PHILADELPHIA – Bill Clinton’s attempts to appeal to Muslims living in America, and counter what some consider xenophobic rhetoric toward them from GOP candidate Donald Trump, appears to have backfired.

The 42nd U.S. president delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia Tuesday night in which he spoke directly to minorities who may feel cut off, including immigrants and “disillusioned and afraid” African-American young people.

“If you are a Muslim, and you love America and freedom and you hate terror, stay here and help us win and make the future together,” Clinton said in his 45-minute address. “We want you.”

His comments were clearly aimed at distancing the Democratic platform from stiff rhetoric by Trump, who has previously called for an all-out ban on Muslims entering the United States and has criticized Hillary Clinton for her prior support of allowing more vetted refugees from war-torn Muslim countries like Syria to seek refuge in the U.S.

But some following the two-term commander-in-chief’s speech didn’t feel reassured, and immediately took to social media to criticize what they saw as his only further reinforcing Muslims as a class apart in America.

“Okay but Clinton saying ‘stay here’ & help America as if a ton of Muslims (esp younger gen) aren’t FROM here. & don’t get me started on ‘if,'” tweeted user @amzi_aman.

User @graham liddell wrote, “Bill Clinton’s ‘*If* you’re a Muslim and hate terror’ seemed completely out of touch – legitimizes notion that Muslims should be suspect.”

“Muslims offer more than what you are degrading us to,” tweeted user ZahraHaiderr.

One scholar of international relations believed Clinton’s remarks, while perhaps well intentioned, were “dangerous in repeating the same patterns as other Islamophobes during this election cycle.”

“The message stated by Clinton is we, American Muslims, can stay here if we love America and freedom and hate terrorism. How generous!” Muqtedar Khan, a professor in international relations at the University of Delaware, wrote in a post on The Islamic Monthly’s website.

Khane acknowledging the differences in rhetoric between Trump and and his Democratic opponent, but said both imply Muslims are “unwelcome foreigners” without a rightful place within America, and that they are inherently associated with terrorism.

“We have gone from being an integral part of America to we can stay if we meet certain conditions,” Khan wrote.