A Short History of U.S. Presidents Explaining Islam to Muslims

Islam, like many other religions, values exegesis. Historically, Muslims were expected to be learned in Arabic, the Qur’an, hadith, and jurisprudence to be taken seriously.

But American presidents, exercising one of the many privileges of being the leaders of the free world, have increasingly decided to get in on the act, endeavoring to explain to the world—and not just to Americans, but to Muslims living in predominantly Muslim countries—what Islam is and is not. Call it, borrowing the Arabic word for “meaning,” ma’ansplaining.

The trend was kicked off in earnest by George W. Bush, escalated by Barack Obama, and will now be taken up by Donald Trump, who plans to deliver a speech in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday, in which he’s expected to speak about Islam. The administration has not offered much detail about what Trump will say. National-Security Adviser H.R. McMaster has said it will be “inspiring yet direct.” McMaster Trump will “develop a strong, respectful message that the United States and the entire civilized world expects our Muslim allies to take a strong stand against radical Islamist ideology, an ideology