US President Donald Trump is to urge the Islamic world to confront extremism in a highly anticipated speech Sunday to dozens of Muslim leaders in Saudi Arabia.

Aides have said the speech, given in the cradle of Islam, will be &quot;uplifting&quot; but also &quot;blunt&quot; in its call for leaders of Muslim countries to take a stand against violent fundamentalism.

It comes on the second day of a visit to Saudi Arabia, part of an eight-day foreign tour -- Trump`s first since taking office -- that will take him next to Israel and the Palestinian Territories and then to Europe.

The first day saw the announcement of hundreds of billions of dollars in trade deals -- welcome news for Trump as he faces mounting troubles at home linked with the probe into alleged Russian meddling during last year`s election campaign.

Among the agreements was an arms deal worth almost $110 billion with Saudi Arabia, described as the largest in US history, which US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said was aimed in particular at countering &quot;malign Iranian influence&quot;.

The White House has sought to draw a clear distinction during the visit with Trump&#39;s predecessor Barack Obama, who Saudi Arabia and its Sunni Arab allies saw as lecturing and soft on their Shiite rival Iran.

Unlike the Obama administration which would often raise concerns over civil liberties with longstanding Arab allies, Trump has made no mention of human rights during his visit so far.He is unlikely to do so in his speech, focusing instead on a centrepiece of his foreign policy: tackling jihadism and its disciples like the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda.&nbsp;

&quot;He will deliver an inspiring, direct speech on the need to confront radical ideology and the president`s hopes for a peaceful vision of Islam,&quot; Trump`s influential national security adviser, HR McMaster, said ahead of the visit.

&quot;He`ll talk about what unites us in uplifting terms,&quot; a White House official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

&quot;But he`ll also be very blunt in talking about the need to confront extremism and the fact that many in the Muslim world have not only not done enough, they&#39;ve actively abetted this extremism, even as some of them have talked a good game on the surface but in quiet, continue to fund extremism.&quot;

The speech has been touted as a major event -- along the lines of a landmark address to the Islamic world given by Obama in Cairo in 2009.

It will be especially sensitive given tensions sparked by the Trump administration`s attempted travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority nations and accusations of anti-Islamic rhetoric.

In December 2015, Trump told a campaign rally he was calling for a &quot;total shutdown&quot; of Muslims entering the United States &quot;until our country&#39;s representatives can figure out what the hell is going on&quot;.

His words shocked many Americans, with Trump detractors noting that the US Constitution prohibits religious discrimination.

&quot;I think Islam hates us. There is a tremendous hatred there. We have to get to the bottom of it,&quot; Trump said in a March 2016 interview with CNN.Still, Trump has been welcomed warmly in Saudi Arabia, where he and first lady Melania Trump were given an extravagant reception by King Salman and the rest of the Saudi royal family.

Trump was awarded the country`s highest civilian honour, attended a series of banquets and receptions and bobbed up and down with dancers in a traditional sword dance welcome ceremony.

The trade deals announced on Saturday were said to be worth in excess of $380 billion and Trump proudly declared the first day of his visit &quot;tremendous&quot;.

&quot;That was a tremendous day. Tremendous investments in the United States,&quot; Trump said.

&quot;Hundreds of billions of dollars of investments into the United States and jobs, jobs, jobs.&quot;

US President meets Egypt&#39;s President Sisi,&nbsp;Qatar&#39;s Emir Sheikh

On Sunday he began a series of meetings with other Arab leaders, including Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Qatar&#39;s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Bahrain&#39;s King Hamad. 
 
The meeting with Sisi -- an avowed fan of the president -- was especially warm and Trump said he would &quot;absolutely&quot; be putting Egypt on his list of countries to visit &quot;very soon&quot;.

Trump referred to Sisi as &quot;my friend&quot; at the start of the talks, adding: &quot;We&#39;ve really been through a lot together.&quot;

Sisi said that Trump was a &quot;unique personality&quot; and &quot;capable of doing the impossible&quot;, to which Trump responded &quot;I agree!&quot;

In the meeting with King Hamad, Trump again made a clear break from previous US policy, which saw the Obama administration frequently scold its ally over rights concerns.

Trump told the king it was &quot;a great honour to be with you&quot; and mentioned that there &quot;has been a little strain but there won&#39;t be strain with this administration&quot;.

Trump, who travels on Monday to Israel and the Palestinian territories before visiting the Vatican, Brussels and Italy for NATO and G7 meetings, is taking his first steps on the world stage as he faces increasing scandal at home.

The last week has seen a string of major developments in Trump`s domestic woes, including the announcement that James Comey, the former FBI chief fired by Trump, has agreed to testify publicly about Russian interference in the US elections.

