Actually Obama didn’t say “I will stand by the Muslims”. It is an urban legend.
But, you know that he basically believes it.
Of course, not all my conversations in immigrant communities follow this easy pattern. In the wake of 9/11, my meetings with Arab and Pakistani Americans, for example, have a more urgent quality, for the stories of detentions and FBI questioning and hard stares from neighbors have shaken their sense of security and belonging. They have been reminded that the history of immigration in this country has a dark underbelly; they need specific assurances that their citizenship really means something, that America has learned the right lessons from the Japanese internments during World War II, and that I will stand with them should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.
Not exactly "urban legend". Not quite as inflammatory as "I will stand by the Muslims". And probably written by Bill Ayers in any case.