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Obama: We Must Change The Narrative On Islam To Combat Violent Extremists

Longshot Lou

Longshot Lou

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In a keynote address at a summit on violent extremism, President Obama said people of all faiths have to try to change the narrative that Islam is incompatible with a modern society, if the international community is to combat what he called a "generational challenge."

Obama said that this past Valentine's Day, he received a note from an 11-year-old Muslim-American girl.

She wrote that she enjoyed being an American and that she wants to be an engineer or a basketball player. She also told the president that she was worried that people hated Muslims and he wanted him to tell the world that, "we are good people and we are just like everyone else."

"Those are the words and wisdom of a little girl growing up in America, just like my girls are growing up in America," Obama said.

The antidote to violent extremism, Obama said, is to lift up the voices of people like that 11-year-old girl and Muslims who have been successful in the United States.

Those are the stories, Obama said, that groups like al-Qaida and the self-declared Islamic State would want to keep out of spotlight.

Obama spoke during a week-long meeting that is focused on fighting home-grown terror. As our friends over at It's All Politics reported, today's sessions highlighted three pilot programs in "three American cities designed to combat recruiting by radical groups."

During his speech, Obama said that aside from changing the narrative on Islam, communities and governments must also do more to address the economic and political grievances that terrorists use to recruit vulnerable youth.

Obama said that, of course, there is a military component to this because there are things the Islamic State is doing that have to stop immediately. But in the long term, the way to end violent extremism is to "make it clear to all of the children that you have a place... that you have a place here in america... you have a future."
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Obama: We Must Change The Narrative On Islam To Combat Violent Extremists : The Two-Way : NPR
 
In the text of his address, Obama says

The United States has made significant gains against terrorism. We've decimated the core al Qaeda leadership, strengthened homeland security and worked to prevent another large-scale attack like 9/11.

At the same time, the threat has evolved. The al Qaeda affiliate in Yemen actively plots against us. Since 9/11, terrorists have murdered U.S. citizens overseas, including in the attacks in Benghazi, Libya. Here in the United States, Americans have been killed at Ft. Hood and during the Boston Marathon.

In Syria and Iraq, the terrorist group we call ISIL has slaughtered innocent civilians and murdered hostages, including Americans, and has spread its barbarism to Libya with the murder of Egyptian Christians. In recent months, we've seen deadly attacks in Ottawa, Sydney, Paris and Copenhagen.

Elsewhere, the Pakistan Taliban massacred more than 100 schoolchildren and their teachers. From Somalia, al-Shabaab has launched attacks across East Africa. In Nigeria and neighboring countries, Boko Haram kills and kidnaps men, women and children.

In the face of this challenge, we must stand united internationally and here at home. We know that military force alone cannot solve this problem. Nor can we simply take out terrorists who kill innocent civilians. We also have to confront the violent extremists — the propagandists, recruiters and enablers — who may not directly engage in terrorist acts themselves, but who radicalize, recruit and incite others to do so.

This week, we'll take an important step forward as governments, civil society groups and community leaders from more than 60 nations gather in Washington for a global summit on countering violent extremism. Our focus will be on empowering local communities.

Groups like al Qaeda and ISIL promote a twisted interpretation of religion that is rejected by the overwhelming majority of the world's Muslims. The world must continue to lift up the voices of Muslim clerics and scholars who teach the true peaceful nature of Islam. We can echo the testimonies of former extremists who know how terrorists betray Islam. We can help Muslim entrepreneurs and youths work with the private sector to develop social media tools to counter extremist narratives on the Internet.
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http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-obama-terrorism-conference-20150218-story.html<#navtype=outfit
 
In the midst of the carnage, despair and bigotry, someone in authority should speak up for peace and understanding, as the President is doing. Bombs the ISIS killers on one hand, and promotes societal and religious tolerance and communication and peace with the other hand.

I see nothing whatsoever "wrong" with that approach.
 
More evidence that Obama is an idiot.
 
