Barack Obama isn't a Muslim and he doesn't hate America -- he's just trying to lead

There are many days when I can say I would not want to trade places with President Barack Obama. That sentiment is particularly strong now given the controversy that is surrounding his speeches on Wednesday and Thursday over his decision to not call fighting the Islamic State group a war against Islam.

Obama's critics relentlessly attack him, questioning everything from his leadership to his love of country. Some Americans and many of Obama's opponents may think he is too rhetorical when talking about the Islamic State, but in fact the president is being tactical.

The Islamic State has an effective, powerful and active public relations machine -- ranging from YouTube videos to social media campaigns -- to spread its propaganda. By declaring a war on Islam, Obama would be playing right into the Islamic State's hands, because ultimately dragging the United States and our allies into an all-out religious war is exactly what it wants to do.

Obama is being smart, and though that may anger critics at home, the president's speeches this week clearly call out the group's members as terrorists, and not religious leaders. This is very important for Obama's international audience to hear: The United States is not at war with Islam. This is the exact opposite of the message that the Islamic State is spreading. That Obama essentially called the group out deals a big blow to its propaganda machine and recruiting efforts.

When analyzing Obama's remarks, we must also consider their timing. The president is seeking congressional authorization for military action against the Islamic State. Now more than ever he must make it clear that the wars are with terrorists and not Islam. This distinction is critical, and Obama is being responsible and constructive to keep religion out of the discussion.

Obama's critics can afford to be more reckless with their commentary. For instance, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, at a dinner Wednesday with 2016 presidential hopeful Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wis.), said he does not believe "that the president loves America."

And, during a Fox News appearance earlier this week, the Rev. Franklin Graham said Obama has been influenced by Islam. "His mother was married to a Muslim. His father was a Muslim. Then she married a man from Indonesia. He was raised in Indonesia. Went to Islamic schools. I assume she was a Muslim." Those assertions went unchallenged. Obama has said that his father was raised a Muslim, but was not religious. From ages 6 to 10, Obama himself attended public and Catholic schools in Indonesia.

Obama is in a perilously tricky position. He has to pitch going after the Islamic State to America and the world without alienating the Muslim world, Muslim communities and Muslim Americans -- all of whom are going to make up crucial components of the United States coalition to defeat the Islamic State group.

The emphasis the president places on the role of Muslims in countering what has really become a cancer in our faith is key. He is reaching out to Muslims as partners in this campaign against terror.

When discussing the fight against the Islamic State, language is everything. Obama knows this: The president has chosen to frame the group in careful and distinct terms without further isolating Muslims.

Still, we will need more than speeches from the president to defeat the Islamic State. We all have a role to play, from the average Muslim to the media. Instead of investing more time analyzing what the president said, and whether we agree with his word choice, let's redirect our attention and efforts toward building a strong coalition against the Islamic State, an evil force we all agree needs to be eliminated.

Anushay Hossain is a Bangladeshi-born and Washington, D.C.-based journalist at AnushaysPoint.com.