RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA—Demanding Middle East leaders combat a “crisis of Islamic extremism” emanating from their homelands, President Donald Trump tried to revise his previous anti-Muslim rhetoric while recasting the fight against terrorism as a “battle between good and evil” instead of a clash between the West and Islam.Trump’s address Sunday was the centrepiece of his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, his first stop overseas as president. During a meeting of more than 50 Arab and Muslim leaders, he sought to chart a new course for America’s role in the region, one aimed squarely on rooting out terrorism, with less focus on promoting human rights and democratic reforms.Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump“We are not here to lecture — we are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship,” Trump said, speaking in an ornate room that featured 11 chandeliers and six giant video screens. “Instead, we are here to offer partnership — based on shared interests and values — to pursue a better future for us all.”Even as the president pledged to work alongside Middle Eastern nations, he put the onus for combating terrorism on the region. Bellowing into the microphone, he implored Muslim leaders to aggressively fight extremists: “Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of your communities.”The president has been enthusiastically embraced in Riyadh, where the ruling royal family has welcomed his tougher stance on Iran, its regional foe.Read more: Trump receives royal welcome in Saudi ArabiaTrump slammed Iran for spreading “destruction and chaos” throughout the region, repeatedly castigating the nation — which had re-elected its moderate president the day before — as a breeding ground and financier for terror. His comments were echoed by Saudi King Salman, who declared, &#x ...
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