With its admission of decapitations and burning people alive based on videos it posts online, and now, accusations by an ambassador that it kills people to harvest and sell their organs, the inevitable conclusion is that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is a terrorist organization.

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They cannot be religious leaders based on their deeds, said U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday, the second day of the White House summit on Countering Violent Extremism.

The president stressed that the United States and the Coalition is not at war against Islam, rather, it is battling people who have perverted the Islamic faith.

"Al Qaeda and ISIL and groups like it are desperate for legitimacy. They try to portray themselves as religious leaders, holy warriors in defense of Islam... We must never accept the premise that they put forth because it is a lie," ABC quotes Obama as saying. "Nor should we grant these terrorists the religious legitimacy that they seek. They are not religious leaders. They are terrorists."

However, he told law enforcers, community and religious representatives that battling groups like the ISIS takes more than just the use of arms. Rather, there is a need for concerted efforts to discredit its ideologies and prevent radicalization.

Obama points out that ISIS' influence could hit just anyone, since there is no single profile of a violent extremist or terrorist, and it is difficult to predict who will turn to radical ideologies. He noted the heavy use by ISIS of social media to reach young people who are vulnerable and target them in its recruitment efforts.

One way that could help counter radicalization is to work with Muslim Americans by giving them a part in shaping and strengthening partnerships as part of communities, he proposed.

Supporting the president's call, the LA Times, in its editorial, said it would join people from different faiths, including Muslims Americans, who make extraordinary contributions to the U.S. every day as a reminder that the country's success is its open arms to people of all faiths and backgrounds.

The daily acknowledges that the White House campaign to stop more youth from being radicalized and becoming part of the violence culture perpetuated by terror groups is to win the battle for hearts and minds of young Americans.

TagsCountering Violent Extremism, White House summit, Barack Obama, ISIS