Obama to reach out to Muslims

US President Barack Obama is set to deliver what is being billed as a major speech addressed to the Islamic world, as he winds up a visit to Indonesia.

He will hold up Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, as an example of a developing country embracing democracy, an aide said.

Analysts say it will be his biggest attempt to engage the Islamic world since a speech in Cairo last year.

Mr Obama then continues his Asia tour in South Korea for the G20 summit.

The speech is due to take place at the University of Indonesia, to an audience of 6,000 people. Before the speech, he is scheduled to visit Jakarta's Istiqlal mosque, the largest in South-East Asia.

He is expected to touch on the four years he spent in the country as a child and emphasise the importance of Indonesia's example as a growing economy and a majority-Muslim nation that is largely tolerant of other religions.

Presidential aide Ben Rhodes also said the president wanted to revisit some of the themes he raised in his June 2009 speech in Cairo: the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and between Israel and the Palestinians.

In a reminder of the difficulties he faces, Israel decided to build more apartments for Jewish settlers in disputed East Jerusalem.

"This kind of activity is never helpful when it comes to peace negotiations," he said.


Obama: "Indonesia is where many of the challenges and opportunities of the 21st Century come together"
Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians resumed in September after a break of almost two years but were suspended after a few weeks when a freeze on the building of Jewish settlements expired.

When Mr Obama delivered his Cairo speech he was riding a wave of goodwill, says the BBC's Middle East analyst Roger Hardy. But since then, the mood has changed. Recent polls show that in key parts of the Muslim world his credibility has slumped.

Speaking earlier in his Indonesia visit, Mr Obama said the US must do "a lot more work" to improve ties with the Muslim world.

In a wide-ranging news conference with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Mr Obama said he had worked hard to repair ties with Muslim communities.

"I think that our efforts have been earnest and sustained. We don't expect that we are going to completely eliminate some of the misunderstandings and mistrust that have developed over a long period of time, but we do think that we're on the right path."

'Disorientating'
Mr Obama paid tribute to Indonesia as a majority Muslim nation that had "figured out how to create a genuine democracy" with a hugely diverse population.

He said the US would expand co-operation on economic issues, security and climate change with Indonesia.

Mr Obama also expressed affection for a country he lived in as a boy.

"It's wonderful to be here although I have to tell you that when you visit a place that you spent time in as a child, as the president it's a little disorientating."

The short trip affords the president little leisure time and the White House announced he will leave almost two hours early on Wednesday, so his flight can outrun the volcanic ash cloud thrown up by the recent deadly eruption of Mount Merapi.