Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard thinks recognizing those who adhere to a “political, totalitarian… Islamist ideology” as enemies of the U.S. could have prevented the mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif.
The two-time Iraq War veteran and vice chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee appeared to split from leaders within her own party Tuesday, who’ve routinely refused to attribute recent terrorist attacks to radical Islamic extremism.
“If you look at the shooters in California, if you had recognized that this Islamist ideology is what is driving the San Bernardino killers, ISIS, Al Qaeda and these different attacks that are taking place, then you would have looked at Ms. Malik (the female suspect involved in the shooting), you would have looked at the fact that in the past she had been taught at these Madrassas that are known for radicalizing young girls and women,” Gabbard told CNN’s Chris Cuomo.
“You would have looked at that past that really indoctrinated them and radicalized them with this Islamist ideology. You would have looked at this Islamist ideology, this political, totalitarian ideology,” she added.
But Gabbard also responded to Donald Trump’s latest proposal to group all Muslims together and ban them from the entering the U.S. by saying, “that’s a dangerous perspective to push forward.”
“We need to make that distinction that clearly differentiates the vast majority of Muslims from the minority that push forward this ideology that we find in ISIS, that we find in Al Qaeda and is driving the threat to Americans, to the U.S., and to the West,” she said.
The Hawaiian Democrat also noted, however, that much of public’s national security concerns stem from a fear being driven by “the failure of recognizing and identifying who our enemy is and the ideology that’s driving us to this point where we’re seeing these attacks continue.”
Tuesday wasn’t the first time Gabbard split from party leadership to outright identify Islamic extremism. “Every soldier knows this simple fact: If you don’t know your enemy, you will not be able to defeat him,” Gabbard told Fox News in February.
“Our leaders must clearly identify the enemy as Islamist extremists, understand the ideology that is motivating them and attracting new recruits, and focus on defeating that enemy both militarily and ideologically,” she said at the time.
