When Sen. Ted Cruz announced his candidacy for president, the Texas Republican asked the audience at Liberty University to “imagine a president who says, ‘We will stand up and defeat radical Islamic terrorism ... and we will call it by its name.’” The last part of that sentence was one of the strongest applause lines in Cruz’s speech.
My friends on the left don’t understand why calling Islamic terrorism “by its name” is such a big deal to conservatives. They see the president’s unwillingness to link “Islam” and “terrorism” as a matter of prudence. After all, George W. Bush also went out of his way to differentiate between the two.
Why should President Obama dignify the barbarism of terrorists by sullying the name of Islam, they ask.
Why should the extremists be allowed to claim the name of Islam when the majority of Muslims disagree with their methods and aims?
Besides, we don’t want to incite fear or hatred of the peaceful Muslims in our midst.
Therefore, the thinking goes, the president’s calculated restraint in linking “Islamic” with “terrorism” deserves commendation, not criticism.
Not so fast, say conservatives. Obama has been too guarded in his rhetoric, causing many to wonder if we are underestimating the religious aspect of today’s terrorist threat.
Here are three reasons why conservatives want Obama to mention Islam by name. Keep reading
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