Islam promotes peace, understanding and justice — exactly the opposite of what the Taliban and the terrorists they harbor advocate.
On September 17, less than a week after the attacks, President Bush visited the Islamic Center of Washington, D.C. and said, "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.

"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."

On Sept. 20, President Bush said in a speech to Congress and the American people, "The terrorists practice a fringe form of Islamic extremism that has been rejected by Muslim scholars and the vast majority of Muslim clerics -- a fringe movement that perverts the peaceful teachings of Islam. The terrorists' directive commands them to kill Christians and Jews, to kill all Americans, and make no distinction among military and civilians, including women and children.

American Muslims
Freedom of worship is an American value, and more than 2 million American Muslims are associated with more than 1,200 mosques in the United States. Nearly 90 percent of U.S. mosques have some Asian, African-American, and Arab members, and 70 percent of American Muslims "strongly agree" that they should participate in American institutions and the political process.

Friendship with Muslims and Nations with Muslim Populations
For many years, the United States has maintained friendly relationships with nations that include Muslim populations. The United States has forged strong partnerships with many Islamic countries for our mutual defense, has encouraged trade and cultural exchange, and has opened its universities to many thousands of Muslim students.

President Bush met with Muslim leaders on September 26 and said, "I want to assure my fellow Americans that when you pledge allegiance to the flag, with your hand on your heart, you pledge just as hard to the flag as I do; that the outpouring of support for our country has come from all corners of the country, including many members of the Muslim faith. And for that I am grateful."

President Bush announced a new initiative on October 25 called "Friendship Through Education," a consortium of groups expanding links between U.S. students and students in countries with Muslim populations.

Friendship Through Education will facilitate expanded student and teacher exchanges among countries throughout the globe. It will launch this effort with a commitment to expand links between US schools and those in Islamic countries, including Egypt, Indonesia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Bahrain and Afghan refugee camps.