Mr. Obama must get off his high horse before preaching. Most Americans know fine well the difference between a peaceful Muslim who seeks a better life for him or herself and their family here, or anywhere else in the world, and the extreme cowardly psychopaths who kill in the name of their religion.
So if the Prez would start defining in those terms, he would actually help peace loving Muslims distinguish themselves from the radicals. Instead of preaching the "stick your head in the sand and smile" method, call Islamic terrorists what they are, for they define themselves by their religion, they are killing in the name of their religion.
Mr. President, we aren't stupid. We know the difference between a school girl of Islamic faith and an ISIL fighter. Give us some credit.

people of all faiths have to try to change the narrative that Islam is incompatible with a modern society
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On this one, the jury is still out. Change must come from within the Muslim community. Until then, and until women aren't beaten by their husband simply because they can, until women are allowed to drive, or are otherwise equal to men, I am entitled to the opinion that, yes, Islam is, for a large part, incompatible with a modern society.
If we want to do everyone, and esp Muslim women a favor, we mustn't pretend it isn't so. We do only fix problems if we define them first. Finding excuses does not.
 
Personally, I would like to see the letter sent to him by this supposed little Muslim girl. Not to say I don't believe that no Muslim women in the world wish to be basketball players, but it does sound like a Brian Williams type declaration. Pulls at your heart string, but sounds just a little fishy. Shouldn't be too hard to provide that letter. Post it on their site or something. I do believe that more examples such as that would help those in the western world succumb to the reality that not every Muslim hates us.
 
"We Must Change The Narrative On Islam To Combat Violent Extremists"

Well, at least changing the narrative won't cost much money.
 
people of all faiths have to try to change the narrative that Islam is incompatible with a modern society
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Unless and until all of Islam abandons Sharia Law the Muslim Faith will be 100% incompatible with modern society. End of line.
 
You have to eradicate the cancer before you focus on healing the body.
 
Moon said:
You have to eradicate the cancer before you focus on healing the body.
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So endless amounts of blood and treasure to build up other countries instead of our own should be thought of as "Chemotherapy".

**** that, no more dying for their countries sake.

Let them sort out this crap themselves.
 
Jetboogieman said:
So endless amounts of blood and treasure to build up other countries instead of our own should be thought of as "Chemotherapy".

**** that, no more dying for their countries sake.

Let them sort out this crap themselves.
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The idea that we are an island in a global world is asinine.
 
Longshot Lou said:
In the midst of the carnage, despair and bigotry, someone in authority should speak up for peace and understanding, as the President is doing. Bombs the ISIS killers on one hand, and promotes societal and religious tolerance and communication and peace with the other hand.

I see nothing whatsoever "wrong" with that approach.
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Obama is fundamentally wrong about what motivates radical Muslims. The members of ISIS are people who were rich and poor, educated and uneducated. It wasn't poverty or deprivation or a lack of education that spurred them to join. It was a search for meaning. ISIS offered them what any religion or ideology offers, a way for their lives to mean something. History is replete with stories of the lengths young people will go to find meaning.

The secularists in the White House don't understand this, and this is why they will fail. They see everything in terms of economics. Certainly economics is important, but it's not the most important thing, and it's not a sufficient thing in this case. What will turn people away from the radical Muslim ideology is Islam. We could make great gains toward eliminating ISIS by pressuring Muslim clerics to declare ISIS to be unfaithful Muslims, for example. But the White House and this President are going to miss that opportunity because they are willfully blind to the religious aspects of the problem. It does no good to say that ISIS is not Muslim because everyone knows they are Muslim. It does no good to say that Islam is a religion of peace because everyone knows Islam was spread by the sword. ISIS has learned Imams on its side. It takes a lot of other Imams saying that ISIS clerics are wrong to counter this. And it is true that while Islam was sometimes violent there were things that Muslims were forbidden to do that ISIS is doing with great gusto, like killing lots of other Muslims.
 
fmw said:
"We Must Change The Narrative On Islam To Combat Violent Extremists"

Well, at least changing the narrative won't cost much money.
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Yes it will. I am sure the administration will buy ads to change the narrative. I am also sure there are many other ways to waste money on this.
 
LowDown said:
Obama is fundamentally wrong about what motivates radical Muslims. The members of ISIS are people who were rich and poor, educated and uneducated. It wasn't poverty or deprivation or a lack of education that spurred them to join. It was a search for meaning. ISIS offered them what any religion or ideology offers, a way for their lives to mean something. History is replete with stories of the lengths young people will go to find meaning.

