Egypt’s Morsi takes big role in Mideast

Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS

Egypt’s new President Mohammed Morsi assigned himself the heavyweight’s role in the Middle East on Wednesday, declaring in his first speech to the United Nations that the civil war raging in Syria is the “tragedy of the age” and must be brought to an end.

In a wide-ranging address that touched on all major issues confronting the region, Morsi also decried Israeli settlement-building on territory Palestinians claim for a future state and condemned a film produced in the United States that denigrates Islam’s Prophet Muhammad.

He urged all U.N. member nations to join in an effort to end what he called “the catastrophe in Syria” that pits the regime of Bashar Assad against opposition forces trying to end 40 years of dictatorship.

More than 30,000 people have been killed in the 18-month conflict.

Morsi has called for Assad to step down and said Wednesday that “the bloodshed in Syria and the humanitarian crisis that has unfolded must be stopped.”

Morsi, an Islamist and key member of the once-banned Muslim Brotherhood, opened his remarks to the U.N. General Assembly by celebrating himself as Egypt’s first democratically elected leader who was swept into office after what he called a “great, peaceful revolution” that overthrew Hosni Mubarak.

He then quickly inserted himself into the thorniest issues in the Middle East, demanding that the United Nations grant membership to the Palestinians, with or without a peace agreement with Israel.

“The fruits of dignity and freedom must not remain far from the Palestinian people,” he said, adding that it was “shameful” that U.N. resolutions are not enforced.

The Palestinians are expected to again ask for U.N. recognition and formally make application to the world body in November, after the U.S. presidential election. President Barack Obama said when the Palestinians sought recognition last year that Washington would block the move until there was a peace deal with Israel.