English subtitles for clip: File:The President Speaks at the Islamic Society of Baltimore.webm
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1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,280 The President: Well, good afternoon. 2 00:00:03,280 --> 00:00:06,770 And, Sabah, thank you for the wonderful introduction 3 00:00:06,773 --> 00:00:10,443 and for your example -- your devotion to your faith and 4 00:00:10,443 --> 00:00:14,543 your education, and your service to others. 5 00:00:14,547 --> 00:00:15,547 You're an inspiration. 6 00:00:15,548 --> 00:00:17,548 You're going to be a fantastic doctor. 7 00:00:17,550 --> 00:00:21,960 And I suspect, Sabah, your parents are here because 8 00:00:21,955 --> 00:00:26,695 they wanted to see you so -- where are Sabah's parents? 9 00:00:26,693 --> 00:00:27,593 There you go. 10 00:00:27,594 --> 00:00:30,694 (applause) 11 00:00:30,697 --> 00:00:33,367 Good job, Mom. 12 00:00:33,366 --> 00:00:35,066 She did great, didn't she? 13 00:00:35,068 --> 00:00:38,108 She was terrific. 14 00:00:38,104 --> 00:00:41,004 To everyone here at the Islamic Society of 15 00:00:41,007 --> 00:00:44,447 Baltimore, thank you for welcoming me here today. 16 00:00:44,444 --> 00:00:46,914 I want to thank Muslim Americans leaders from 17 00:00:46,913 --> 00:00:49,113 across this city and this state, 18 00:00:49,115 --> 00:00:53,555 and some who traveled even from out of state to be here. 19 00:00:53,553 --> 00:00:57,323 I want to recognize Congressman John Sarbanes, 20 00:00:57,323 --> 00:00:58,193 who is here. 21 00:00:58,191 --> 00:01:01,731 (applause) 22 00:01:01,728 --> 00:01:05,098 As well as two other great leaders in Congress -- and 23 00:01:05,098 --> 00:01:08,738 proud Muslim Americans -- Congressman Keith Ellison 24 00:01:08,735 --> 00:01:10,405 from the great state of Minnesota -- 25 00:01:10,403 --> 00:01:11,873 (applause) 26 00:01:11,871 --> 00:01:13,971 -- and Congressman Andre Carson from the great state 27 00:01:13,973 --> 00:01:15,043 of Indiana. 28 00:01:15,041 --> 00:01:19,451 (applause) 29 00:01:19,446 --> 00:01:21,716 This mosque, like so many in our country, 30 00:01:21,714 --> 00:01:24,554 is an all-American story. 31 00:01:24,551 --> 00:01:28,421 You've been part of this city for nearly half a century. 32 00:01:28,421 --> 00:01:30,991 You serve thousands of families -- some who've 33 00:01:30,990 --> 00:01:34,690 lived here for decades as well as immigrants from many 34 00:01:34,694 --> 00:01:36,694 countries who've worked to become 35 00:01:36,696 --> 00:01:39,666 proud American citizens. 36 00:01:39,666 --> 00:01:43,266 Now, a lot of Americans have never visited a mosque. 37 00:01:43,269 --> 00:01:46,739 To the folks watching this today who haven't -- think 38 00:01:46,739 --> 00:01:51,249 of your own church, or synagogue, or temple, 39 00:01:51,244 --> 00:01:54,084 and a mosque like this will be very familiar. 40 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:57,980 This is where families come to worship and express their 41 00:01:57,984 --> 00:02:01,954 love for God and each other. 42 00:02:01,955 --> 00:02:05,625 There's a school where teachers open young minds. 43 00:02:05,625 --> 00:02:08,925 Kids play baseball and football and basketball -- 44 00:02:08,928 --> 00:02:11,298 boys and girls -- I hear they're pretty good. 45 00:02:11,297 --> 00:02:13,197 (laughter) 46 00:02:13,199 --> 00:02:16,999 Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts meet, 47 00:02:17,003 --> 00:02:19,843 recite the Pledge of Allegiance here. 48 00:02:19,839 --> 00:02:23,379 With interfaith dialogue, you build bridges of 49 00:02:23,376 --> 00:02:26,116 understanding with other faith communities -- 50 00:02:26,112 --> 00:02:28,912 Christians and Jews. 51 00:02:28,915 --> 00:02:30,915 There's a health clinic that serves the needy, 52 00:02:30,917 --> 00:02:32,887 regardless of their faith. 53 00:02:32,886 --> 00:02:37,126 And members of this community are out in the 54 00:02:37,123 --> 00:02:39,263 broader community, working for social justice 55 00:02:39,259 --> 00:02:41,999 and urban development. 56 00:02:41,995 --> 00:02:45,595 As voters, you come here to meet candidates. 57 00:02:45,598 --> 00:02:48,098 As one of your members said, "just look at the way we 58 00:02:48,101 --> 00:02:49,871 live...we are true Americans." 59 00:02:49,869 --> 00:02:54,639 So the first thing I want to say is two words that Muslim 60 00:02:54,641 --> 00:02:56,781 Americans don't hear often enough 61 00:02:56,776 --> 00:02:58,546 -- and that is, thank you. 62 00:02:58,545 --> 00:03:00,885 Thank you for serving your community. 63 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:03,280 Thank you for lifting up the lives of your neighbors, 64 00:03:03,283 --> 00:03:06,253 and for helping keep us strong and united 65 00:03:06,252 --> 00:03:09,752 as one American family. 66 00:03:09,756 --> 00:03:11,496 We are grateful for that. 67 00:03:11,491 --> 00:03:17,801 (applause) 68 00:03:17,797 --> 00:03:19,167 Now, this brings me to the other reason I wanted to 69 00:03:19,165 --> 00:03:20,965 come here today. 70 00:03:20,967 --> 00:03:23,067 I know that in Muslim communities across our 71 00:03:23,069 --> 00:03:26,669 country, this is a time of concern and, frankly, 72 00:03:26,673 --> 00:03:28,673 a time of some fear. 73 00:03:30,510 --> 00:03:33,710 Like all Americans, you're worried about 74 00:03:33,713 --> 00:03:36,613 the threat of terrorism. 75 00:03:36,616 --> 00:03:39,486 But on top of that, as Muslim Americans, 76 00:03:39,485 --> 00:03:41,825 you also have another concern -- and that is your 77 00:03:41,821 --> 00:03:48,191 entire community so often is targeted or blamed for the 78 00:03:48,194 --> 00:03:50,894 violent acts of the very few. 79 00:03:53,633 --> 00:03:55,633 The Muslim American community remains relatively 80 00:03:55,635 --> 00:03:58,305 small --several million people in this country. 81 00:03:58,304 --> 00:04:02,504 And as a result, most Americans don't necessarily 82 00:04:02,508 --> 00:04:05,108 know -- or at least don't know that they know 83 00:04:05,111 --> 00:04:06,111 -- a Muslim personally. 84 00:04:06,112 --> 00:04:12,522 And as a result, many only hear about Muslims and Islam 85 00:04:12,518 --> 00:04:16,088 from the news after an act of terrorism, 86 00:04:18,257 --> 00:04:24,267 or in distorted media portrayals in TV or film, 87 00:04:27,433 --> 00:04:30,273 all of which gives this hugely distorted impression. 88 00:04:33,239 --> 00:04:35,279 And since 9/11, but more recently, 89 00:04:35,274 --> 00:04:38,874 since the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, 90 00:04:38,878 --> 00:04:44,618 you've seen too often people conflating the horrific acts 91 00:04:44,617 --> 00:04:47,057 of terrorism with the beliefs of an entire faith. 92 00:04:47,053 --> 00:04:52,323 And of course, recently, we've heard inexcusable 93 00:04:52,325 --> 00:04:56,265 political rhetoric against Muslim Americans that has no 94 00:04:56,262 --> 00:04:58,262 place in our country. 