Barack Obama offered an impassioned rebuttal of "inexcusable" Republican election rhetoric against Muslims Wednesday, on his first trip to an American mosque since becoming president seven years ago.
Obama, whose grandfather converted to Islam, made the short trip to the Islamic Society of Baltimore to call on Americans not to be "bystanders to bigotry."
Invoking the Prophet Mohammed and hailing the tolerance shown by American political icons from Thomas Jefferson to Dwight Eisenhower, Obama hit out at anti-Islamic sentiment that is "not who we are."
"We've heard inexcusable political rhetoric against Muslim-Americans that has no place in our country," he said, lauding Muslim-Americans as sports heroes, entrepreneurs and the architect who fashioned Chicago's dizzying skyline.
His comments came as a shrill election debate has sullied America's image abroad, and as jihadist attacks in San Bernardino and Philadelphia threatened to shatter post-9/11 religious solidarity at home.
Six days after the 2001 attacks in New York and Washington, then president George W. Bush visited the Islamic Center of Washington, declaring "Islam is peace."
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."
Obama took on such comments, and asked Christians to see "an attack on one faith is an attack on all our faiths."
He also criticized the media and Hollywood, which he said portrayed Muslims in a narrow way.
"Our television shows should have Muslim characters that are unrelated to national security," he said.
- 'Thank you' -
Obama has visited mosques in Malaysia, Indonesia and Egypt as president, but this was his first visit to one of America's 2,000-plus places of Islamic worship.
In 2009, a freshly elected Obama traveled to Cairo to call for a "new beginning" with the Muslim world.
Much of Obama's foreign policy agenda has focused on improving ties with Muslim nations, from making a nuclear deal with Iran to ending wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
But the effort has been stymied by continued confrontation with jihadist groups and military strikes in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria and Yemen.
Obama restated his case that organizations like the Islamic State group pervert Islam and do not represent the vast majority of Muslims.
The president offered "two words that Muslim-Americans don't hear often enough, and that is 'thank you'."
But he also called on Muslims to help tackle radicalization.
"How do we defend ourselves against organizations that are bent on killing innocents?" he asked.
"It can't be the work of any one faith alone. It can't be just a burden on the Muslim community, although the Muslim community has to play a role."
That message is a vexed one for members of the Muslim community, including audience member Riham Osman, who works for the Muslim Public Affairs Council, an advocacy group.
"I know national security will come up in the speech just because of the climate of today," she said ahead of Obama's remarks.
"It does upset me a little bit that it is his first time coming to visit a mosque, and there will be kids there who have grown up in this post 9/11 era and their faith is constantly linked to national security and extremism."
Around 49 percent of all Americans think "at least some" US Muslims hold anti-American sentiments, according to a Pew Research Center poll released Wednesday.
The United States is home to around 3.3 million Muslims.
Around 81 Muslim-Americans were involved in violent extremist plots in 2015, according to the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security.
AFP
Thu Feb 04 2016
US President Barack Obama speaks at the Islamic Society of Baltimore, in Windsor Mill, Maryland on February 3, 2016. - AFP Photo
Che'gubard direman dua hari
Che'gubard atau nama sebenarnya Badrul Hisham Shaharin ditahan reman dua hari bagi membantu siasatan berkaitan hantaran mengenai pengoperasian kasino di Forest City.
Buletin AWANI Khas: Mesyuarat khas WEF di Arab Saudi, PM Anwar & Pemimpin dunia
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim akan menyampaikan ucapan dalam Sidang Plenari Pembukaan Mesyuarat Khas World Economic Forum (WEF) di Arab Saudi. Ikuti analisis menyeluruh bersama Penganalisis Ekonomi, Fithra Faisal Hastiadi; Ketua Pengarang Astro AWANI, @AshwadIsmail; dan Pengarang Niaga AWANI, @NajibAroff #BuletinAWANIKhas
Akta Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan (Pindaan) 2022 berkuat kuasa 1 Jun
Akta Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan (Pindaan) 2022 akan berkuat kuasa pada 1 Jun ini.