The secularists in the White House don't understand this, and this is why they will fail. They see everything in terms of economics. Certainly economics is important, but it's not the most important thing, and it's not a sufficient thing in this case. What will turn people away from the radical Muslim ideology is Islam. We could make great gains toward eliminating ISIS by pressuring Muslim clerics to declare ISIS to be unfaithful Muslims, for example. But the White House and this President are going to miss that opportunity because they are willfully blind to the religious aspects of the problem. It does no good to say that ISIS is not Muslim because everyone knows they are Muslim. It does no good to say that Islam is a religion of peace because everyone knows Islam was spread by the sword. ISIS has learned Imams on its side. It takes a lot of other Imams saying that ISIS clerics are wrong to counter this. And it is true that while Islam was sometimes violent there were things that Muslims were forbidden to do that ISIS is doing with great gusto, like killing lots of other Muslims.
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this would be as beneficial as pressuring other Christian ministers to speak out in opposition to the stupid statements of the likes of pat robertson and franklin graham

and share with us again how the government would PRESSURE the clerics to do this
 
I think Obama should lead the peace initiative and should be joined by everyone that believes you can love the terror acts away. Go...without weapons and armed guards...bearing gifts, money, candy bars, goats for everyone. Spend 6 months on the ground. Dont bother with a round trip ticket. Make sure you take along someone that can send back pictures and video of how it is working out.
 
justabubba said:
this would be as beneficial as pressuring other Christian ministers to speak out in opposition to the stupid statements of the likes of pat robertson and franklin graham
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What's the problem with Robertson and Graham? Are they fomenting terrorism?

and share with us again how the government would PRESSURE the clerics to do this
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Nothing complicated. It could start by asking the question: Where are the moderate clerics in all this? Why haven't more of them spoken out?
 
LowDown said:
It could start by asking the question: Where are the moderate clerics in all this? Why haven't more of them spoken out?
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Already been done. No moderate cleric can speak out against ISIS without betraying their own religion, ISIS isn't doing anything contrary to the teachings of Mohammad.
 
LowDown said:
What's the problem with Robertson and Graham? Are they fomenting terrorism?
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only religious extremism
isn't that what we are discussing


Nothing complicated. It could start by asking the question: Where are the moderate clerics in all this? Why haven't more of them spoken out?
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so "pressure" was not the word you actually intended to use
"ask" appears to be the word that you meant to post
and it appears Obama is asking that
 
blaxshep said:
Already been done. No moderate cleric can speak out against ISIS without betraying their own religion, ISIS isn't doing anything contrary to the teachings of Mohammad.
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No, mainstream Islam forbids Muslims from killing other Muslims except under very specific circumstances. There has to be a sort of due process. Groups like ISIS think that they can kill any Muslims they deem heretics, which is a very big deviation from the mainstream. Most Muslims regard this as being creepy and wrong.

Over 95% of the people killed by ISIS are Muslim.
 
justabubba said:
only religious extremism
isn't that what we are discussing
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No, we are discussing violent religious extremism.


so "pressure" was not the word you actually intended to use
"ask" appears to be the word that you meant to post
and it appears Obama is asking that
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Well, that and drone strikes.

Besides which, pressure can be applied on someone by repeatedly asking them for something. My wife is excellent at that.
 
LowDown said:
No, mainstream Islam forbids Muslims from killing other Muslims except under very specific circumstances. There has to be a sort of due process. Groups like ISIS think that they can kill any Muslims they deem heretics, which is a very big deviation from the mainstream. Most Muslims regard this as being creepy and wrong.

Over 95% of the people killed by ISIS are Muslim.
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How can you expect rational thinking from religion? It is a mental state of belief based on no evidence what so ever, that is the definition of faith, then you add to that the patchwork of fairytales that makes up the rules of the religion which are subjective and selectively followed. They can deem anyone a heretic based on open interpretations and Mohammad tells them to execute them. They are doing exactly what their religion tells them to do. Mainstream clerics can not openly oppose the teachings of Mohammad, the "perfect being". They can not openly oppose Sharia Law. Their hands are tied by the bondage of their belief in medieval ignorance. The only reason Christians can enter the modern world is because of Jesus and the New Testament. Without it they too would be bound by the intolerance and bigotry, brimstone and death of the Old Testament.
 
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