95 00:05:01,167 --> 00:05:03,337 No surprise, then, that threats and harassment of 96 00:05:03,336 --> 00:05:05,306 Muslim Americans have surged. 97 00:05:07,974 --> 00:05:10,344 Here at this mosque, twice last year, 98 00:05:10,343 --> 00:05:14,313 threats were made against your children. 99 00:05:14,313 --> 00:05:18,253 Around the country, women wearing the hijab -- just 100 00:05:18,251 --> 00:05:20,551 like Sabah -- have been targeted. 101 00:05:20,553 --> 00:05:21,993 We've seen children bullied. 102 00:05:21,988 --> 00:05:23,988 We've seen mosques vandalized. 103 00:05:26,893 --> 00:05:29,493 Sikh Americans and others who are perceived to be 104 00:05:29,495 --> 00:05:31,495 Muslims have been targeted, as well. 105 00:05:33,633 --> 00:05:37,403 I just had a chance to meet with some extraordinary 106 00:05:37,403 --> 00:05:40,403 Muslim Americans from across the country who are doing 107 00:05:40,406 --> 00:05:41,406 all sorts of work. 108 00:05:41,407 --> 00:05:45,547 Some of them are doctors; some of them are community 109 00:05:45,545 --> 00:05:48,485 leaders; religious leaders. 110 00:05:50,883 --> 00:05:54,823 All of them were doing extraordinary work not just 111 00:05:54,821 --> 00:05:59,161 in the Muslim community but in the American community. 112 00:05:59,158 --> 00:06:01,498 And they're proud of their work in business and 113 00:06:01,494 --> 00:06:04,094 education, and on behalf of social justice and the 114 00:06:04,097 --> 00:06:07,097 environment and education. 115 00:06:07,100 --> 00:06:09,200 I should point out they were all much younger than me -- 116 00:06:09,202 --> 00:06:10,572 (laughter) 117 00:06:10,570 --> 00:06:16,310 -- which is happening more frequently these days. 118 00:06:16,309 --> 00:06:18,749 And you couldn't help but be inspired, 119 00:06:18,745 --> 00:06:21,445 hearing about the extraordinary work that 120 00:06:21,447 --> 00:06:22,917 they're doing. 121 00:06:22,915 --> 00:06:27,015 But you also could not help but be heartbroken to hear 122 00:06:27,019 --> 00:06:30,119 their worries and their anxieties. 123 00:06:30,123 --> 00:06:35,393 Some of them are parents, and they talked about how 124 00:06:35,394 --> 00:06:39,434 their children were asking, are we going to be forced 125 00:06:39,432 --> 00:06:44,702 out of the country, or, are we going to be rounded up? 126 00:06:47,073 --> 00:06:50,273 Why do people treat us like that? 127 00:06:50,276 --> 00:06:52,276 Conversations that you shouldn't have to have with 128 00:06:52,278 --> 00:06:55,218 children -- not in this country. 129 00:06:55,214 --> 00:06:57,214 Not at this moment. 130 00:07:00,219 --> 00:07:02,989 And that's an anxiety echoed in letters I get from Muslim 131 00:07:02,989 --> 00:07:06,129 Americans around the country. 132 00:07:06,125 --> 00:07:08,965 I've had people write to me and say, 133 00:07:08,961 --> 00:07:10,961 I feel like I'm a second-class citizen. 134 00:07:10,963 --> 00:07:16,233 I've had mothers write and say, 135 00:07:19,305 --> 00:07:20,975 "my heart cries every night, " 136 00:07:20,973 --> 00:07:23,743 thinking about how her daughter might be treated 137 00:07:23,743 --> 00:07:24,743 at school. 138 00:07:24,744 --> 00:07:29,044 A girl from Ohio, 13 years old, told me, "I'm scared." 139 00:07:29,048 --> 00:07:34,118 A girl from Texas signed her letter "a confused 140 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:36,420 14-year-old trying to find her place in the world." 141 00:07:36,422 --> 00:07:39,292 These are children just like mine. 142 00:07:43,262 --> 00:07:46,732 And the notion that they would be filled with doubt 143 00:07:46,732 --> 00:07:51,972 and questioning their places in this great country of 144 00:07:51,971 --> 00:07:55,171 ours at a time when they've got enough to worry about -- 145 00:07:55,174 --> 00:07:59,014 it's hard being a teenager already 146 00:07:59,011 --> 00:08:01,711 -- that's not who we are. 147 00:08:04,784 --> 00:08:06,084 We're one American family. 148 00:08:06,085 --> 00:08:08,325 And when any part of our family starts to feel 149 00:08:08,321 --> 00:08:10,621 separate or second-class or targeted, 150 00:08:10,623 --> 00:08:14,023 it tears at the very fabric of our nation. 151 00:08:14,026 --> 00:08:22,206 (applause) 152 00:08:22,201 --> 00:08:24,301 It's a challenge to our values -- and that means we 153 00:08:24,303 --> 00:08:25,243 have much work to do. 154 00:08:25,238 --> 00:08:27,238 We've got to tackle this head on. 155 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:30,280 We have to be honest and clear about it. 156 00:08:30,276 --> 00:08:31,276 And we have to speak out. 157 00:08:31,277 --> 00:08:35,517 This is a moment when, as Americans, 158 00:08:35,514 --> 00:08:37,514 we have to truly listen to each other and learn from 159 00:08:37,516 --> 00:08:39,356 each other. 160 00:08:39,352 --> 00:08:41,352 And I believe it has to begin with a common 161 00:08:41,354 --> 00:08:43,354 understanding of some basic facts. 162 00:08:45,458 --> 00:08:51,468 And I express these facts, although they'd be obvious 163 00:08:55,468 --> 00:09:03,008 to many of the people in this place, because, 164 00:09:03,009 --> 00:09:06,749 unfortunately, it's not facts that are communicated 165 00:09:06,746 --> 00:09:10,316 on a regular basis through our media. 166 00:09:10,316 --> 00:09:12,316 So let's start with this fact: For more than a 167 00:09:12,318 --> 00:09:15,258 thousand years, people have been drawn to Islam's 168 00:09:15,254 --> 00:09:16,554 message of peace. 169 00:09:16,555 --> 00:09:18,555 And the very word itself, Islam, 170 00:09:18,557 --> 00:09:21,497 comes from salam -- peace. 171 00:09:21,494 --> 00:09:25,394 The standard greeting is as-salamu alaykum -- peace 172 00:09:25,398 --> 00:09:26,938 be upon you. 173 00:09:26,933 --> 00:09:30,403 And like so many faiths, Islam is rooted in a 174 00:09:30,403 --> 00:09:34,773 commitment to compassion and mercy and justice 175 00:09:34,774 --> 00:09:37,274 and charity. 176 00:09:37,276 --> 00:09:39,276 Whoever wants to enter paradise, 177 00:09:39,278 --> 00:09:41,318 the Prophet Muhammad taught, "let him treat people the 178 00:09:41,314 --> 00:09:44,654 way he would love to be treated." 179 00:09:44,650 --> 00:09:49,160 (applause) 180 00:09:55,261 --> 00:09:57,031 For Christians like myself, I'm assuming 181 00:09:57,029 --> 00:09:58,269 that sounds familiar. 182 00:09:58,264 --> 00:10:02,634 (laughter) 183 00:10:02,635 --> 00:10:05,775 The world's 1.6 billion Muslims are as diverse as 184 00:10:05,771 --> 00:10:07,241 humanity itself. 185 00:10:07,239 --> 00:10:09,079 They are Arabs and Africans. 186 00:10:09,075 --> 00:10:11,645 They're from Latin America to Southeast Asia; 187 00:10:11,644 --> 00:10:14,544 Brazilians, Nigerians, Bangladeshis, Indonesians. 188 00:10:14,547 --> 00:10:18,087 They are white and brown and black. 189 00:10:18,084 --> 00:10:20,154 There's a large African American Muslim community. 190 00:10:20,152 --> 00:10:23,392 That diversity is represented here today. 