AWANI Ringkas: BERSATU serah tujuh notis kosongkan kerusi
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
[KOLUMNIS] PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu: Pertandingan untuk tawan atau tahan
PRK DUN KKB menyaksikan pertembungan empat penjuru antara calon PH, PN, PRK, PRM dan calon Bebas.
Sultan Selangor ingatkan jemaah haji persiapkan diri sebaiknya
Sultan Selangor menasihatkan bakal jemaah haji untuk mempersiapkan diri sebaik-baiknya, bagi melaksanakan Rukun Islam kelima.
PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu: Calon PN harap tiada lagi serangan peribadi
Khairul Azhari Saut berharap tiada lagi isu peribadi yang akan dijadikan 'peluru' untuk menyerangnya sepanjang kempen.
Kelantan: 70 peratus kemalangan maut babit penunggang, pembonceng motosikal
70 peratus kes kemalangan maut yang dicatat berlaku dari 1 hingga 26 April di Kelantan, membabitkan penunggang dan pembonceng motosikal.
[TERKINI] WEF | Pembangunan dunia yang tidak seimbang, Apa Solusi?
Mesyuarat Khas Forum Ekonomi Dunia (WEF) di Arab Saudi merungkai masalah ekonomi dan ketidakseimbangan pembangunan yang sedang melanda dunia. Menteri MITI, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz dan Menteri Kewangan Arab Saudi, Mohammed Al-Jadaan berada sepentas merungkai masalah dunia yang memberi impak kepada semua negara.
PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu: Calon PH, PN bertembung ketika kempen
Dua calon yang bersaing bagi PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu hari ini bertembung buat kali pertama sejak hari penamaan calon semalam.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah antara yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Jambatan Baltimore: Kapal ada sijil sah, lulus pemeriksaan dua pelabuhan luar - MPA
Kapal berdaftar di Singapura, Dali yang melanggar struktur Jambatan Francis Scott Key di Baltimore, Maryland yang kemudiannya runtuh, mempunyai klasifikasi yang sah.
Satu mayat ditemukan dalam sungai susulan jambatan di Baltimore runtuh
Perlanggaran pada awal Selasa itu menyebabkan beberapa individu dan kenderaan terhumban ke dalam sungai yang sejuk.
Pihak berkuasa pelabuhan Singapura beri kerjasama dalam siasatan jambatan runtuh di AS
Ia juga akan menyiasat insiden melibatkan Dali, sebuah kapal kontena dikendalikan 22 kru semasa kejadian kira-kira 1.30 tengah hari Selasa.
2 maut, 28 cedera insiden tembakan di Baltimore, AS
Sekurang-kurangnya dua orang terbunuh manakala 28 lagi cedera dalam kejadian tembakan besar-besaran di Baltimore, Maryland, Amerika Syarikat.
'Boo!' Melania Trump diejek remaja semasa berucap di Baltimore
Pelajar sekolah rendah dan menengah yang hadir pada sidang tersebut mengejek dengan sorakan 'boo' selama 30 saat semasa Melania berucap.
Satu maut, enam cedera dalam tembakan rambang di Baltimore
Seorang lelaki telah melepaskan tembakan secara sengaja semasa orang ramai sedang berkumpul untuk makan malam, pada Ahad.
Budak 14 tahun didakwa rogol dan bunuh nenek
Seorang remaja yang dipercayai merogol dan membunuh seorang warga emas di Baltimore, Amerika Syarikat didakwa sebagai orang dewasa atas tuduhan mmebunuh, laporan pegawai berkuasa pada Jumaat.
Rusuhan: Datuk Bandar Baltimore umum perintah berkurung
Datuk Bandar Baltimore umum perintah berkurung selama seminggu ekoran suasana tegang selepas pengebumian Freddie Gray .
Kemalangan keretapi berulang di Amerika Syarikat
Api mejulang setinggi 20 meter ke udara kerana kereta api turut membawa bahan kimia.