"Islam is Peace"

AT 3:12 PM EDT on September 17, 2001, less than a week after the terrible events of 9/11, President George W. Bush traveled to the Islamic Center of Washington on Massachusetts Avenue, in the heart of Embassy Row, and delivered remarks intended to quell the Islamophobia  raging at the time. Excerpts follow:
"These acts of violence against innocents violate the fundamental tenets of the Islamic faith.  And it's important for my fellow Americans to understand that...
"The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam.  That's not what Islam is all about.  Islam is peace.  These terrorists don't represent peace.  They represent evil and war.
"When we think of Islam we think of a faith that brings comfort to a billion people around the world.  Billions* of people find comfort and solace and peace.  And that's made brothers and sisters out of every race -- out of every race.
"America counts millions of Muslims amongst our citizens, and Muslims make an incredibly valuable contribution to our country.  Muslims are doctors, lawyers, law professors, members of the military, entrepreneurs, shopkeepers, moms and dads.  And they need to be treated with respect.  In our anger and emotion, our fellow Americans must treat each other with respect."
Full text: http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010917-11.html
No matter how harshly we may judge Presdent Bush with regard to the unwarrented invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003, he got it right on September 17, 2001.
I submit that President Bush's remarks are just as pertinent today--if not more so--than they were at the time, particularly in light of the revived Islamophobia now being directed at Iran that is spewing non-stop in the mainstream media and from legions of ignorant and bellicose politicians.
Jagor
* Estimates in 2009 put the number of Muslims worldwide at over 1.6 billion, representing 23% of the total world population.