191 00:10:25,858 --> 00:10:28,998 A 14-year-old boy in Texas who's Muslim spoke for many 192 00:10:28,995 --> 00:10:30,395 when he wrote to me and said, 193 00:10:30,396 --> 00:10:32,396 "We just want to live in peace." 194 00:10:35,835 --> 00:10:39,075 Here's another fact: Islam has always been part 195 00:10:39,071 --> 00:10:40,671 of America. 196 00:10:40,673 --> 00:10:43,343 Starting in colonial times, many of the slaves brought 197 00:10:43,342 --> 00:10:47,082 here from Africa were Muslim. 198 00:10:47,079 --> 00:10:51,789 And even in their bondage, some kept their faith alive. 199 00:10:51,784 --> 00:10:54,224 A few even won their freedom and became known 200 00:10:54,220 --> 00:10:55,220 to many Americans. 201 00:10:55,221 --> 00:10:58,261 And when enshrining the freedom of religion in our 202 00:10:58,257 --> 00:11:00,657 Constitution and our Bill of Rights, 203 00:11:00,659 --> 00:11:03,999 our Founders meant what they said when they said it 204 00:11:03,996 --> 00:11:06,366 applied to all religions. 205 00:11:06,365 --> 00:11:11,975 Back then, Muslims were often called Mahometans. 206 00:11:11,971 --> 00:11:14,611 And Thomas Jefferson explained that the Virginia 207 00:11:14,607 --> 00:11:19,547 Statute for Religious Freedom he wrote was 208 00:11:19,545 --> 00:11:22,815 designed to protect all faiths -- and I'm quoting 209 00:11:22,815 --> 00:11:25,085 Thomas Jefferson now -- "the Jew and the Gentile, 210 00:11:25,084 --> 00:11:28,024 the Christian and the Mahometan." 211 00:11:28,020 --> 00:11:31,760 (applause) 212 00:11:37,029 --> 00:11:40,569 Jefferson and John Adams had their own copies 213 00:11:40,566 --> 00:11:42,566 of the Koran. 214 00:11:42,568 --> 00:11:45,838 Benjamin Franklin wrote that "even if the Mufti of 215 00:11:45,838 --> 00:11:48,908 Constantinople were to send a missionary to preach to 216 00:11:48,908 --> 00:11:51,748 us, he would find a pulpit at his service." 217 00:11:51,744 --> 00:11:56,214 (applause) 218 00:11:58,017 --> 00:12:03,327 So this is not a new thing. 219 00:12:03,322 --> 00:12:05,962 Generations of Muslim Americans helped to build 220 00:12:05,958 --> 00:12:06,988 our nation. 221 00:12:06,992 --> 00:12:10,092 They were part of the flow of immigrants who became 222 00:12:10,096 --> 00:12:13,196 farmers and merchants. 223 00:12:13,199 --> 00:12:17,439 They built America's first mosque, surprisingly enough, 224 00:12:17,436 --> 00:12:18,906 in North Dakota. 225 00:12:18,904 --> 00:12:21,044 (laughter) 226 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:24,610 America's oldest surviving mosque is in Iowa. 227 00:12:26,679 --> 00:12:30,779 The first Islamic center in New York City was built in 228 00:12:30,783 --> 00:12:34,423 the 1890s. 229 00:12:34,420 --> 00:12:37,990 Muslim Americans worked on Henry Ford's assembly line, 230 00:12:37,990 --> 00:12:40,860 cranking out cars. 231 00:12:40,860 --> 00:12:47,270 A Muslim American designed the skyscrapers of Chicago. 232 00:12:47,266 --> 00:12:50,206 In 1957, when dedicating the Islamic center in 233 00:12:50,202 --> 00:12:53,342 Washington, D.C., President Eisenhower said, 234 00:12:53,339 --> 00:12:56,079 "I should like to assure you, my Islamic friends, 235 00:12:56,075 --> 00:12:58,215 that under the American Constitution ... and in 236 00:12:58,210 --> 00:13:01,180 American hearts...this place of worship, 237 00:13:01,180 --> 00:13:03,850 is just as welcome...as any other religion." 238 00:13:03,849 --> 00:13:07,619 (applause) 239 00:13:13,759 --> 00:13:18,669 And perhaps the most pertinent fact, 240 00:13:18,664 --> 00:13:22,604 Muslim Americans enrich our lives today in every way. 241 00:13:22,601 --> 00:13:25,471 They're our neighbors, the teachers who inspire our 242 00:13:25,471 --> 00:13:29,071 children, the doctors who trust us with our health -- 243 00:13:29,074 --> 00:13:31,544 future doctors like Sabah. 244 00:13:31,544 --> 00:13:34,114 They're scientists who win Nobel Prizes, 245 00:13:34,113 --> 00:13:36,053 young entrepreneurs who are creating new technologies 246 00:13:36,048 --> 00:13:39,618 that we use all the time. 247 00:13:39,618 --> 00:13:42,858 They're the sports heroes we cheer for -- like Muhammad Ali 248 00:13:42,855 --> 00:13:48,595 and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon. 249 00:13:48,594 --> 00:13:51,464 And by the way, when Team USA marches into the next 250 00:13:51,463 --> 00:13:53,433 Olympics, one of the Americans waving the red, 251 00:13:53,432 --> 00:13:54,572 white and blue -- 252 00:13:54,567 --> 00:13:55,497 (applause) 253 00:13:55,501 --> 00:13:58,801 -- will a fencing champion, wearing her hijab, 254 00:13:58,804 --> 00:14:01,804 Ibtihaj Muhammad, who is here today. 255 00:14:01,807 --> 00:14:02,637 Stand up. 256 00:14:02,641 --> 00:14:09,551 (applause) 257 00:14:13,953 --> 00:14:15,383 I told her to bring home the gold. 258 00:14:15,387 --> 00:14:19,387 (laughter) 259 00:14:19,391 --> 00:14:20,561 Not to put any pressure on you. 260 00:14:20,559 --> 00:14:23,429 (laughter) 261 00:14:23,429 --> 00:14:25,499 Muslim Americans keep us safe. 262 00:14:25,497 --> 00:14:27,537 They're our police and our firefighters. 263 00:14:27,533 --> 00:14:29,403 They're in homeland security, 264 00:14:29,401 --> 00:14:34,911 in our intelligence community. 265 00:14:34,907 --> 00:14:39,377 They serve honorably in our armed forces -- meaning they 266 00:14:39,378 --> 00:14:43,018 fight and bleed and die for our freedom. 267 00:14:43,015 --> 00:14:46,015 Some rest in Arlington National Cemetery. 268 00:14:46,018 --> 00:14:49,958 (applause) 269 00:14:51,924 --> 00:14:54,924 So Muslim Americans are some of the most resilient and 270 00:14:54,927 --> 00:14:59,427 patriotic Americans you'll ever meet. 271 00:14:59,431 --> 00:15:01,431 We're honored to have some of our proud Muslim American 272 00:15:01,433 --> 00:15:02,973 servicemembers here today. 273 00:15:02,968 --> 00:15:05,208 Please stand if you're here, so we can thank you 274 00:15:05,204 --> 00:15:06,774 for your service. 275 00:15:06,772 --> 00:15:09,572 (applause) 276 00:15:21,754 --> 00:15:25,424 So part of the reason I want to lay out these facts is 277 00:15:25,424 --> 00:15:29,094 because, in the discussions that I was having with these 278 00:15:29,094 --> 00:15:35,504 incredibly accomplished young people, 279 00:15:35,501 --> 00:15:41,271 they were pointing that so often they felt invisible. 280 00:15:41,273 --> 00:15:47,143 And part of what we have to do is to lift up the 281 00:15:47,146 --> 00:15:52,016 contributions of the Muslim American community not when 282 00:15:52,017 --> 00:15:59,557 there's a problem, but all the time. 283 00:15:59,558 --> 00:16:04,168 Our television shows should have some Muslim characters 284 00:16:04,163 --> 00:16:07,203 that are unrelated to national security -- 285 00:16:07,199 --> 00:16:09,269 (applause) 286 00:16:09,268 --> 00:16:17,848 -- because -- it's not that hard to do. 287 00:16:17,843 --> 00:16:19,313 There was a time when there were no black people 288 00:16:19,311 --> 00:16:21,911 on television. 