Reports have also emerged that Trump called Comey &quot;a nut job&quot; and that the FBI have identified a senior White House official as a &quot;significant person of interest&quot; in its probe of Russian meddling. 
 
(AFP)

Aides say the speech will be 'uplifting' but also 'blunt' in its call for leaders of Muslim countries to take a stand against violent fundamentalism

US President Donald Trump is to urge the Islamic world to confront extremism in a highly anticipated speech Sunday to dozens of Muslim leaders in Saudi Arabia. Aides have said the speech, given in the cradle of Islam, will be "uplifting" but also "blunt" in its call for leaders of Muslim countries to take a stand against violent fundamentalism. It comes on the second day of a visit to Saudi Arabia, part of an eight-day foreign tour -- Trump`s first since taking office -- that will take him next to Israel and the Palestinian Territories and then to Europe. The first day saw the announcement of hundreds of billions of dollars in trade deals -- welcome news for Trump as he faces mounting troubles at home linked with the probe into alleged Russian meddling during last year`s election campaign. Among the agreements was an arms deal worth almost $110 billion with Saudi Arabia, described as the largest in US history, which US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said was aimed in particular at countering "malign Iranian influence". The White House has sought to draw a clear distinction during the visit with Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, who Saudi Arabia and its Sunni Arab allies saw as lecturing and soft on their Shiite rival Iran. Unlike the Obama administration which would often raise concerns over civil liberties with longstanding Arab allies, Trump has made no mention of human rights during his visit so far.He is unlikely to do so in his speech, focusing instead on a centrepiece of his foreign policy: tackling jihadism and its disciples like the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda. "He will deliver an inspiring, direct speech on the need to confront radical ideology and the president`s hopes for a peaceful vision of Islam," Trump`s influential national security adviser, HR McMaster, said ahead of the visit. "He`ll talk about what unites us in uplifting terms," a White House official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "But he`ll also be very blunt in talking about the need to confront extremism and the fact that many in the Muslim world have not only not done enough, they've actively abetted this extremism, even as some of them have talked a good game on the surface but in quiet, continue to fund extremism." The speech has been touted as a major event -- along the lines of a landmark address to the Islamic world given by Obama in Cairo in 2009. It will be especially sensitive given tensions sparked by the Trump administration`s attempted travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority nations and accusations of anti-Islamic rhetoric. In December 2015, Trump told a campaign rally he was calling for a "total shutdown" of Muslims entering the United States "until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on". His words shocked many Americans, with Trump detractors noting that the US Constitution prohibits religious discrimination. "I think Islam hates us. There is a tremendous hatred there. We have to get to the bottom of it," Trump said in a March 2016 interview with CNN.Still, Trump has been welcomed warmly in Saudi Arabia, where he and first lady Melania Trump were given an extravagant reception by King Salman and the rest of the Saudi royal family. Trump was awarded the country`s highest civilian honour, attended a series of banquets and receptions and bobbed up and down with dancers in a traditional sword dance welcome ceremony. The trade deals announced on Saturday were said to be worth in excess of $380 billion and Trump proudly declared the first day of his visit "tremendous". "That was a tremendous day. Tremendous investments in the United States," Trump said. "Hundreds of billions of dollars of investments into the United States and jobs, jobs, jobs." US President meets Egypt's President Sisi, Qatar's Emir Sheikh On Sunday he began a series of meetings with other Arab leaders, including Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Bahrain's King Hamad. The meeting with Sisi -- an avowed fan of the president -- was especially warm and Trump said he would "absolutely" be putting Egypt on his list of countries to visit "very soon". Trump referred to Sisi as "my friend" at the start of the talks, adding: "We've really been through a lot together." Sisi said that Trump was a "unique personality" and "capable of doing the impossible", to which Trump responded "I agree!" In the meeting with King Hamad, Trump again made a clear break from previous US policy, which saw the Obama administration frequently scold its ally over rights concerns. Trump told the king it was "a great honour to be with you" and mentioned that there "has been a little strain but there won't be strain with this administration". Trump, who travels on Monday to Israel and the Palestinian territories before visiting the Vatican, Brussels and Italy for NATO and G7 meetings, is taking his first steps on the world stage as he faces increasing scandal at home. The last week has seen a string of major developments in Trump`s domestic woes, including the announcement that James Comey, the former FBI chief fired by Trump, has agreed to testify publicly about Russian interference in the US elections. Reports have also emerged that Trump called Comey "a nut job" and that the FBI have identified a senior White House official as a "significant person of interest" in its probe of Russian meddling. (AFP)

Trump to urge Muslim leaders to fight extremism in major speech

Donald Trump on Thursday announced his first foreign trip as president will include stops in Saudi Arabia, Israel and the Vatican -- the spiritual centers of Islam, Judaism and Catholicism.

Trump will add the three stops to an already announced visit to NATO and G7 summits in Brussels and Sicily later this month.

