by Daniel Pipes

About the author: Daniel Pipes is a political analyst whose articles have appeared in numerous publications including the Atlantic Monthly, Foreign Affairs, Harper’s, the National Review, the New Republic, and the Weekly Standard. He has also written several books, such as The Hidden Hand: Middle East Fears of Conspiracy and The Long Shadow: Culture and Politics in the Middle East.

In the aftermath of the [terrorist attacks] on September 11, 2001, American politicians from George W. Bush on down have tripped over themselves to affirm that the vast majority of Muslims living in the United States are just ordinary people. Here is how the President put it during a visit to a mosque on September 17, 2001: “America counts millions of Muslims among our citizens, and Muslims make an...