289 00:16:21,914 --> 00:16:26,684 And you can tell good stories while still 290 00:16:26,685 --> 00:16:34,055 representing the reality of our communities. 291 00:16:34,059 --> 00:16:37,999 Now, we do have another fact that we have to acknowledge. 292 00:16:37,996 --> 00:16:41,736 Even as the overwhelming majority -- and I repeat, 293 00:16:41,734 --> 00:16:43,934 the overwhelming majority -- of the world's Muslims 294 00:16:43,936 --> 00:16:48,006 embrace Islam as a source of peace, 295 00:16:48,006 --> 00:16:54,116 it is undeniable that a small fraction of Muslims 296 00:16:54,113 --> 00:16:58,183 propagate a perverted interpretation of Islam. 297 00:16:58,183 --> 00:17:00,583 This is the truth. 298 00:17:00,586 --> 00:17:04,726 Groups like al Qaeda and ISIL, 299 00:17:04,723 --> 00:17:06,523 they're not the first extremists in history to 300 00:17:06,525 --> 00:17:08,795 misuse God's name. 301 00:17:08,794 --> 00:17:15,034 We've seen it before, across faiths. 302 00:17:15,033 --> 00:17:23,343 But right now, there is a organized extremist element 303 00:17:23,342 --> 00:17:26,782 that draws selectively from Islamic texts, 304 00:17:26,779 --> 00:17:30,649 twists them in an attempt to justify their killing and 305 00:17:30,649 --> 00:17:32,819 their terror. 306 00:17:32,818 --> 00:17:35,358 They combine it with false claims that America and the 307 00:17:35,354 --> 00:17:40,324 West are at war with Islam. 308 00:17:40,325 --> 00:17:42,295 And this warped thinking that has found adherents 309 00:17:42,294 --> 00:17:44,534 around the world -- including, as we saw, 310 00:17:44,530 --> 00:17:46,770 tragically, in Boston and Chattanooga 311 00:17:46,765 --> 00:17:50,535 and San Bernardino -- is real. 312 00:17:50,536 --> 00:17:52,836 It's there. 313 00:17:52,838 --> 00:18:00,348 And it creates tensions and pressure that 314 00:18:00,345 --> 00:18:03,015 disproportionately burden the overwhelming majority of 315 00:18:03,015 --> 00:18:07,855 law-abiding Muslim citizens. 316 00:18:07,853 --> 00:18:09,453 And the question then is, how do we move 317 00:18:09,455 --> 00:18:10,485 forward together? 318 00:18:10,489 --> 00:18:12,659 How do we keep our country strong and united? 319 00:18:12,658 --> 00:18:18,898 How do we defend ourselves against organizations that 320 00:18:18,897 --> 00:18:23,507 are bent on killing innocents? 321 00:18:23,502 --> 00:18:26,602 And it can't be the work of any one faith alone. 322 00:18:26,605 --> 00:18:29,475 It can't be just a burden on the Muslim community -- 323 00:18:29,475 --> 00:18:31,275 although the Muslim community has to play 324 00:18:31,276 --> 00:18:31,946 a role. 325 00:18:31,944 --> 00:18:33,914 We all have responsibilities. 326 00:18:33,912 --> 00:18:34,852 So with the time I have left, 327 00:18:34,847 --> 00:18:37,247 I just want to suggest a few principles that I believe 328 00:18:37,249 --> 00:18:39,249 can guide us. 329 00:18:39,251 --> 00:18:42,321 First, at a time when others are trying to divide us 330 00:18:42,321 --> 00:18:47,531 along lines of religion or sect, 331 00:18:47,526 --> 00:18:51,966 we have to reaffirm that most fundamental of truths: 332 00:18:51,964 --> 00:18:53,294 We are all God's children. 333 00:18:53,298 --> 00:18:57,708 We're all born equal, with inherent dignity. 334 00:18:57,703 --> 00:18:59,903 And so often, we focus on our outward differences and 335 00:18:59,905 --> 00:19:03,905 we forget how much we share. 336 00:19:03,909 --> 00:19:10,849 Christians, Jews, Muslims -- we're all, under our faiths, 337 00:19:10,849 --> 00:19:15,819 descendants of Abraham. 338 00:19:15,821 --> 00:19:17,591 So mere tolerance of different religions 339 00:19:17,589 --> 00:19:18,319 is not enough. 340 00:19:18,323 --> 00:19:24,463 Our faiths summon us to embrace our common humanity. 341 00:19:24,463 --> 00:19:26,803 "O mankind," the Koran teaches, 342 00:19:26,798 --> 00:19:30,598 we have "made you peoples and tribes that you may know 343 00:19:30,602 --> 00:19:32,302 one another." 344 00:19:32,304 --> 00:19:36,374 (applause) 345 00:19:38,777 --> 00:19:46,187 So all of us have the task of expressing our religious 346 00:19:46,184 --> 00:19:52,654 faith in a way that seeks to build bridges rather 347 00:19:52,658 --> 00:19:57,728 than to divide. 348 00:19:57,729 --> 00:19:59,529 Second, as Americans, we have to stay true to our 349 00:19:59,531 --> 00:20:02,131 core values, and that includes freedom of religion 350 00:20:02,134 --> 00:20:04,234 for all faiths. 351 00:20:04,236 --> 00:20:07,736 I already mentioned our Founders, like Jefferson, 352 00:20:07,739 --> 00:20:10,939 knew that religious liberty is essential not only to 353 00:20:10,943 --> 00:20:15,643 protect religion but because religion helps strengthen 354 00:20:15,647 --> 00:20:20,687 our nation -- if it is free, if it is not an extension 355 00:20:20,686 --> 00:20:21,716 of the state. 356 00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:24,090 Part of what's happened in the Middle East and 357 00:20:24,089 --> 00:20:26,989 North Africa and other places where we see sectarian 358 00:20:26,992 --> 00:20:33,062 violence is religion being a tool for another agenda -- 359 00:20:33,065 --> 00:20:37,705 for power, for control. 360 00:20:37,703 --> 00:20:40,403 Freedom of religion helps prevent that, 361 00:20:40,405 --> 00:20:43,505 both ways -- protects religious faiths, 362 00:20:43,508 --> 00:20:48,448 protects the state from -- or those who want to take 363 00:20:48,447 --> 00:20:52,187 over the state from using religious animosity as a 364 00:20:52,184 --> 00:20:58,854 tool for their own ends. 365 00:20:58,857 --> 00:21:03,727 That doesn't mean that those of us with religious faith 366 00:21:03,729 --> 00:21:04,759 should not be involved. 367 00:21:04,763 --> 00:21:09,703 We have to be active citizenry. 368 00:21:09,701 --> 00:21:12,871 But we have to respect the fact that we have freedom 369 00:21:12,871 --> 00:21:15,871 of religion. 370 00:21:15,874 --> 00:21:18,144 Remember, many preachers and pastors fought to abolish 371 00:21:18,143 --> 00:21:20,283 the evil of slavery. 372 00:21:20,278 --> 00:21:22,778 People of faith advocated to improve conditions for 373 00:21:22,781 --> 00:21:24,951 workers and ban child labor. 374 00:21:24,950 --> 00:21:27,850 Dr. King was joined by people of many faiths, 375 00:21:27,853 --> 00:21:33,193 challenging us to live up to our ideals. 376 00:21:33,191 --> 00:21:42,231 And that civil activism, that civic participation 377 00:21:42,234 --> 00:21:44,574 that's the essence of our democracy, 378 00:21:44,569 --> 00:21:50,139 it is enhanced by freedom of religion. 379 00:21:50,142 --> 00:21:51,612 Now, we have to acknowledge that there have been times 380 00:21:51,610 --> 00:21:57,250 where we have fallen short of our ideals. 