Mosque visit: Obama criticized rhetoric against Muslims

President Barack Obama’s first visit to a us mosque comes as Muslim-Americans say they’re confronting increasing levels of bias in speech and deeds.

Mr Obama noted that during the current presidential campaign politicians were using “inexcusable political rhetoric against Muslims” that has no place in the American society. In the presidential race, Republican candidate Donald Trump wants to temporarily ban Muslims from the U.S. Without naming Trump, the president said to his Muslim audience: “You’re right where you belong”.

“Thank you for keeping us strong and united as one American family”.

The president, who is a Christian, said it was important to have more Muslim characters portrayed on television who were not related to national security themes, and he said engagement with Muslim American communities must not be a cover for surveillance.

“You’ve seen, too often, people conflating the horrific acts of terrorism with the beliefs of an entire faith”, Obama said tacitly touching on the discourse, calling the rhetoric an “inexcusable” one with “no place” in the country.

“We’ve seen children bullied, we’ve seen mosques vandalized”, said Obama. But he also called on Muslims to help tackle radicalisation.

In the survey, 52 percent of Americans said they personally know someone who is Muslim.

President Barack Obama is under fire for his decision to visit a controversial mosque in Baltimore today. He said those who demonize all Muslims for the acts of a few are playing into terrorists’ hands.

Obama will also be sending a signal to the world that the US has not abandoned its commitment to religious pluralism, Ahmed said. In contrast, President George W. Bush visited a mosque days after the 9/11 attacks, stressing that the U.S. government was “not at war with Muslims”.

Muslims, who are estimated to make up almost 1 percent of the USA population, have faced increasing discrimination and hostility in the wake of deadly attacks in San Bernardino, Calif., and Paris linked to the self-declared Islamic State, Muslims and others say.

“Islam has always been part of America”, he said, detailing the beginnings of the religion among African slaves brought to America. “No, it’s true. Look it up”.

“As a Muslim I felt honored and humbled that the president of the United States actually went to a mosque”.