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We Cannot Change the Past, But the Future is Ours to Create
Arab Thought Forum, Amman, Jordan - August 31, 2005

Rep. Jim McDermott was invited to deliver a keynote address in Amman, Jordan, today to the prestigious Arab Thought Forum, a quarter century old organization of leaders from throughout the Mideast.

My friends, I am honored by the invitation to speak before this distinguished group of Arab intellectual leaders. Let me say that my first hope above all others is for peace in this region before another soldier or civilian falls. I'm certain you share my desire. Tragically, we all know that our hope is currently outside our reach.

Today, the world weeps much too often. The grief and sadness numbs the mind and chills the spirit.

We have learned the ways of war all too well. I wonder whether we can be quite as adept at practicing the ways of peace.

It will take good people of great faith, courage and leadership to chart a path through the valley of tears and guide Muslim, Jew, Christian and all people toward peace. I believe the Arab Thought Forum can be the pillar of strength and champion of equal justice that the world desperately needs now.

I am here with my hands extended in friendship. I am here to listen and to learn. This is a time for dialogue.

Let me begin by telling you a little bit about myself .I began my professional career as a medical doctor and psychiatrist. In my youth- then and now!- my passion was to help people, to use my training and talents to ease pain and suffering. That is what guides me in my political life.

I grew up in a fundamentalist Christian household where spiritual matters mattered. I attended one of the most conservative Christian colleges in America where I received a fine undergraduate education. After medical school I served as an officer in the United States Navy. I was stationed in California and treated combat veterans returning from Vietnam. It was that experience that led me to into politics, and I have balanced medicine and politics ever since.

My desire to see and understand other cultures has been a part of me throughout my entire life. My first trip to Africa was youthful exuberance. But it kindled a desire deep inside me to stay involved and try to make a positive difference.

I've been to Africa many times over 40 years as a doctor and political figure; I've grown to love Africa and its people. I've worked with my colleagues in the Congress to pass legislation on everything from international trade to treating HIV/AIDS. Some days I feel unlimited hope for the continent and other days I feel like everything is falling short.

The same is true about my involvement in the Middle East. My own deep spiritual upbringing gives me a deep and abiding respect for Islam. So, I welcomed many opportunities over the last 20 years to spend time in the region, including: Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Gaza, Israel and Iraq.

I come to you as a student, but not a novice! This is a fact finding mission for me, to listen and learn from the people who know the pulse of the people and who shape the opinions for millions of people throughout the Mideast .While I believe there is great hope for tomorrow, I also believe there are great challenges to face today. Face them, and solve them, we must, for the world is no longer composed of isolated continents floating atop the fiery mantle of the earth's crust.

Today, the world is interconnected by the Internet at the speed of light, rendering distance largely irrelevant and borders are demarcation lines on maps. What was once not long ago shielded by oceans or mountains today is open and accessible. That holds out both great promise and grave fear.

Take, for example, the human devastation brought about by the HIV/AIDS virus in Africa. The pandemic is invisible no more. Whether we choose to act or not, we cannot hide behind a veil of ignorance. Human pain and suffering is conveyed by satellite transmissions and Internet hot spots into the homes and hearts and sensibilities of the entire globe.

The same is true of the affairs of our great nations. What the President of the United States may say in the next moment is no longer heard just within the borders of America.

The Jordan Times, Daily Star, Al Jazeera, and other media outlets guarantee that the people of the Middle East will know immediately what the U.S. said or did, along with interpretation, reaction and response from leaders of nations and heads of borderless ideologies. From economics to politics, by agreement or fiat, we are all more vulnerable because we are all more exposed. If this reality of the 21st century does not cry out for the world to resolve its differences, I don't know what does.

This is what I believe. The one great nation of humanity speaks in a thousand dialects, and we must decode these messages if we are to make the world truly safe. My medical training is based on one fundamental principle that dates back thousands of years to Ancient Greece. Listen to the patient because they can tell you what is wrong.

This is my perspective today, to listen and interact. To form opinions based on what is said. To examine these opinions critically. And to diagnose based on as much empirical evidence as is available.

When I knew I was returning to the region, I asked my good and trusted friends to introduce me to people who would be open and candid, who would see this as I do, a chance to build trust among people and develop strong, new relationships that can last long after this meeting is over.

For those who may not know, I strongly opposed the Iraq War long before it began, but I say that only as a historical fact. Despite my opposition to the war, I strongly support our soldiers. In fact, just over a week ago I had the privilege of awarding medals for bravery to four soldiers from my city who were combat medics in Iraq.

Listening to the citations about their action and courage under fire, it reminded me that the world would be a lot better off if we could figure out how to avoid war. We cannot change what is past, but the future is ours to create.

Today in Iraq, the future is unfolding right before the eyes of the world. I want to know what you think about it. As a visitor I wouldn't attempt to offer a prediction or opinion, but I very much want to know what you opinion leaders think has happened and will happen in the months ahead.

Not long ago, a friend in the Mideast sent me news that had not reached the media in the United States. It said that at least 126 Members of the Iraqi Parliament- almost half- had signed a statement on June 12, calling on the U.S. to leave Iraq. The implications of this statement seem to me to be profound, even as the Iraqi Parliament worked to develop a constitution. What are the implications?

Iraq is a boiling cauldron and one does not have to be for or against the war to grieve over the dead and wounded, and worry about the future.

I come from a land addicted to oil and this finite resource fuels more than our cars, homes and factories. As a medical doctor, I know that addiction can cloud judgment and suspend rational discourse.

When it comes to oil, the world has an insatiable need to satisfy and our addiction is voracious, ever growing. This fact makes the Mideast central to the economic stability of the world. And this makes the region vulnerable to enormous global and regional pressures that could crush granite with ease if applied to the earth's strongest rock.

In the final analysis, nations famished not from lack of food but from lack of fuel will do everything possible to survive. Given this, I ask you this question: Since every nation depends in some direct way on the Mideast, what role in the Mideast should other nations play in the region?

Let's focus on Iraq. On a strictly objective basis, there is a draft constitution today that some support and some disavow.

Watching the process of drafting a constitution as a westerner, I'd like your thoughts on some of the most hotly debated issues: Is the imposition of sharia just a tool to control the people? What should be the role of Islam in Iraq? What about the roles for women and minorities? How would you define democracy?

We know from history that interference between nations often ends with conflict among nations. We also know from history that ignoring global issues usually leads to a global crisis.

Today, many believe as I do that we cannot stop terrorism until we confront its root causes: poverty, economic and social injustice. Over the years the United States has poured billions and billions of dollars into many nations, including the Mideast and yet today we face challenges that can seem higher than the highest mountain.

Tell me in your words: How do we stop the torrent of violence that seems to be spreading like a cancer and claiming the lives of American and Iraqi alike? What would you do to calm the turbulent, troubled waters we see in Iraq? Chart a course for me to peace, a lasting peace. What does that look like? How do we get there?

I am here to listen and to learn. Educate me.

Next week, the Congress begins its Fall session. Iraq and the Mideast will loom large on our agenda and discussions. What I learn from you will help guide me in the critical days ahead.

It is my hope that this is a beginning of a long relationship. And that our mutual trust and respect will lead to better understanding among people and nations. This is your chance to be heard by the leaders of America and people across America. Say what you think, say what you believe.

We must work together if we are to live together. Thank you.