White House Urges Muslims to Counter Extremist Message

A day after U.S. President Barack Obama said the fight against the Islamic State militant group should not be defined as one between America and Islam, the White House is reinforcing that message, while urging Muslim-Americans in the United States to do their part.“We would like to see leaders in the Muslim community stand up and speak out more forcefully, in terms of condemning these hateful, radicalizing messages that we see from extremist organizations,” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Monday.

In his address to the American people Sunday, President Obama said Islamic State “does not speak for Islam” and noted the “millions of patriotic Muslim Americans who reject their hateful ideology.” He spoke out against intolerance, discrimination and divisiveness.

“If we’re to succeed in defeating terrorism we must enlist Muslim communities as some of our strongest allies, rather than push them away through suspicion and hate,” Obama said during his 13-minute speech in the Oval Office.

At the same time, the U.S. president called on Muslims to confront “without excuse” the “real problem” of extremist ideology spreading within some communities.

Muslims, 'Part of the Solution'

White House spokesman Earnest on Monday repeated the president’s message, which he said was not new, but the strongest and most direct in addressing Muslim community leaders.

“They will be more effective if they are working in close partnership with the federal government and with law enforcement and with our counterterrorism professionals and with our neighbors to fight those kind of forces,” the press secretary told reporters. 

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