381 00:21:57,249 --> 00:21:59,049 By the way, Thomas Jefferson's opponents tried 382 00:21:59,051 --> 00:22:01,851 to stir things up by suggesting he was a Muslim 383 00:22:01,853 --> 00:22:03,393 -- so I was not the first -- 384 00:22:03,388 --> 00:22:07,058 (applause) 385 00:22:11,229 --> 00:22:12,729 No, it's true, it's true. 386 00:22:12,731 --> 00:22:13,701 Look it up. 387 00:22:13,699 --> 00:22:14,199 (laughter) 388 00:22:14,199 --> 00:22:15,069 I'm in good company. 389 00:22:15,067 --> 00:22:18,307 (laughter) 390 00:22:18,303 --> 00:22:21,903 But it hasn't just been attacks of that sort that 391 00:22:21,907 --> 00:22:23,277 have been used. 392 00:22:23,275 --> 00:22:28,885 Mormon communities have been attacked throughout our history. 393 00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:32,750 Catholics, including, most prominently, JFK 394 00:22:32,751 --> 00:22:34,821 -- John F. Kennedy -- when he ran for President, 395 00:22:34,820 --> 00:22:36,350 was accused of being disloyal. 396 00:22:36,354 --> 00:22:38,594 There was a suggestion that he would be taking orders 397 00:22:38,590 --> 00:22:41,590 from the Pope as opposed to upholding 398 00:22:41,593 --> 00:22:45,233 his constitutional duties. 399 00:22:45,230 --> 00:22:48,670 Anti-Semitism in this country has a sad and long 400 00:22:48,667 --> 00:22:53,607 history, and Jews were exclude routinely from 401 00:22:53,605 --> 00:22:59,175 colleges and professions and from public office. 402 00:22:59,177 --> 00:23:04,587 And so if we're serious about freedom of religion -- 403 00:23:04,583 --> 00:23:07,753 and I'm speaking now to my fellow Christians who remain 404 00:23:07,753 --> 00:23:11,453 the majority in this country -- we have to understand an 405 00:23:11,456 --> 00:23:14,056 attack on one faith is an attack on all our faiths. 406 00:23:14,059 --> 00:23:21,199 (applause) 407 00:23:21,199 --> 00:23:23,369 And when any religious group is targeted, 408 00:23:23,368 --> 00:23:27,268 we all have a responsibility to speak up. 409 00:23:27,272 --> 00:23:30,742 And we have to reject a politics that seeks to 410 00:23:30,742 --> 00:23:34,882 manipulate prejudice or bias, 411 00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:39,950 and targets people because of religion. 412 00:23:39,951 --> 00:23:42,821 We've got to make sure that hate crimes are punished, 413 00:23:42,821 --> 00:23:45,721 and that the civil rights of all Americans are upheld. 414 00:23:45,724 --> 00:23:50,664 (applause) 415 00:23:50,662 --> 00:23:53,462 And just as faith leaders, including Muslims, 416 00:23:53,465 --> 00:23:55,665 must speak out when Christians are persecuted 417 00:23:55,667 --> 00:23:56,807 around the world -- 418 00:23:56,802 --> 00:23:58,402 (applause) 419 00:23:58,403 --> 00:24:02,403 -- or when anti-Semitism is on the rise -- because the 420 00:24:02,407 --> 00:24:05,607 fact is, is that there are Christians who are targeted 421 00:24:05,610 --> 00:24:09,450 now in the Middle East, despite having been there 422 00:24:09,447 --> 00:24:15,117 for centuries, and there are Jews who've lived in places 423 00:24:15,120 --> 00:24:20,630 like France for centuries who now feel obliged to 424 00:24:20,625 --> 00:24:25,435 leave because they feel themselves under assault 425 00:24:25,430 --> 00:24:32,540 --sometimes by Muslims. 426 00:24:32,537 --> 00:24:36,707 We have to be consistent in condemning hateful rhetoric 427 00:24:36,708 --> 00:24:39,008 and violence against everyone. 428 00:24:39,010 --> 00:24:39,850 (applause) 429 00:24:39,845 --> 00:24:40,915 And that includes against Muslims here 430 00:24:40,912 --> 00:24:42,212 in the United States of America. 431 00:24:42,214 --> 00:24:44,614 (applause) 432 00:24:44,616 --> 00:24:50,386 So none of us can be silent. 433 00:24:50,388 --> 00:24:55,198 We can't be bystanders to bigotry. 434 00:24:55,193 --> 00:24:57,693 And together, we've got to show that America truly 435 00:24:57,696 --> 00:25:05,036 protects all faiths. 436 00:25:05,036 --> 00:25:06,836 Which brings me to my next point: As we protect our 437 00:25:06,838 --> 00:25:11,378 country from terrorism, we should not reinforce the 438 00:25:11,376 --> 00:25:15,916 ideas and the rhetoric of the terrorists themselves. 439 00:25:15,914 --> 00:25:17,714 I often hear it said that we need moral clarity 440 00:25:17,716 --> 00:25:20,416 in this fight. 441 00:25:20,418 --> 00:25:26,088 And the suggestion is somehow that if I would 442 00:25:26,091 --> 00:25:30,131 simply say, these are all Islamic terrorists, 443 00:25:30,128 --> 00:25:32,698 then we would actually have solved the problem 444 00:25:32,697 --> 00:25:33,667 by now, apparently. 445 00:25:33,665 --> 00:25:35,905 (laughter) 446 00:25:35,901 --> 00:25:40,001 Well, I agree, we actually do need moral clarity. 447 00:25:40,005 --> 00:25:41,375 Let's have some moral clarity. 448 00:25:41,373 --> 00:25:44,073 (applause) 449 00:25:44,075 --> 00:25:47,345 Groups like ISIL are desperate for legitimacy. 450 00:25:47,345 --> 00:25:48,845 They try to portray themselves as religious 451 00:25:48,847 --> 00:25:53,187 leaders and holy warriors who speak for Islam. 452 00:25:53,184 --> 00:25:55,324 I refuse to give them legitimacy. 453 00:25:55,320 --> 00:25:56,990 We must never give them that legitimacy. 454 00:25:56,988 --> 00:26:02,498 (applause) 455 00:26:02,494 --> 00:26:05,994 They're not defending Islam. 456 00:26:05,997 --> 00:26:07,337 They're not defending Muslims. 457 00:26:07,332 --> 00:26:09,302 The vast majority of the people they kill are 458 00:26:09,301 --> 00:26:12,141 innocent Muslim men, women and children. 459 00:26:12,137 --> 00:26:16,507 (applause) 460 00:26:16,508 --> 00:26:19,748 And, by the way, the notion that America is at war with 461 00:26:19,744 --> 00:26:25,114 Islam ignores the fact that the world's religions are a 462 00:26:25,116 --> 00:26:27,086 part of who we are. 463 00:26:27,085 --> 00:26:29,555 We can't be at war with any other religion because the 464 00:26:29,554 --> 00:26:32,894 world's religions are a part of the very fabric of the 465 00:26:32,891 --> 00:26:35,131 United States, our national character. 466 00:26:35,126 --> 00:26:41,436 (applause) 467 00:26:41,433 --> 00:26:46,603 So the best way for us to fight terrorism is to deny 468 00:26:46,604 --> 00:26:51,814 these organizations legitimacy and to show that 469 00:26:51,810 --> 00:26:53,350 here in the United States of America, 470 00:26:53,345 --> 00:26:56,585 we do not suppress Islam; we celebrate and lift up the 471 00:26:56,581 --> 00:26:58,551 success of Muslim Americans. 472 00:26:58,550 --> 00:27:02,390 That's how we show the lie that they're trying 473 00:27:02,387 --> 00:27:03,517 to propagate. 474 00:27:03,521 --> 00:27:04,191 (applause) 475 00:27:04,189 --> 00:27:09,029 We shouldn't play into terrorist propaganda. 476 00:27:09,027 --> 00:27:13,297 And we can't suggest that Islam itself is at the root 477 00:27:13,298 --> 00:27:13,968 of the problem. 478 00:27:13,965 --> 00:27:17,835 That betrays our values. 479 00:27:17,836 --> 00:27:19,376 It alienates Muslim Americans. 480 00:27:19,371 --> 00:27:25,511 It's hurtful to those kids who are trying to go to 481 00:27:25,510 --> 00:27:32,350 school and are members of the Boy Scouts, 482 00:27:32,350 --> 00:27:36,490 and are thinking about joining our military. 