President Barack Obama addressed the nation Feb. 18 on issues regarding ISIS. Obama explained that the United States will not go to war with Islam but stated that “we are at war with people who have perverted Islam.” He said that specific people, not religion, are to blame for violent terrorist acts.
One of Obama’s greatest concerns is educating young people to resist terrorist propaganda. ISIS recruits volunteers from more than 50 different countries, and Obama attributes this to monetary enticements and “twisted interpretations of religious beliefs.”
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL33FMGakQE]
Some Republican figures have also spoken out on the issue. Many believe these are issues of religion and Obama is refusing to face them head on. Texas Senator Ted Cruz told Fox News the president is “an apologist for radical Islamic terrorists.”
Different opinions from the public splashed across Twitter and other social media platforms. Brigham Young University political science major Sam Elmer shared his opinion about the address.
“The President pointed out the importance of social structures like school, home and church that help shape your beliefs as a young person,” Elmer said. “Obama was trying to make a nonpartisan statement about the enemy we face.”
The Countering Violent Extremism Summit continues today. On Feb. 19 Obama said religious acceptance is what the world needs to fight extremists.
Watch a portion of his speech from Feb. 18.
