17 September 2001

Bush at Islamic Center Urges Tolerance Towards Arab-Americans

By Wendy S. Ross
Washington File White House Correspondent

Washington -- President Bush September 17 spoke out strongly against Americans who have discriminated against Muslim Americans in the wake of the September 11 terrorist bombings in New York and Washington.

"Americans who mistreat Muslims should be ashamed," the president said in remarks at the Islamic Center in the nation's capital. "In our anger and emotion, our fellow Americans must treat each other with respect."

The United States counts millions of Muslims amongst its citizens, Bush said, and they are making "an incredibly valuable contribution to our country."

"Muslims are doctors, lawyers, law professors, members of the military, entrepreneurs, shop keepers, moms and dads, and they need to be treated with respect."

Bush said the "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."

Quoting from the Koran, Bush said, "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."

A representative from the area's Muslim community, Imam Yusuf Saleem of the Muslim American Society, told the president that he and his fellow Muslims "are shocked and dismayed" by the terrorist attacks on the United States, especially since the attacks are associated "with a religion that has only peace as its ultimate aim."

He thanked president Bush for taking the time to come to the Islamic Center to talk with him and with other representative members of the Muslim American community.

"We are a part of the fabric of America. And we have contributed, as our president said, in so many ways," he said.

Prior to Bush's visit to the mosque, White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer told reporters "the president intends to speak out very strongly about the need to remind all Americans that Arab-Americans and Muslim Americans love the American flag, just like everybody else who is a citizen of this country. And he's looking forward to that visit. He'll spend some time with the leaders of the community, as well as various members of the community. The president considers that a very important meeting. In our anger and emotion, our fellow Americans must treat each other with respect."

When the president returned to the White House, he was to meet with his economic advisors.

Earlier in the day, Bush visited the Pentagon to receive an update about his emergency call-up of military reserves, sparked by last week's terrorist attacks.

In remarks before meeting with top military officials, the president repeated his vow that America will defend freedom at any cost. "We will win the war and there will be costs," Bush said.

"Osama bin Laden is a prime suspect," he said. "The people who house him, encourage him, provide food or comfort or money are on notice."

"We're gonna find those evil-doers, those barbaric people who attacked our country, and we're gonna hold them accountable. And we're gonna hold the people who house them accountable. The people who think they can provide them with safe havens will be held accountable. The people who feed them will be held accountable. And the Taliban must take my statements seriously."

"I want justice," Bush added. "There's an old poster out West that said: 'Wanted, dead or alive,'" he said.

As Bush met with his top military strategists, rescue workers in another area of the Pentagon continued to search for bodies in the wreckage caused by the terrorist attack on the Pentagon.

Before leaving the Pentagon, Bush walked down the Eisenhower corridor, where reservists were lined up in two rows and applauded him for several minutes. Bush walked down the line and shook many hands.

Then he adjourned to a cafeteria to greet workers, one of whom began softly singing "God Bless America." Soon, the entire crowd, including the president, joined their voices with hers.

Earlier in the day, Bush greeted White House employees as they arrived at work telling them "I'm here to remind people that the best way to fight terrorism is to not let terrorism intimidate America."

The president spoke with the employees in a cafeteria in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building adjacent to the White House.

"A lot of people who work in this building were deeply worried about their lives last week," he told them.

"There are a lot of courageous people here and they're coming back to work. And I want to thank them for that and remind them we've all got a job to do; people digging out the rubble in New York have got a job to do; those of us in government have a job to do."

He told the employees that they were combating terrorism by showing up for work.

He then met with his national security team, before departing to the Pentagon.