Washington, DC (June 5, 2009) - The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) welcomed President Obama's much heralded speech in Cairo, Egypt, that was billed by the White House as an address to the global Muslim community. In a nearly hour long speech, President Obama condemned Islamic extremism while also calling for increased tolerance and pluralism in many officially Muslim countries where human rights issues predominate. But the Foundation expressed surprise and concern that an address filled with allusions to interfaith understanding--the President specifically quoting from the Koran, Bible and Talmud--ignored Hindus, the third largest religious presence globally. "President Obama is very aware that overwhelmingly Hindus--from India to Malaysia and the Middle East--are victims of the very extremist Islamic terrorism he critically described in his speech," said Ishani Chowdhury, HAF's Director of Public Policy. "And he is equally aware of Hinduism's teachings and history of religious pluralism and tolerance so necessary in the world today. Just as President Obama recognized Hindus in his Inaugural Address, so too should he have recognized the absolute necessity and value of Hindus in any meaningful engagement of the 'Muslim world'." The Foundation also called for caution in President Obama's renewed promise to offer over $1.5 billion in aid to Pakistan. The President described the aid as a "partnership" with Pakistanis to build infrastructure, schools and hospitals. "Pakistanis have been displaced, victimized and disenfranchised by a corrupt and weak government that has, over fifty years of the nation's existence, failed to track humanitarian aid at best, and diverted aid into aggressive militarization and sponsorship of Islamist terror groups at worst," added Chowdhury. "President Obama must break with his predecessors in blindly supporting regimes that have birthed and nurtured the Taliban, terrorized India, and nuclearized the country." http://www.hafsite.org/?q=node/292