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| Egyptian PM Mohamed Morsi to UN: conflict in Syria is 'tragedy of our age' | Egyptian PM Mohamed Morsi to UN: conflict in Syria is 'tragedy of our age' |
| (7 months later) | |
| Mohamed Morsi, addressing the United Nations as the first democratically chosen leader of Egypt, called the Syrian war "the tragedy of our age" for which the whole world was responsible – and accused the Assad regime of "killing its people night and day". | Mohamed Morsi, addressing the United Nations as the first democratically chosen leader of Egypt, called the Syrian war "the tragedy of our age" for which the whole world was responsible – and accused the Assad regime of "killing its people night and day". |
| President Morsi called for the replacement of the regime with a democratic government representative of all the country's ethnic and religious groups, but said this should be done without outside military intervention. Instead, he pointed to a new diplomatic initiative begun by Egypt, Turkey and Iran, and called on other nations to join it. | President Morsi called for the replacement of the regime with a democratic government representative of all the country's ethnic and religious groups, but said this should be done without outside military intervention. Instead, he pointed to a new diplomatic initiative begun by Egypt, Turkey and Iran, and called on other nations to join it. |
| Before discussing the Syrian conflict, Morsi said the UN should make a priority of addressing the plight of the Palestinian people, saying that it was "shameful" that successive UN resolutions on the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories had not been enforced. | Before discussing the Syrian conflict, Morsi said the UN should make a priority of addressing the plight of the Palestinian people, saying that it was "shameful" that successive UN resolutions on the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories had not been enforced. |
| "The fruits of dignity and freedom must not remain far from the Palestinian people," he said. | "The fruits of dignity and freedom must not remain far from the Palestinian people," he said. |
| In his maiden speech to the UN general assembly, Morsi said the people of the Middle East would no longer tolerate dictatorship, nor would they tolerate countries that did not sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT), a clear reference to Israel, whose nuclear arsenal gives it a monopoly in the region. He voiced support to a UN-sponsored conference due by the end of the year to promote the Middle East as a region free of weapons of mass destruction. Israel has rejected such a call. | In his maiden speech to the UN general assembly, Morsi said the people of the Middle East would no longer tolerate dictatorship, nor would they tolerate countries that did not sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT), a clear reference to Israel, whose nuclear arsenal gives it a monopoly in the region. He voiced support to a UN-sponsored conference due by the end of the year to promote the Middle East as a region free of weapons of mass destruction. Israel has rejected such a call. |
| But Morsi also had an oblique rebuke for Iran, saying that all countries should also demonstrate the peaceful nature of their nuclear programmes to the satisfaction of their neighbours. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said that Iran is not co-operating with its investigation into evidence of past experimentation with nuclear weapons technology. | But Morsi also had an oblique rebuke for Iran, saying that all countries should also demonstrate the peaceful nature of their nuclear programmes to the satisfaction of their neighbours. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said that Iran is not co-operating with its investigation into evidence of past experimentation with nuclear weapons technology. |
| Morsi's assessment of the region's problems came in stark contrast to the address delivered by the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who focused on religious themes, particular his messianic form of Shia Islam, and did not mention the Iranian nuclear programme, which is the focus of rising tension in the region – and in the wider international community. Britain's foreign secretary, William Hague, recently called on the European Union to tighten its already formidable sanctions on Iran further, because of the Iranian refusal to bow to UN security council demands that it stop the enrichment of uranium. | Morsi's assessment of the region's problems came in stark contrast to the address delivered by the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who focused on religious themes, particular his messianic form of Shia Islam, and did not mention the Iranian nuclear programme, which is the focus of rising tension in the region – and in the wider international community. Britain's foreign secretary, William Hague, recently called on the European Union to tighten its already formidable sanctions on Iran further, because of the Iranian refusal to bow to UN security council demands that it stop the enrichment of uranium. |
| Ahmadinejad's speech was unusually esoteric for a UN session and made only one political reference to Israel, when he denounced what he called the "hegemony of arrogance" of the world's dominant powers, and said the "continued threat by the uncivilized Zionists to resort to military action against our great nation is a clear example of this bitter reality". | Ahmadinejad's speech was unusually esoteric for a UN session and made only one political reference to Israel, when he denounced what he called the "hegemony of arrogance" of the world's dominant powers, and said the "continued threat by the uncivilized Zionists to resort to military action against our great nation is a clear example of this bitter reality". |
| No American diplomats were in the chamber for Ahmadinejad's speech because of what Washington viewed as offensive remarks the Iranian leader had made about Israel earlier in the week. British and other European states mostly sent junior representatives, who did not walk out as they had on previous occasions. | No American diplomats were in the chamber for Ahmadinejad's speech because of what Washington viewed as offensive remarks the Iranian leader had made about Israel earlier in the week. British and other European states mostly sent junior representatives, who did not walk out as they had on previous occasions. |
| "They were primed to walk out if he [Ahmadinejad] said something grossly offensive as he usually does, but this time he just seemed incoherent and incredibly boring. It was hard to make out what he wanted to say," a European diplomat said. "He seems to be losing his knack a bit." | "They were primed to walk out if he [Ahmadinejad] said something grossly offensive as he usually does, but this time he just seemed incoherent and incredibly boring. It was hard to make out what he wanted to say," a European diplomat said. "He seems to be losing his knack a bit." |
| As Ahmadinejad spoke in what is last address to the UN before a presidential election, his influence at home appeared to be ebbing under pressure from his political enemies. One of his closest aides, Ali Akbar Javanfekr, the director of the state news agency Irna, was jailed on Tuesday for "publishing materials contrary to Islamic norms". | As Ahmadinejad spoke in what is last address to the UN before a presidential election, his influence at home appeared to be ebbing under pressure from his political enemies. One of his closest aides, Ali Akbar Javanfekr, the director of the state news agency Irna, was jailed on Tuesday for "publishing materials contrary to Islamic norms". |
| In his remarks, Morsi said Egypt would "stand firmly" against the anti-American violence that has swept the Islamic world in recent weeks and was triggered by the emergence of a crude video denigrating the prophet Mohamed, which was made by an Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, an Egyptian American Coptic Christian. | In his remarks, Morsi said Egypt would "stand firmly" against the anti-American violence that has swept the Islamic world in recent weeks and was triggered by the emergence of a crude video denigrating the prophet Mohamed, which was made by an Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, an Egyptian American Coptic Christian. |
| But Morsi also claimed that the dissemination of that video was part of an "organised campaign" fuelled by Islamophobia. In what appeared to be a riposte to Barack Obama's staunch defence of the freedom of expression in his own address to the general assembly, Morsi said that free speech should not include the right to insult the religious faith of millions of people. | But Morsi also claimed that the dissemination of that video was part of an "organised campaign" fuelled by Islamophobia. In what appeared to be a riposte to Barack Obama's staunch defence of the freedom of expression in his own address to the general assembly, Morsi said that free speech should not include the right to insult the religious faith of millions of people. |
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