Obama thanks the American Muslim community.
“The first thing I want to say is two words that Muslim-Americans don’t hear often enough, and that is thank you,” Obama says at the start of his speech, to applause.
“Thank you for serving your community, thank you for lifting up the lives of your neighbors, and for helping keep us strong and united as one American family.”
He decries the “hugely distorted impression” of Muslims given in the media — both in film and television portrayals, and in the news after acts of terror.
“Since 9/11, but more recently since the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, you have seen too often people conflating the horrific acts of terrorism with the beliefs of an entire faith,” he says.
— AFP, Times of Israel staff
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There, I spoke with Shilgit, the head of an after-school program for underprivileged youth. Standing outside her destroyed center, Shilgit said it was a miracle that no children were hurt and spoke about the community coming together in the hours since.
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From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
