Pleading For Tolerance, Obama Pays First Visit To A US Mosque

President Barack Obama was set on Wednesday to make his first visit to a us mosque, a trip the White House said was aimed at countering rhetoric from Republicans on the presidential campaign trail exploiting some Americans’ fears about Muslims.

On the current political climate, the president harshly condemned the “inexcusable political rhetoric against Muslim Americans that has no place in our country”.

Today, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has wooed conservative voters by demanding a ban on Muslim immigrants, while frontrunner Ted Cruz has advocated Christian-only admissions and championed “Judeo-Christian values”. He says Muslims help keep America a strong, united country and noted that an attack on the Muslim faith in America is an “attack on all faiths”.

The president laid part of the blame on television news and media reports, which often “gives this hugely distorted impression” of Muslims. Together, we’ve got to show that America truly protects all faiths.

Before Obama’s remarks a man and woman did a recitation from the Koran, then an honour guard of two boys and two girls carried the American and Maryland state flags into the mosque.

More than 10 percent of Americans believes “most” or “almost all” Muslims are anti-American and 14 percent think “about half” of the Muslim population is anti-American, the research said.

“…part of what we have to do is to lift up the contributions of the Muslim American community, not when there’s a problem but all the time”, Obama said.

The figure marks the highest since the U.S.-Muslim advocacy group began in 2009 to track anti-Muslim attacks. More importantly, it’s an assurance for the Muslim-American kids constantly bombarded by anti-Islamic rhetoric that they belong… They say communication at the community level fosters change in how they’re perceived.

To honor the traditions in the mosque, President Barack Obama removed his shoes before entering the religious building and was seen walking into the room in just his socks. We’re one American family.

At the same time, the president acknowledged the growing acts of terrorism perpetrated by those who claim Islamic affiliation.

But as the speech went on, he also called for Muslim leaders to more aggressively speak out against extremism and to speak out.

He decried the surge of threats and intimidation of American Muslim communities following the terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California, last year.

“Faith leaders including Muslims must speak out when Christians are persecuted around the world, or when anti-Semitism is on the rise – because the fact is there are now Christians who are targeted in the Middle East, despite having been there for centuries”. Trump also suggested establishing a database to track Muslims in America.