4. Obama Holds Low Expectations for Muslims

Obama’s fears of uttering “Islamism” alongside “terrorism” show his low opinion of people in general, non-Muslims and Muslims alike. On the one hand, he seems to view the American people as unhinged bigots, who, if they hear that Islam is associated with terrorism, will attack the nearest Muslim.

After every Islamist terrorist attack, we are told that anti-Muslim hate crimes are on the rise. Yet the rate of anti-Muslim hate crime is significantly lower than incidences of anti-Semitism in the United States. Obama underestimates the ability of the American people to handle the reality of Islam’s relationship to terrorism. He should have a little more faith.

Obama also has very low expectations for the Muslim community’s ability to react rationally to hearing world leaders point out that ISIS and their ilk are, in fact, Muslim. In his Atlantic interview with Jeffrey Goldberg, Obama says he doesn’t want to scare off “tolerant Muslims” by painting the issue with a broad brush. They, apparently, are too irrational to discern that linking Islamism and terrorism isn’t a de facto war on the imaginary monolithic Islam. He condescendingly treats them like simple-minded children who need to be protected.