&quot;My first foreign trip as president of the United States will be to Saudi Arabia, then Israel, and then to a place that my cardinals love very much, Rome,&quot; Trump said in a Rose Garden announcement.

Aides described the decision to travel to Saudi Arabia first as an effort to reset relations with the Muslim world.

There, Trump will meet with leaders from across in the Gulf and &nbsp;broader Middle East in the hope of curbing jihadi terror groups and Iran&#39;s growing regional clout.

&quot;Saudi Arabia is the custodian of the two holiest sites in Islam,&quot; said Trump, who has frequently been accused of fueling Islamophobia.

Trump said in Saudi Arabia he would &quot;begin to construct a new foundation of cooperation and support with our Muslim allies to combat extremism, terrorism and violence and to embrace a more just and hopeful future for young Muslims in their countries.&quot;

The aim, one senior administration official said, was to reverse a trend &quot;of America&#39;s disengagement from the world and some of its biggest problems.&quot;

During president Barack Obama&#39;s tenure relations with the Gulf States, and Saudi Arabia in particular, were strained over his administration&#39;s engagement with Iran.

Trump&#39;s administration -- which includes generals who have had bitter personal experience with Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Lebanon -- has vowed to push back against Iranian influence across the region.

Peacemaker

The visit also comes as Trump wades into Middle East peacemaking,&nbsp;trying to reach a deal between Israel and the Palestinians,&nbsp;a goal that has eluded his predecessors and countless diplomats.

Trump is expected to meet both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on the trip.

A senior aide did not rule out the possibility of a presidential stop in the West Bank, but that is likely to be contingent on security and Abbas taking concrete steps toward peace.&nbsp;

Trump on Wednesday hosted Abbas at the White House, pledging to help end the decades-old conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

&quot;It is something that I think is frankly, maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years,&quot; Trump said, exuding his trademark bravado.

From there Trump will travel to the Vatican, where he will be received by Pope Francis on May 24.

Trump&#39;s attendance of a NATO summit in Brussels will be closely watched. The new president has demanded allies pay more for collective security, but has backed away from his early declarations that the alliance is &quot;obsolete.&quot;

A G7 summit in Sicily will offer Trump the chance to sit down face-to-face with leaders of the world&#39;s largest economies. 
 
(AFP)

Aides described the decision to travel to Saudi Arabia first as an effort to reset relations with the Muslim world

Donald Trump on Thursday announced his first foreign trip as president will include stops in Saudi Arabia, Israel and the Vatican -- the spiritual centers of Islam, Judaism and Catholicism. Trump will add the three stops to an already announced visit to NATO and G7 summits in Brussels and Sicily later this month. "My first foreign trip as president of the United States will be to Saudi Arabia, then Israel, and then to a place that my cardinals love very much, Rome," Trump said in a Rose Garden announcement. Aides described the decision to travel to Saudi Arabia first as an effort to reset relations with the Muslim world. There, Trump will meet with leaders from across in the Gulf and broader Middle East in the hope of curbing jihadi terror groups and Iran's growing regional clout. "Saudi Arabia is the custodian of the two holiest sites in Islam," said Trump, who has frequently been accused of fueling Islamophobia. Trump said in Saudi Arabia he would "begin to construct a new foundation of cooperation and support with our Muslim allies to combat extremism, terrorism and violence and to embrace a more just and hopeful future for young Muslims in their countries." The aim, one senior administration official said, was to reverse a trend "of America's disengagement from the world and some of its biggest problems." During president Barack Obama's tenure relations with the Gulf States, and Saudi Arabia in particular, were strained over his administration's engagement with Iran. Trump's administration -- which includes generals who have had bitter personal experience with Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Lebanon -- has vowed to push back against Iranian influence across the region. Peacemaker The visit also comes as Trump wades into Middle East peacemaking, trying to reach a deal between Israel and the Palestinians, a goal that has eluded his predecessors and countless diplomats. Trump is expected to meet both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on the trip. A senior aide did not rule out the possibility of a presidential stop in the West Bank, but that is likely to be contingent on security and Abbas taking concrete steps toward peace. Trump on Wednesday hosted Abbas at the White House, pledging to help end the decades-old conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. "It is something that I think is frankly, maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years," Trump said, exuding his trademark bravado. From there Trump will travel to the Vatican, where he will be received by Pope Francis on May 24. Trump's attendance of a NATO summit in Brussels will be closely watched. The new president has demanded allies pay more for collective security, but has backed away from his early declarations that the alliance is "obsolete." A G7 summit in Sicily will offer Trump the chance to sit down face-to-face with leaders of the world's largest economies. (AFP)

Trump announces trip to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Vatican

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Trump to urge Muslim leaders to fight extremism in major speech

Trump announces trip to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Vatican