483 00:27:36,488 --> 00:27:40,328 That kind of mindset helps our enemies. 484 00:27:40,325 --> 00:27:42,325 It helps our enemies recruit. 485 00:27:42,327 --> 00:27:45,667 It makes us all less safe. 486 00:27:45,663 --> 00:27:52,103 So let's be clear about that. 487 00:27:54,539 --> 00:27:57,379 Now, finally, just as all Americans have a 488 00:27:57,375 --> 00:28:00,445 responsibility to reject discrimination -- I've said 489 00:28:00,445 --> 00:28:03,385 this before -- Muslims around the world have a 490 00:28:03,381 --> 00:28:08,591 responsibility to reject extremist ideologies that 491 00:28:08,586 --> 00:28:16,466 are trying to penetrate within Muslim communities. 492 00:28:16,461 --> 00:28:18,301 Here at this mosque, and across our country and 493 00:28:18,296 --> 00:28:22,806 around the world, Muslim leaders are roundly and 494 00:28:22,801 --> 00:28:26,441 repeatedly and consistently condemning terrorism. 495 00:28:26,438 --> 00:28:28,578 And around the globe, Muslims who've dared to 496 00:28:28,573 --> 00:28:33,083 speak out have often been targeted and even killed. 497 00:28:33,078 --> 00:28:36,148 So those voices are there; we just have to amplify 498 00:28:36,147 --> 00:28:37,647 them more. 499 00:28:37,649 --> 00:28:41,249 (applause) 500 00:28:41,252 --> 00:28:43,822 And it was interesting, in the discussion I had before 501 00:28:43,822 --> 00:28:45,392 I came out, some people said, 502 00:28:45,390 --> 00:28:48,590 why is there always a burden on us? 503 00:28:48,593 --> 00:28:54,263 When a young man in Charleston shoots African 504 00:28:54,265 --> 00:28:57,105 Americans in a church, there's not an expectation 505 00:28:57,102 --> 00:28:59,442 that every white person in America suddenly is 506 00:28:59,437 --> 00:29:02,177 explaining that they're not racist. 507 00:29:02,173 --> 00:29:05,773 They can -- everybody is assumed to be horrified by 508 00:29:05,777 --> 00:29:07,777 that act. 509 00:29:07,779 --> 00:29:10,579 And I recognize that sometimes that 510 00:29:10,582 --> 00:29:14,252 doesn't feel fair. 511 00:29:14,252 --> 00:29:17,192 But part of the answer is to make sure that the Muslim 512 00:29:17,188 --> 00:29:19,428 community in all of its variety, 513 00:29:19,424 --> 00:29:22,164 in all the good works that it's doing, 514 00:29:22,160 --> 00:29:24,860 in all the talent that's on display, 515 00:29:24,863 --> 00:29:28,333 that it's out there visible on a consistent basis -- not 516 00:29:28,333 --> 00:29:32,603 just at a certain moment. 517 00:29:32,604 --> 00:29:34,574 (applause) 518 00:29:34,572 --> 00:29:38,642 But what is also true is, is that there is a battle of 519 00:29:38,643 --> 00:29:43,283 hearts and minds that takes place -- that is taking 520 00:29:43,281 --> 00:29:46,951 place right now, and American Muslims are better 521 00:29:46,951 --> 00:29:51,121 positioned than anybody to show that it is possible to 522 00:29:51,122 --> 00:29:56,132 be faithful to Islam and to be part of a pluralistic 523 00:29:56,127 --> 00:29:59,627 society, and to be on the cutting-edge of science, 524 00:29:59,631 --> 00:30:02,171 and to believe in democracy. 525 00:30:02,167 --> 00:30:04,437 (applause) 526 00:30:04,435 --> 00:30:08,705 And so I would urge all of you not to see this as a 527 00:30:08,706 --> 00:30:16,046 burden, but as a great opportunity and a great 528 00:30:16,047 --> 00:30:20,617 privilege to show who you are. 529 00:30:20,618 --> 00:30:25,428 To use a little Christian expression 530 00:30:25,423 --> 00:30:30,463 -- let your light shine. 531 00:30:30,461 --> 00:30:35,131 Because when you do you'll make clear that this is not 532 00:30:35,133 --> 00:30:40,103 a clash of civilizations between the West and Islam. 533 00:30:40,104 --> 00:30:44,514 This is a struggle between the peace-loving, 534 00:30:44,509 --> 00:30:48,649 overwhelming majority of Muslims around the world and 535 00:30:48,646 --> 00:30:52,956 a radical, tiny minority. 536 00:30:52,951 --> 00:30:58,921 And ultimately, I'm confident that the 537 00:30:58,923 --> 00:31:03,993 overwhelming majority will win that battle. 538 00:31:03,995 --> 00:31:08,235 (applause) 539 00:31:08,233 --> 00:31:10,433 Muslims will decide the future of your faith. 540 00:31:10,435 --> 00:31:14,105 And I'm confident in the direction that it will go. 541 00:31:14,105 --> 00:31:16,405 But across the Islamic world, 542 00:31:16,407 --> 00:31:21,717 influential voices should consistently speak out with 543 00:31:21,713 --> 00:31:25,653 an affirmative vision of their faith. 544 00:31:25,650 --> 00:31:27,120 And it's happening. 545 00:31:27,118 --> 00:31:29,158 These are the voices of Muslim clerics who teach 546 00:31:29,153 --> 00:31:31,323 that Islam prohibits terrorism, 547 00:31:31,322 --> 00:31:33,462 for the Koran says whoever kills an innocent, 548 00:31:33,458 --> 00:31:35,628 it is as if he has killed all mankind. 549 00:31:35,627 --> 00:31:38,927 (applause) 550 00:31:38,930 --> 00:31:41,100 These are the voices of Muslim scholars, 551 00:31:41,099 --> 00:31:44,699 some of whom join us today, who know Islam has a 552 00:31:44,702 --> 00:31:48,472 tradition of respect for other faiths; 553 00:31:48,473 --> 00:31:50,113 and Muslim teachers who point out that the first 554 00:31:50,108 --> 00:31:55,778 word revealed in the Koran -- igra -- means "read" -- 555 00:31:55,780 --> 00:31:58,220 to seek knowledge, to question assumptions. 556 00:31:58,216 --> 00:32:02,986 (applause) 557 00:32:02,987 --> 00:32:04,787 Muslim political leaders have to push back on the lie 558 00:32:04,789 --> 00:32:08,259 that the West oppresses Muslims, 559 00:32:08,259 --> 00:32:10,829 and against conspiracy theories that says America 560 00:32:10,828 --> 00:32:14,828 is the cause of every ill in the Middle East. 561 00:32:14,832 --> 00:32:18,032 Now, that doesn't mean that Muslim Americans aren't free 562 00:32:18,036 --> 00:32:19,466 to criticize American 563 00:32:19,470 --> 00:32:21,010 -- U.S. foreign policy. 564 00:32:21,005 --> 00:32:23,345 That's part of being an American. 565 00:32:23,341 --> 00:32:25,511 I promise you, as the President of the United States, 566 00:32:25,510 --> 00:32:29,280 I'm mindful that that is a healthy tradition 567 00:32:29,280 --> 00:32:31,280 that is alive and well in America. 568 00:32:31,282 --> 00:32:34,522 (laughter) 569 00:32:34,519 --> 00:32:37,319 But like leaders everywhere, these leaders have been 570 00:32:37,322 --> 00:32:39,962 offering, and need to continue to offer, 571 00:32:39,957 --> 00:32:42,597 a positive vision for progress, 572 00:32:42,593 --> 00:32:48,863 and that includes political and economic progress. 573 00:32:48,866 --> 00:32:51,036 And we have to acknowledge that much of the violence in 574 00:32:51,035 --> 00:33:00,175 places like the Middle East is now turning into fights 575 00:33:00,178 --> 00:33:06,788 between sects -- Shia, Sunni and others -- where 576 00:33:06,784 --> 00:33:08,984 differences are often exploited to serve political 577 00:33:08,986 --> 00:33:10,626 agendas, as I said earlier. 