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Bush Revisits 9/11 Mosque Visit, Emphasizes Islam as Peace
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The 2001 Mosque Visit and Its Intended Message
Six days after the attacks, former President George W. Bush traveled to the Islamic Center of Washington. The stop was presented as a direct effort to assure Muslim-American citizens that they were not responsible for the terrorism that killed nearly 3,000 people.
Background to the Visit
In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, the Bush administration framed the crisis as an ideological struggle. The president emphasized the need to protect religious liberty while pursuing a broader counter-terrorism strategy. The mosque visit became a signature element of that early response, intended to separate the faith of Islam from the actions of the al-Qaeda perpetrators and to signal that the United States would uphold the freedom to worship.
Official Statements & Reflections
At a recent “Legacy of Service” event held at his presidential center in Dallas, Bush reiterated the purpose of the 2001 trip. He said the decision to go to a mosque was driven by “deep concern” for Muslim Americans facing harassment, especially women whose head coverings made them targets in shopping centers. Bush also stressed that the United States must not abandon the principle of religious freedom, describing the conflict as “an ideological struggle” in which the nation must protect the right to worship. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice echoed the sentiment, noting that Bush’s visit was meant to assure Muslim citizens that the administration did not blame them for the attacks.
Verbatim Quotes
- “This decision, shortly thereafter, was to go to a mosque,” — George W. Bush, former president
- “It became clear to me that if this was an ideological struggle, which is what I viewed it as, and we forego one of the most important parts of our ideology, which is the freedom to worship the way you want to worship,” — George W. Bush, former president
- “I want you to talk about a couple of those events. You talked about going to the Islamic Center and trying to make sure that our Muslim American citizens knew that we didn't blame them for what had happened,” — State Condoleezza Rice
- “I also made it clear that Islam was a religion of peace, not a religion of war, and that these people subverted their religion,” — George W. Bush, former president
