26 September 2001

Bush Meets with American Sikh, Muslim Leaders

Washington -- President Bush held separate meetings at the White House September 26 with American Sikh and Muslim leaders as a reminder to the American people to avoid prejudice and intolerance in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.

"It's my honor to welcome citizens from all across our country here to the Roosevelt Room and the White House to discuss our common commitment to make sure that every American is treated with respect and dignity ... particularly during this time," Bush told the American Sikh leaders.

"We're all Americans, bound together by common ideas and common values," he said.

Bush noted the death of Balbir Singh Sodhi, an Indian store owner killed in Arizona shortly after the terrorist attacks because, police say, he wore a turban in keeping with his Sikh faith. The President said his administration would seek justice in Sodhi's case.

"These citizens bring their hearts with them, and I can assure them that our government will do everything we can ... to treat every human life as dear, and respect the values that made our country so different and so unique," Bush said.

The American Sikh community, White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said, "has been beset with occasional violence and [the meeting with American Sikh leaders] it's another reminder about the need for Americans to honor our constitutional principles in respecting all Americans and all visitors to our country throughout this time."

In his meeting with a group from the American Muslim community, Bush said he was honored to welcome to the White House "my fellow Americans, Arab Americans, Americans who are Muslim by faith, to discuss ... what our country is going to do to make sure that everybody who is an American is respected."

He contrasted the teachings of Islam which he said are "of peace and good," with the al Qaeda organization which he said is "an organization based upon hate and evil."

He said that the outpouring of support for the United States following the September 11 terrorist attack "has come from all corners of the country, including many members of the Muslim faith. And for that I am grateful."

The American Muslim community "has been very supportive and cooperative with all efforts to win the war on terrorism, and the President is very appreciative of that," Fleischer said.

Bush started his day with phone calls to Netherlands Prime Minister Wim Kok and Kasakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

Bush and Kok "expressed their agreement about the need for full solidarity, and the Prime Minister said that the Dutch government would be with the people of the United States and stressed that solidarity means deeds, not just words," Fleischer said.

Bush and Nazarbayev discussed cooperation in the common fight against terrorism, and President Nazarbayev reiterated that Kazakhstan will support the U.S.-led effort "with all available means," Fleischer said.

Also during the day, Bush visited the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency in suburban Langley, Virginia, where he was briefed on the agency's work and took a tour of the building, and spoke to the employees.

He thanked them for their work and praised CIA Director George Tenet.

"I've got a lot of confidence in him, and I've got a lot of confidence in the CIA," Bush said. "And so should America. It's important for America to realize there are men and women spending hours on the task and making sure our country remains free."

In the late afternoon September 26, Bush met in the Oval Office with Egypt's Ahmed Maher. Maher had met earlier in the day at the State Department with Secretary of State Colin Powell.

In other developments, White House Press Secretary Fleischer, at his afternoon briefing, referred to what he called "a very important speech" given recently by Russia's President Vladimir Putin in which he offered concrete cooperation in the common fight against international terrorism.

President Bush "noted and wants to thank President Putin for his offer to provide, as President Putin described it, permission for humanitarian overflights, information about the situation on the ground, as well as search and rescue operations, if necessary. The President looks forward to continuing to work with the Russia government together as we build this international coalition," Fleischer said.

Bush, the Press Secretary added, "also wants to note particularly President Putin's remarks about the situation in Chechnya in which President Putin called on Chechen insurgents to disassociate themselves immediately from the international terrorist networks, and meet for discussions to resolve the crisis in Chechnya."

"There is an international terrorist presence in Chechnya that has links to Osama bin Laden," Fleischer said. "That's been long been known," he said, noting that it's been mentioned in the Patterns of Global Terrorism Report, issued by the State Department.

Fleischer said it was "an encouraging sign," that Chechen leader Maskhadov has responded to Putin's request, and has "indicated a commitment to the peace process. He has indicated a willingness, and so it's important now to let events develop in Chechnya."