578 00:33:10,621 --> 00:33:12,661 And this bloodshed is destroying Muslim families 579 00:33:12,657 --> 00:33:19,897 and communities, and there has to be global pressure to 580 00:33:19,897 --> 00:33:24,937 have the vision and the courage to end this kind of 581 00:33:24,936 --> 00:33:30,606 thinking and this approach to organizing political power. 582 00:33:30,608 --> 00:33:33,608 It's not historically unique. 583 00:33:33,611 --> 00:33:35,881 It's happened in every part of the world -- from 584 00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:40,520 Northern Ireland to Africa, to Asia, 585 00:33:40,518 --> 00:33:45,428 to right here in the United States -- in the past. 586 00:33:45,423 --> 00:33:51,063 But it is something that we have to fight against. 587 00:33:51,062 --> 00:33:53,662 And we know it's possible. 588 00:33:53,664 --> 00:33:56,164 Across the history of Islam, different sects 589 00:33:56,167 --> 00:33:59,007 traditionally have lived and thrived together peacefully. 590 00:33:59,003 --> 00:34:01,173 And in many parts of the world they do today, 591 00:34:01,172 --> 00:34:04,672 including here in the United States. 592 00:34:04,675 --> 00:34:06,175 Like people of all religions, 593 00:34:06,177 --> 00:34:08,017 Muslims living their faith in a modern, 594 00:34:08,012 --> 00:34:13,922 pluralistic world are called upon to uphold human rights, 595 00:34:13,918 --> 00:34:16,218 to make sure that everyone has opportunity. 596 00:34:16,220 --> 00:34:18,990 That includes the aspirations of women and 597 00:34:18,990 --> 00:34:23,090 youth and all people. 598 00:34:23,094 --> 00:34:25,564 If we expect our own dignity to be respected, 599 00:34:25,563 --> 00:34:28,703 so must we respect the dignity of others. 600 00:34:28,699 --> 00:34:32,639 (applause) 601 00:34:35,339 --> 00:34:39,079 So let me conclude by saying that as Muslim communities 602 00:34:39,076 --> 00:34:41,676 stand up for the future that you believe in, 603 00:34:41,679 --> 00:34:45,049 that you exhibit in your daily lives, 604 00:34:45,049 --> 00:34:54,029 as you teach your children, America will be your partner. 605 00:34:54,025 --> 00:35:01,295 We will -- I will -- do everything I can to lift up 606 00:35:01,299 --> 00:35:03,569 the multiplicity of Muslim voices that promote 607 00:35:03,568 --> 00:35:05,268 pluralism and peace. 608 00:35:05,269 --> 00:35:08,939 (applause) 609 00:35:08,940 --> 00:35:11,040 We will continue to reach out to young Muslims around 610 00:35:11,042 --> 00:35:13,142 the world, empowering them with science and technology 611 00:35:13,144 --> 00:35:16,444 and entrepreneurship, so they can pursue their 612 00:35:16,447 --> 00:35:18,987 God-given potential, and help build up their 613 00:35:18,983 --> 00:35:22,223 communities and provide opportunity. 614 00:35:22,220 --> 00:35:24,120 It's why we will continue to partner with Muslim American 615 00:35:24,121 --> 00:35:27,591 communities -- not just to help you protect against 616 00:35:27,592 --> 00:35:29,992 extremist threats, but to expand health care and 617 00:35:29,994 --> 00:35:31,464 education and opportunity -- 618 00:35:31,462 --> 00:35:32,862 (applause) 619 00:35:32,864 --> 00:35:34,434 -- because that's the best way to build strong, 620 00:35:34,432 --> 00:35:38,672 resilient communities. 621 00:35:38,669 --> 00:35:43,779 Our values must guide us in this work. 622 00:35:43,774 --> 00:35:46,314 Engagement with Muslim American communities must 623 00:35:46,310 --> 00:35:48,180 never be a cover for surveillance. 624 00:35:48,179 --> 00:35:49,009 (applause) 625 00:35:49,013 --> 00:35:51,083 We can't give in to profiling entire groups 626 00:35:51,082 --> 00:35:53,652 of people. 627 00:35:53,651 --> 00:35:56,221 There's no one single profile of terrorists. 628 00:35:56,220 --> 00:35:58,460 We can't securitize our entire relationship with 629 00:35:58,456 --> 00:36:00,026 Muslim Americans. 630 00:36:00,024 --> 00:36:01,824 We can't deal with you solely through the prism of 631 00:36:01,826 --> 00:36:03,156 law enforcement. 632 00:36:03,160 --> 00:36:06,030 We've got to build trust and mutual respect. 633 00:36:06,030 --> 00:36:09,230 That's how we'll keep our communities strong and our 634 00:36:09,233 --> 00:36:12,803 communities united. 635 00:36:12,803 --> 00:36:16,973 As I was in discussion with the young people before I 636 00:36:16,974 --> 00:36:23,644 came in here, I said this will be a process. 637 00:36:23,648 --> 00:36:28,388 Law enforcement has a tough job. 638 00:36:28,386 --> 00:36:30,126 Some of these groups are specifically trying to 639 00:36:30,121 --> 00:36:33,161 target Muslim youth. 640 00:36:33,157 --> 00:36:35,997 We're going to have to be partners in this process. 641 00:36:35,993 --> 00:36:40,193 There will be times where the relationship is clumsy 642 00:36:40,197 --> 00:36:42,667 or mishandled. 643 00:36:42,667 --> 00:36:46,467 But I want you to know that from the President to the 644 00:36:46,470 --> 00:36:48,910 FBI Director, to everybody in law enforcement, 645 00:36:48,906 --> 00:36:51,446 my directive and their understanding is, 646 00:36:51,442 --> 00:36:55,682 is that this is something we have to do together. 647 00:36:55,680 --> 00:36:59,620 And if we don't do it well, then we're actually not 648 00:36:59,617 --> 00:37:01,587 making ourselves safer; we're making ourselves 649 00:37:01,586 --> 00:37:05,886 less safe. 650 00:37:05,890 --> 00:37:08,030 And here, I want to speak directly to the young people 651 00:37:08,025 --> 00:37:11,365 who may be listening. 652 00:37:11,362 --> 00:37:14,162 In our lives, we all have many identities. 653 00:37:14,165 --> 00:37:16,705 We are sons and daughters, and brothers and sisters. 654 00:37:16,701 --> 00:37:26,141 We're classmates; Cub Scout troop members. 655 00:37:26,143 --> 00:37:27,913 We're followers of our faith. 656 00:37:27,912 --> 00:37:31,112 We're citizens of our country. 657 00:37:31,115 --> 00:37:33,855 And today, there are voices in this world, 658 00:37:33,851 --> 00:37:35,291 particularly over the Internet, 659 00:37:35,286 --> 00:37:39,086 who are constantly claiming that you have to choose 660 00:37:39,090 --> 00:37:44,160 between your identities -- as a Muslim, for example, 661 00:37:44,161 --> 00:37:45,061 or an American. 662 00:37:45,062 --> 00:37:46,762 Do not believe them. 663 00:37:46,764 --> 00:37:48,664 If you're ever wondering whether you fit in here, 664 00:37:48,666 --> 00:37:50,166 let me say it as clearly as I can, 665 00:37:50,167 --> 00:37:53,307 as President of the United States: You fit in here 666 00:37:53,304 --> 00:37:54,404 -- right here. 667 00:37:54,405 --> 00:37:55,405 (applause) 668 00:37:55,406 --> 00:37:56,536 You're right where you belong. 669 00:37:56,540 --> 00:37:57,910 You're part of America, too. 670 00:37:57,908 --> 00:38:02,078 (applause) 671 00:38:03,114 --> 00:38:04,954 You're not Muslim or American. 