Obama Tells Crowd “Indonesia is a Part of Me”

At a speech at the University of Indonesia, the president urged Muslims to join the fight against extremism.

Speaking in the local language, Barack Obama began his speech by saying “Let me begin with a simple statement: Indonesia is part of me.” He went on to reminisce about his childhood in the world’s largest Muslim country, where he lived for four years after his American mother married an Indonesian man. Obama said his time in the country led him to appreciate the “humanity of all” people. He acknowledged that the relationship between the U.S. and Muslims is still fragile but that Indonesians should set aside their mistrust and help fight terrorism. Obama also made a point of saying that he is Christian, a nod to the inexplicably high number of Americans who insist he is secretly Muslim.