Obama is Right on Problems with Saying “Radical Islamic Terrorist”

Obama

by Josh Guckert

Last night, CNN hosted a presidential town hall with President Obama. At one point, he was asked by a Gold Star mother why he does not use the term “radical Islamic terrorist.” His response was poignant and thoughtful:

And what I learned from listening to some of these Muslim families both in the United States and overseas is that when you start calling these organizations Islamic terrorists, the way it’s heard, the way it’s received by our friends and allies around the world is that somehow Islam is terroristic. And that then makes them feel as if they’re under attack. In some cases, it makes it harder for us to get their cooperation in fighting terrorism. So do I think that if somebody uses the phrase Islamic terrorism that it’s a huge deal?

No. There’s no doubt that these folks think that – and claim that they’re speaking for Islam.

But I don’t want to validate what they do. I don’t want to – if – if you had a – an organization that was going around killing and blowing people up and said we’re on the vanguard of Christianity, well, I’m not – as a Christian, I’m not going to let them claim my religion and say you’re killing for Christ. I would – I would say that’s ridiculous. That’s not what my religion stands for. Call these folks what they are, which is killers and terrorists. And – and that’s what we’ve been trying to do, is to make sure that A, we don’t validate their claims that somehow they speak for Islam, because they don’t. And, B, making sure that we do not, uh, make Muslims who are well-meaning and our natural allies on this fight, because these groups are killing more Muslims than they’re killing anybody else, make sure that they don’t feel as if somehow the – this is some contest between the West and Islam.

Obama’s statement is reminiscent of Ron Paul‘s assertions about blowback. When the U.S. creates the opportunity for Middle Eastern terrorist groups to recruit in the name of Islam, it is only making a more difficult reality for Americans at home and abroad. This is because by labeling terrorists as first “Muslims,” the West allows radical groups to suggest to Muslims that their values are “under attack.” Generations of regime change by the U.S. and other Western countries already create the chance for a vacuum, but further inciting anger can do nothing but inflict additional harm.

Watch Obama below:

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