( CNN ) -- Two different terror attacks by two different sets of Islamic extremists in two different democracies . But the difference in people 's responses is what 's key , and exemplifies why America truly is exceptional . I 'm referring to the bombing in Boston , Massachusetts , on April 15 and the attack on a British soldier on a London street on May 22 . After the Boston attack , which claimed the lives of three people and injured more than 250 others , a minor anti-Muslim backlash was reported . The most notable : A Bangladeshi man in New York City was allegedly beaten and a Muslim woman in Boston was struck in the shoulder and called a terrorist . And sure the professional Islamophobes , who make their living spewing hate , came out to sell their rancid goods of division and distrust . However , thankfully , and unsurprisingly , Americans were n't buying it . But in England , the backlash against British Muslims has been alarming . Since the terror attack on May 22 , there have been 193 anti-Muslim incidents in England , that 's 15 times the average number . These hate crimes ranged from vandalizing mosques to pulling off women 's headscarves , to threats of violence against Muslims and to minor assaults . One of the most serious incidents happened Sunday night when three firebombs were thrown at the Grimsby Islamic Cultural Center in Lincolnshire , while worshipers were inside in the mosque . Luckily no one was killed . According to British media reports , this wave of anti-Muslim fever was not spontaneous . It has been an organized campaign of hate led by the right-wing group English Defence League , which held protests on the streets of London and Newcastle this past weekend . At its London event , EDL 's leader Tommy Robinson told supporters : `` They 've had their Arab spring . This is time for the English spring . '' Of course , the terrorists who killed the British soldier were of Nigerian heritage , not Arab . But then again , bigots are n't the brightest , whether they 're English or American . Obviously , the anti-Muslim attacks and rallies orchestrated by the EDL do n't represent mainstream British society . In fact , an anti-racism rally was held in London to counter the EDL 's march . And comedian and actor Russell Brand wrote a heartfelt column for the UK 's popular The Sun tabloid , imploring his fellow Brits to remain tolerant and not blame all Muslims for the sins of two madmen . Another bright spot : At a smaller EDL protest in York , Muslims invited the protesters into their mosque and found some common ground in a properly British way , with tea and cookies and an impromptu game of soccer . But why did n't we see an angry anti-Muslim backlash in the United States after the Boston bombings killed and injured so many more people ? A few reasons . Not only did the American-Muslim community quickly denounce the Boston bombing , but people of other faiths publicly stood with American-Muslims , including Jewish and Christian leaders in the Boston area . Do n't get me wrong , I 'm not saying all Americans love Muslims . But there 's a difference between not feeling too warmly about a minority group and actually advocating discrimination and hatred and committing violence against them . But the bigger reason we did n't see a backlash like the one in England has to do with who we are as Americans . Our nation 's DNA can be found on the words affixed to the seal of the United States of America : `` E Pluribus Unum '' which means `` Out of many , one . '' To most Americans , Republicans and Democrats both , these words are more than rhetoric . It 's the promise our Founding Fathers offered , to welcome people from all different backgrounds to become one with us as Americans . America was , and still remains , a melting pot . And since its creation , that melting pot has grown ; it has become bigger , more colorful and more vibrant . Sure , some are troubled by our increasing diversity . We see it in the angry rhetoric from those on the far right toward those who do n't look , pray or act like them . And we regrettably see it in the hate crimes perpetrated against people simply because they are different . We need to look no further than New York City , the `` bluest '' city in the `` bluest state , '' to see a spike in reports of hate crimes against gays , with 29 so far this year compared with 14 last year . Mark Carson , a gay man , was killed on May 18 while he was walking the streets of Greenwich Village . Carson was murdered simply because of his sexual orientation . We may never be able to end all hate crimes in a nation of more than 300 million people . But we must remain vigilant in countering the voices of intolerance and hatred . The reaction to the Boston bombings , in such marked contrast to England 's reaction to the killing of the soldier , shows we are on the right path . By staying on this path , we will ensure that the United States remains truly exceptional . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Dean Obeidallah .
Dean Obeidallah : Anti-Muslim backlash in England was severe after a soldier was slain . In comparison , he says , the backlash in the U.S. after the Boston bombings was minor . He says American Muslims denounced the act and other faiths stood with them . Also , he says , the melting pot and `` out of many , one '' make up our identity .