"Our CVE [countering violent extremism] mission is a generic one, we are not targeting a religion or even a specific group," Johnson stated in a speech at the CVE Symposium in Washington, DC.
Johnson qualified his statement by noting that the Islamic State, also known as Daesh, is targeting US-Muslim communities, "so we must respond in counter to that effort as a matter of homeland security."
Over the past several months, US presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz have proposed increased surveillance of Muslim-American communities and called for a ban on Muslim immigrants until they are properly identified.
Johnson argued that such political "rhetoric" vilifies and isolates Muslims in the United States and goes "counter to our homeland security interests and counter to our national security interests."
US government efforts, Johnson noted, are intended to "build bridges" and prevent domestic terrorist recruitment, while inflammatory rhetoric and proposals can "drive them into the shadows."
In December, two Islamic terrorists, reportedly inspired by the Daesh terror group, attacked a community center in San Bernardino, California, killing 14 people.
