Obama: ‘Inexcusable Political Rhetoric’ Gives Americans ‘Hugely Distorted Impression’ of Muslims

Wednesday at the Islamic Society of Baltimore, President Barack Obama said many American do not know Muslims so they get their “hugely distorted impression” of Muslims from “distorted media portrayals” and “inexcusable political rhetoric,” after terror attacks.

Obama said, “Muslim American community remains relatively very small in this country, and as a result, most Americans don’t know or at least don’t know that they know a Muslim person. And as a result, many only hear about Muslims and Islam from the news after an act of terrorism, or in distorted media portrayals in TV or film, all of which gives this hugely distorted impression. And since 9/11, but more recently, since the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, you’ve seen too often people conflating the horrific acts of terrorism with the beliefs of an entire faith. And of course, recently we’ve heard inexcusable political rhetoric against Muslim Americans that has no place in our country. No surprise then that threats and harassment of Muslim Americans have surged. Here at this mosque, twice last year, threats were made against your children. Around the country women wearing the hijab, just like Saba, had been targeted. We’ve seen children bullied, we have seen mosques vandalized.”

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