American values“We don't have religious tests here”: Obama slams Trump’s call for singling out Muslims – including Muslim Americans -- for a different treatment
On Tuesday, following a meeting with the National Security Council, President Barack Obama delivered remarks on the U.S. fight against ISIS. Obama used the second part of his speech for a pointed, and compelling, lecture on how, during the current political season, Americans should be careful to take the measure of politicians whose proposals evince no grasp or appreciation of the country’s core values and founding principles. This careful consideration is required because, in the name of securing the country against terrorism, there are simplistic, even absurd, nostrums being recklessly put forth as a panacea.
President Obama delivers remarks at the Islamic Society of Baltimore mosque, February, 2016 // Source: theconversation.com
On Tuesday, following a meeting with the National Security Council, President Barack Obama delivered remarks on the U.S. fight against ISIS. The White House notes that in the wake of the shooting in Orlando, the president said that the federal government is taking every measure to stop similar attacks. The president then highlighted the latest gains in the efforts to weaken and destroy ISIS, noting that ISIS is now under more pressure than ever before; that the jihadist organization has been effectively cut off from the international financial system; that ISIS ranks are shrinking, and that the territory under the organization’s control has been significantly reduced.
The president noted that more work needs to be done at home to protect Americans from homegrown terrorists.
Obama used the second part of his speech for a pointed, and compelling, lecture on how, during the current political season, Americans should be careful to take the measure of politicians whose proposals evince no grasp or appreciation of the country’s core values and founding principles. This careful consideration is required because, in the name of securing the country against terrorism, there are simplistic, even absurd – not to say downright racist — nostrums being recklessly put forth as a panacea.
“We’ve gone through moments in our history before when we acted out of fear — and we came to regret it,” the president said. “We’ve seen our government mistreat our fellow citizens. And it has been a shameful part of our history.”
“This is a country founded on basic freedoms, including freedom of religion,” the president added. “We don’t have religious tests here. Our Founders, our Constitution, our Bill of Rights are clear about that.”