672 00:38:04,949 --> 00:38:06,319 You're Muslim and American. 673 00:38:06,317 --> 00:38:10,417 (applause) 674 00:38:10,421 --> 00:38:14,261 Don't grow cynical. 675 00:38:14,258 --> 00:38:17,028 Don't respond to ignorance by embracing a world view 676 00:38:17,028 --> 00:38:18,898 that suggests you must choose between your faith 677 00:38:18,896 --> 00:38:21,066 and your patriotism. 678 00:38:21,065 --> 00:38:26,105 Don't believe that you have to choose between your best 679 00:38:26,103 --> 00:38:36,443 impulses and somehow embrace a world view that pits us 680 00:38:36,447 --> 00:38:39,687 against each other -- or, even worse, 681 00:38:39,684 --> 00:38:43,324 glorifies violence. 682 00:38:43,320 --> 00:38:46,920 Understand your power to bring about change. 683 00:38:46,924 --> 00:38:48,694 Stay engaged in your community. 684 00:38:48,693 --> 00:38:52,663 Help move our country forward -- your country forward. 685 00:38:52,663 --> 00:38:56,833 (applause) 686 00:38:58,636 --> 00:39:01,306 We are blessed to live in a nation where even if we 687 00:39:01,305 --> 00:39:05,045 sometimes stumble, even if we sometimes fall short, 688 00:39:05,042 --> 00:39:08,442 we never stop striving for our ideals. 689 00:39:08,446 --> 00:39:12,146 We keep moving closer to that more perfect union. 690 00:39:12,149 --> 00:39:14,119 We're a country where, if you work hard and if you 691 00:39:14,118 --> 00:39:18,658 play by the rules, you can ultimately make it, 692 00:39:18,656 --> 00:39:22,456 no matter who you are or how you pray. 693 00:39:22,460 --> 00:39:27,970 It may not always start off even in the race, but here, 694 00:39:27,965 --> 00:39:30,135 more than any place else, there's the opportunity to 695 00:39:30,134 --> 00:39:31,834 run that race. 696 00:39:31,836 --> 00:39:34,506 And as we go forward, I want every Muslim American to 697 00:39:34,505 --> 00:39:36,805 remember you are not alone. 698 00:39:36,807 --> 00:39:39,447 Your fellow Americans stand with you -- just as Sabah 699 00:39:39,443 --> 00:39:45,083 described her friends after she decided that she was 700 00:39:45,082 --> 00:39:47,682 going to start wearing a hijab. 701 00:39:47,685 --> 00:39:52,755 That's not unusual. 702 00:39:52,757 --> 00:39:57,127 Because just as so often we only hear about Muslims 703 00:39:57,128 --> 00:40:01,168 after a terrorist attack, so often we only hear about 704 00:40:01,165 --> 00:40:04,705 Americans' response to Muslims after a hate crime 705 00:40:04,702 --> 00:40:07,802 has happened, we don't always hear about the 706 00:40:07,805 --> 00:40:14,645 extraordinary respect and love and community that so 707 00:40:14,645 --> 00:40:17,115 many Americans feel. 708 00:40:17,114 --> 00:40:19,484 I'm thinking about the seven-year-old boy in Texas 709 00:40:19,483 --> 00:40:22,453 who emptied his piggy bank to help a mosque that had 710 00:40:22,453 --> 00:40:23,583 been vandalized. 711 00:40:23,587 --> 00:40:25,927 (applause) 712 00:40:25,923 --> 00:40:31,763 Or all the faith communities that rallied around Muslim 713 00:40:31,762 --> 00:40:38,872 Americans after the tragedy in Chapel Hill. 714 00:40:38,869 --> 00:40:41,109 The churches and the synagogues standing 715 00:40:41,105 --> 00:40:44,175 shoulder-to-shoulder with their local mosques, 716 00:40:44,175 --> 00:40:46,575 including the woman carrying a sign saying "We love our 717 00:40:46,577 --> 00:40:50,877 Muslim neighbors." 718 00:40:50,881 --> 00:40:52,721 Think of our men and women in uniform who, 719 00:40:52,716 --> 00:40:54,456 when they heard that a little girl was afraid 720 00:40:54,451 --> 00:40:56,991 because she's a Muslim, sent her a message 721 00:40:56,987 --> 00:40:58,687 -- "I Will Protect You." 722 00:40:58,689 --> 00:41:04,199 (applause) 723 00:41:05,596 --> 00:41:07,666 I want every American to remember how Muslim 724 00:41:07,665 --> 00:41:10,765 communities are standing up for others, as well. 725 00:41:10,768 --> 00:41:12,768 Because right now, as we speak, 726 00:41:12,770 --> 00:41:15,470 there are Muslims in Kenya who saved Christians from 727 00:41:15,472 --> 00:41:18,372 terrorists, and Muslims who just met in Morocco to 728 00:41:18,375 --> 00:41:19,645 protect religious minorities, 729 00:41:19,643 --> 00:41:21,113 including Christians and Jews. 730 00:41:21,111 --> 00:41:26,451 (applause) 731 00:41:26,450 --> 00:41:29,220 The good people of this mosque helped this city move 732 00:41:29,220 --> 00:41:32,020 forward after the turmoil of last year. 733 00:41:32,022 --> 00:41:33,692 Muslim Americans across the country helped 734 00:41:33,691 --> 00:41:37,561 African American churches rebuild after arson. 735 00:41:37,561 --> 00:41:39,631 Remember the Muslim Americans in Boston who 736 00:41:39,630 --> 00:41:43,400 reached out to victims of the Marathon bombing; 737 00:41:43,400 --> 00:41:46,040 the Muslim Americans across the country who raised money 738 00:41:46,036 --> 00:41:48,636 for the families of San Bernardino; 739 00:41:48,639 --> 00:41:50,909 the Muslim Americans in Chattanooga who honored our 740 00:41:50,908 --> 00:41:53,348 fallen servicemembers, one of them saying, 741 00:41:53,344 --> 00:41:57,114 "in the name of God, the God of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, 742 00:41:57,114 --> 00:42:00,584 and Muhammad, God bless our fallen heroes." 743 00:42:00,584 --> 00:42:05,624 (applause) 744 00:42:06,423 --> 00:42:09,393 We are one American family. 745 00:42:09,393 --> 00:42:13,563 We will rise and fall together. 746 00:42:13,564 --> 00:42:16,734 It won't always be easy. 747 00:42:16,734 --> 00:42:24,204 There will be times where our worst impulses 748 00:42:24,208 --> 00:42:28,348 are given voice. 749 00:42:28,345 --> 00:42:32,085 But I believe that ultimately, 750 00:42:32,082 --> 00:42:36,392 our best voices will win out. 751 00:42:36,387 --> 00:42:38,527 And that gives me confidence and faith in the future. 752 00:42:38,522 --> 00:42:40,292 (applause) 753 00:42:40,291 --> 00:42:47,231 After more than 200 years, our blended heritage, 754 00:42:47,231 --> 00:42:49,131 the patchwork quilt which is America, 755 00:42:49,133 --> 00:42:50,803 that is not a weakness, that is one of our 756 00:42:50,801 --> 00:42:52,471 greatest strengths. 757 00:42:52,469 --> 00:42:54,939 It's what makes us a beacon to the world. 758 00:42:54,939 --> 00:42:57,879 It's what led that mother who wrote to me -- the one 759 00:42:57,875 --> 00:43:02,115 who worries about her young daughter -- it led her to 760 00:43:02,112 --> 00:43:04,812 end her letter with hope, despite her fears. 761 00:43:04,815 --> 00:43:13,625 She said, "I still believe in one nation, under God, 762 00:43:13,624 --> 00:43:16,924 indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." 763 00:43:16,927 --> 00:43:18,697 (applause) 764 00:43:18,696 --> 00:43:20,396 May God's peace be upon you. 765 00:43:20,397 --> 00:43:22,197 May God bless the United States of America. 766 00:43:22,199 --> 00:43:23,539 Thank you very much, everybody. 767 00:43:23,534 --> 00:43:25,474 (applause)