It's my honor to welcome to the White House my fellow
Americans, Arab Americans, Americans who are Muslim by faith, to discuss
about the current issues that took place, the aftermath of the incident,
and what our country is going to do to make sure that everybody who
is an American is respected.
I have told the nation more than once that ours is a war against
evil, against extremists, that the teachings of Islam are the teachings
of peace and good, and the al Qaeda organization is not an organization
of good, an organization of peace. It's an organization based upon
hate and evil.
I also want to assure my fellow Americans that when you pledge
allegiance to the flag, with your hand on your heart, you pledge just
as hard to the flag as I do; that the outpouring of support for our
country has come from all corners of the country, including many members
of the Muslim faith. And for that I am grateful.
I appreciate the contributions of time, the contributions of
blood to help our fellow Americans who have been injured. And I'm
proud of the Muslim leaders across America who have risen up and who
have not only insisted that America be strong, but that America keep
the values intact that have made us so unique and different -- the
values of respect, the values of freedom to worship the way we see
fit. And I also appreciate the prayers to the universal God.
Excerpt from remarks of President George
W. Bush to Muslim community leaders, September 26, 2001
It's my honor to welcome citizens from all across our
country here to the Roosevelt Room and the White House to discuss our
common commitment to make sure that every American is treated with respect
and dignity during this period of -- during any period, for that matter,
of American history, particularly during this time.
An American Sikh has been killed, unjustly so. These citizens bring
their hearts with them, and I can assure them that our government will
do everything we can to not only bring those people to justice, but
also to
treat every human life as dear, and to respect the values that made
our country so different and so unique. We're all Americans, bound together
by common ideals and common values.
So I want to welcome you all here. I'm honored that you're here
in the White House, and I look forward to a good, frank discussion.
Thank you for coming.
Remarks of President George W. Bush to
Sikh community leaders, September 26, 2001
Thank you all very much for your hospitality. We've
just had a wide-ranging discussion on the matter at hand. Like the good
folks standing with me, the American people were appalled and outraged
at last Tuesday's attacks. And so were Muslims all across the world.
Both Americans and Muslim friends and citizens, tax-paying citizens,
and Muslims in nations were just appalled and could not believe what
we saw on our TV screens.
These acts of violence against innocents violate the fundamental
tenets of the Islamic faith. And it's important for my fellow Americans
to understand that.
The English translation is not as eloquent as the original Arabic,
but let me quote from the Koran, itself: In the long run, evil in the
extreme will be the end of those who do evil. For that they rejected
the signs of Allah
and held them up to ridicule.
The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That's not what
Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don't represent
peace. They represent evil and war.
When we think of Islam we think of a faith that brings comfort
to a billion people around the world. Billions of people find comfort
and solace and peace. And that's made brothers and sisters out of every
race -- out
of every race.
America counts millions of Muslims amongst our citizens, and Muslims
make an incredibly valuable contribution to our country. Muslims are
doctors, lawyers, law professors, members of the military, entrepreneurs,
shopkeepers, moms and dads. And they need to be treated with respect.
In our anger and emotion, our fellow Americans must treat each other
with respect.
Women who cover their heads in this country must feel comfortable
going outside their homes. Moms who wear cover must be not intimidated
in America. That's not the America I know. That's not the America I
value.
I've been told that some fear to leave; some don't want to go shopping
for their families; some don't want to go about their ordinary daily
routines because, by wearing cover, they're afraid they'll be intimidated.
That should not and that will not stand in America.
Those who feel like they can intimidate our fellow citizens to
take out their anger don't represent the best of America, they represent
the worst of humankind, and they should be ashamed of that kind of behavior.
This is a great country. It's a great country because we share
the same values of respect and dignity and human worth. And it is my
honor to be meeting with leaders who feel just the same way I do. They're
outraged, they're sad. They love America just as much as I do.
I want to thank you all for giving me a chance to come by. And
may God bless us all.
Remarks of President George W. Bush at
the Islamic Center, September 17, 2001
