“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,” Bush said. “And they need to be treated with respect.”
The president’s appearance at the center was one of the symbolic public gestures he made Monday to demonstrate to Americans that their most important role in the current crisis is to exhibit courage and tolerance.
Bush also appeared at the Eisenhower Old Executive Office Building, which is part of the White House campus, to greet federal workers as they returned to work Monday morning. The president has been urging workers and employers across the country to return to work to demonstrate that America will continue on despite the attacks.
“I’m here to remind people that the best way to fight terrorism is to not let terrorism intimidate America,” Bush said before heading to the office building’s cafeteria to share a cup of coffee with workers. “A lot of people who work in this building were deeply worried about their lives last week. There are a lot of courageous people here, and they’re coming back to work.”
The president later was shaking hands at the Pentagon’s cafeteria when a woman began singing “God Bless America.” In moments the entire room, Bush included, was singing.
Bush spent nearly an hour touring the Islamic Center of Washington and talking with Muslim community leaders.
As Bush spoke in a somber voice, he quoted the holy book of Islam.
“The English translation is not as eloquent as the original Arabic, but let me quote from the Koran itself: In the long run, evil in the extreme will be the end of those who do evil. For that they rejected the signs of Allah and held them up to ridicule.”