A reader writes:
“If you actually took the number of Muslims Americans, we’d be one of the largest Muslim countries in the world”? Uh… No. We’d be something like the 35th largest Muslim country in the world (using data from Wikipedia). China would be 10th. India would be 3rd. THAT’S interesting. It is also interesting to see that Russia would be in the top 20. The Russian population is 20% Muslim. As far as Jews, the U.S. easily has the largest Jewish population in the world, exceeding Israel’s. Not a very good parallel, Andrew. Obama stuck his foot in it, showing that he doesn’t know what he is talking about. The rabid right is overplaying its hand, as usual, but you are not using an even hand either.
I take the point, but I also see the deeper point Obama was making. America is not alien to Islam; many Muslims live here as proud and productive Americans. Saying that helps chip away at stereotypes about America that hurt us and empower Islamists.
The Dish 