Bush revives ‘Islam is peace’ message with fresh focus on post-9/11 mosque visit

DALLAS – As the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, former President George W. Bush reflected on his decision to visit a mosque six days after the attacks, saying he wanted Muslim Americans to know they were not to blame for the terrorism.

"This decision, shortly thereafter, was to go to a mosque," Bush said on Wednesday evening. "I did so because I was deeply concerned about stories of women in coverings being harassed at shopping centers, particularly in Michigan. "

Bush revisited his 9/11 response during a conversation with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at "A Legacy of Service: America at the 25th Anniversary of 9/11," held at his presidential center in Dallas.

The mosque visit became a prominent part of Bush’s response to the attacks as he sought to distinguish Islam and Muslim Americans from the terrorists responsible for 9/11. Six days after the attacks, Bush visited the Islamic Center of Washington, where he declared, "Islam is peace. "

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"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," said Bush.

"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," said Rice.

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"I also made it clear that Islam was a religion of peace, not a religion of war, and that these people subverted their religion," Bush added.

Bush visited the on Sept. 17, where he sought to draw a sharp distinction between Islam and the terrorists responsible for killing nearly 3,000 Americans.

He met with Muslim leaders and specifically raised concerns about Muslim women who wore head coverings, saying he had been told some were afraid to leave their homes or go shopping because they feared being intimidated.

"That should not and that will not stand in America," he said in 2001.

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Bush’s remarks come as the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaches and as the attacks and their aftermath have returned to the political spotlight.