When George W. Bush Defended Muslim Americans
The former president spoke highly of Islam after 9/11—a posture that MAGA has abandoned.
On September 17, 2001, six days after the 9/11 attacks, former President George W. Bush visited the Islamic Center of Washington, D.C. Community leaders at the mosque shared stories of harassment and violence against Muslim Americans. President Bush listened attentively before addressing the country on the importance of respecting Islam.
He described the faith as a religion in which "billions of people find comfort and solace and peace" and emphasized that "people who feel like they can intimidate our fellow citizens to take out their anger don't represent the best of America—they represent the worst of humankind." This speech, now seen as an outlier, was a stark contrast to the rising rhetoric of antagonism toward Muslims following the terrorist attacks.
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