President Obama Says ISIS ‘Not Religious Leaders, They Are Terrorists’
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The White House(WASHINGTON) — President Obama on Wednesday rejected the notion that groups like ISIS are operating from a religious foundation, labeling them simply as terrorists, adding that the United States is at war with those who have “perverted Islam.”
“Al Qaeda and ISIL and groups like it are desperate for legitimacy. They try to portray themselves as religious leaders, holy warriors in defense of Islam,” Obama said at the White House. “We must never accept the premise that they put forth because it is a lie. Nor should we grant these terrorists the religious legitimacy that they seek. They are not religious leaders. They are terrorists.”
“We are not at war with Islam. We are at war with people who have perverted Islam,” the president added.
Obama’s comments came on the second day of the first-ever White House summit on Countering Violent Extremism.
The president noted that military action will not be the only answer to combat extremists like ISIS, but that it will take a concerted effort from communities to help prevent radicalization.
“There is no one profile of a violent extremist or terrorist. There’s no way to predict who will become radicalized,” the president said.
“We’ve got to discredit these ideologies,” he added.
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