DHS’s Johnson: ‘Islam Is About Peace and Brotherhood’

‘The true Islamic faith has nothing to do with what ISIL represents’

STEPHANOPOULOS: "There's no question that the groups like al-Shabaab and ISIL are driven by theology, driven by their view of Islam, however perverted it may be. Why not call it that?" 
JOHNSON: "I have two responses. With whether it's called Islamic extremism or violent extremism, groups like ISIL, ISIL in particular, represents a dangerous organization and a serious potential threat to homeland security. We're responding militarily as well as doing a number of other things. Now, I have to say, when I travel around the country and meet with Muslim leaders in this country and these engagements that I have, they all tend to say pretty much the same thing. Which is that ISIL has hijacked my religion. And so, in my view, if we start referring to ISIL as occupying any form of the Islamic theology, we're pretty much dignifying them as occupying some form of that faith. I know leaders in this country push pack hard on that. It seems to me it's going the place where ISIL would like us to go, in that we're dignifying them as occupying some form of Islam. They don't. Islam is about peace and brotherhood. There are 1.6 billion Muslims in this world. And the true Islamic faith has nothing to do with what ISIL represents. And so, to start labeling them as Islam or Islamic state in any respect I think gives them far more dignity than they deserve. And so do a of Muslims believe that as well."

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