The "Cordoba House"
"Al-Qaeda's cause is not Islam"
Obama was speaking during an Iftar dinner he hosted at the White House
WASHINGTON (Agencies)
U.S. President Barack Obama has waded into a bitter controversy over a plan by Muslims to build a mosque just blocks from Ground Zero, endorsing the project on religious freedom grounds.
"As a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country," Obama said to applause at an event attended by diplomats from Islamic countries and members of the U.S. Muslim community.
" As a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country "
US President Barack Obama"That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances."
Obama was speaking during an Iftar dinner he hosted at the White House. Iftar is the evening meal when Muslims break their daily fast during the holy month of Ramadan.
"This is America and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakable," said Obama, who has made improving ties between the United States and the Muslim world a cornerstone of his foreign policy.
The "Cordoba House"
" This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable. The principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country, and will not be treated differently by their government, is essential to who we are "
ObamaEarlier this month a New York city agency cleared the way for construction of the community center called the "Cordoba House"
two blocks from the site of the Sept. 11 attacks, popularly known as "Ground Zero."
Intended to include a mosque, sports facilities, theater, restaurant and possibly a day care, the multi-story Islamic center would be open to all visitors to demonstrate that Muslims are part of their community, planners say.
But the proposed location has touched raw nerves.
Obama acknowledged that the site where the World Trade Center towers once stood remains "hallowed ground," and that 9/11 attacks "was a deeply traumatic event for our country."
But he said American values required that all religious groups be treated equally and fairly.
"This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable. The principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country, and will not be treated differently by their government, is essential to who we are."
But hearings on whether the construction should be allowed prompted furious exchanges, with supporters accusing critics of racism and Islamophobia, and opponents warning the plan insulted the memory of the 3,000 victims of the 9/11 attacks.
Applause erupted when a New York city commission unanimously approved the project August 3, but others shouted "shame," and waved signs reading "Islam builds mosques at the sites of their conquests."
"Al-Qaeda's cause is not Islam"
" In fact, al-Qaeda has killed more Muslims than people of any other religion -- and that list of victims includes innocent Muslims who were killed on 9/11 "
ObamaObama acknowledged the "pain and suffering experienced by those who lost loved ones is unimaginable," but he called on Americans to "always remember who we are fighting against, and what we are fighting for."
"Al-Qaeda's cause is not Islam -- it is a gross distortion of Islam," he said. "These are not religious leaders -- these are terrorists who murder innocent men, women and children," the president said
"In fact, al-Qaeda has killed more Muslims than people of any other religion -- and that list of victims includes innocent Muslims who were killed on 9/11."
Before an audience of prominent Muslim Americans, including administration officials, and Muslim members of Washington's diplomatic corps, Obama paid tribute to U.S. history of accepting and engaging Muslims.
He cited the example of president Thomas Jefferson, who he said hosted the first White House Iftar, more than 200 years ago.
But the appeal to U.S. history is unlikely to convince those most opposed to the mosque, which has attracted increasingly strident criticism, raising fears among U,S, Muslims of an Islamophobic backlash.
A Florida church has already said it will hold a "Quran-burning" on September 11 this year, and Muslim advocacy groups say they have reached out to law enforcement officials seeking extra vigilance.
But Obama said while America's diversity contained the seeds of conflict, U.S. values were stronger and would always overcome
"Time and again, the American people have demonstrated that we can work through these issues, stay true to our core values, and emerge stronger for it. So it must be -- and will be -- today," he said.
http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2010/08/14/116575.html
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