up their political debate, and trust their people to chart their
    future.
        The vision I have outlined today is shared by many in this region,
    but unfortunately, there are some spoilers who stand in the way.
    Terrorist organizations and their state sponsors know they cannot
    survive in a free society, so they create chaos and take innocent lives
    in an effort to stop democracy from taking root. They are on the wrong
    side in a great ideological struggle, and every nation committed to
    freedom and progress in the Middle East must stand together to defeat
    them.
        We must stand with the Palestinian people, who have suffered for
    decades and earned the right to be a homeland of their own--to have a
    homeland of their own. I strongly support a two-state solution, a
    democratic Palestine based on law and justice that will live with peace
    and security alongside a democrat Israel. I believe that

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    the Palestinian people will build a thriving democracy in which
    entrepreneurs pursue their dreams, and families own their homes in
    lively communities, and young people grow up with hope in the future.
        Last year at Annapolis, we made a hopeful beginning toward a peace
    negotiation that will outline what this nation of Palestine will look
    like, a contiguous state where Palestinians live in prosperity and
    dignity. A peace agreement is in the Palestinians' interests, it is in
    Israel's interests, it is in Arab States' interests, and it is in the
    world's interests. And I firmly believe that with leadership and
    courage, we can reach that peace agreement this year.
        This is a demanding task. It requires action on all sides.
    Palestinians must fight terror and continue to build the institutions of
    a free and peaceful society. Israel must make tough sacrifices for peace
    and ease the restrictions on the Palestinians. Arab States, especially
    oil-rich nations, must seize this opportunity to invest aggressively in
    the Palestinian people and to move past their old resentments against
    Israel. And all nations in the region must stand together in confronting
    Hamas, which is attempting to undermine efforts at peace with acts of
    terror and violence.
        We must stand with the people of Lebanon in their struggle to build
    a sovereign and independent democracy. This means opposing Hizballah
    terrorists, funded by Iran, who recently revealed their true intentions
    by taking up arms against the Lebanese people. It is now clearer than
    ever that Hizballah militias are the enemy of a free Lebanon. And all
    nations, especially neighbors in the region, have an interest to help
    the Lebanese people prevail.
        We must stand with the people of Iraq and Afghanistan and other
    nations in the region fighting against Al Qaida and other extremists.
    Bin Laden and his followers have made clear
    that anyone who does not share their extremist ideology is fit for
    murder. That means every government in the Middle East is a target of Al
    Qaida. And America is a target too. And together, we will confront and
    we will defeat this threat to civilization.
        We must stand with the good and decent people of Iran and Syria, who
    deserve so much better than the life they have today. Every peaceful
    nation in the region has an interest in stopping these nations from
    supporting terrorism. And every peaceful nation in the region has an
    interest in opposing Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions. To allow the
    world's leading sponsor of terror to gain the world's deadliest weapon
    would be an unforgivable betrayal of future generations. For the sake of
    peace, the world must not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.
        Changes I have discussed today will not come easily. Change never
    does. But the reform movement in the Middle East has a powerful engine:
    demographics. Sixty percent of the population is under 30 years old.
    Many of these young people surf the Web, own cell phones, have satellite
    televisions. They have access to unprecedented amounts of information.
    They see what freedom has brought to millions of others and contrast
    that to what they have at home.
        Today I have a message for these young people. Some tell you--some
    will tell you change is impossible, but history has a way of surprising
    us, and change can happen more quickly than we expect. In the past
    century, one concept has transcended borders, cultures, and languages:
    in Arabic, hurriyya; in English, freedom. Across the world, the call for
    freedom lives in our hearts, endures in our prayers, and joins humanity
    as one.
        I know these are trying times, but the future is in your hands, and
    freedom and peace are within your grasp. Just imagine what this region
    could look like in 60 years. The Palestinian people will have the
    homeland they have long dreamed of and deserved: a democratic state that
    is governed by law, respects human rights, and rejects terror. Israel
    will be celebrating its 120th

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    anniversary as one of the world's great democracies, a secure and
    flourishing homeland for the Jewish people.
        From Cairo, Riyadh, Baghdad to Beirut, people will live in free and
    independent societies, where a desire for peace is reinforced by ties of
    diplomacy and tourism and trade. Iran and Syria will be peaceful
    nations, where today's oppression is a distant memory and people are
    free to speak their minds and develop their talents. Al Qaida,
    Hizballah, and Hamas will be defeated, as Muslims across the region
    recognize the emptiness of the terrorists' vision and the injustice of
    their cause.
        This vision is the same one I outlined in my address to the Israeli
    Knesset. Yet it's not a Jewish vision or a Muslim vision, not an
    American vision or an Arab vision. It is a universal vision based on the
    timeless principles of dignity and tolerance and justice, and it unites
    all who yearn for freedom and peace in this ancient land.
        Realizing this vision will not be easy. It will take time and
    sacrifice and resolve. Yet there is no doubt in my mind that you are up
    to the challenge, and with your ingenuity and your enterprise and your
    courage, this historic vision for the Middle East will be realized.
        May God be with you on this journey, and the United States of
    America will be at your side.
        Thank you for having me.

    Note: The President spoke at 3 p.m. at the Maritim Sharm El Sheikh
    International Congress Center. In his remarks, he referred to Klaus
    Schwab, founder and executive chairman, World Economic Forum; President
    Mohamed Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and his wife Suzanne Thabet; Huda Janahi,
    managing director, Global Cargo & Traveller's Services; and Usama bin
    Laden, leader of the Al Qaida terrorist organization.