The US and its partners are not at war with Islam however with people who have perverted the religion, US President Barack Obama has said on Wednesday at the White House Summit on ‘Countering Violent Extremism’
“ISIL and al-Qaeda and groups like it are desperate for legitimacy. They attempt to depict themselves as religious leaders, holy warriors with regards to Islam,that is the reason ISIL presumes to pronounce itself the Islamic State,” he said
“Those outside Muslim groups need to reject the terrorist narrative that the West and Islam are in clash or modern life and Islam are in conflict,” he added.
“I also believe that Muslim groups have responsibility too. ISIL and al-Qaeda do draw selectively from the Islamic texts,” he said.
“Everyone needs to speak up very clearly that regardless of what the grievance, brutality against innocents doesn’t safeguard Islam or Muslims, it harms Islam and Muslims,” he said.