KABUL: (MEP) American President Obama will make the first visit during his presidency to a U.S. mosque the White House announced Saturday.
Part of the administrations push to promote religious tolerance at a time when rhetoric linking Islam with terrorism is growing.
Obama will visit the Islamic Society of Baltimore mosque on Wednesday, and will speak with its members about tolerance and religious freedom.
On Wednesday, February 3rd, the President will travel to Maryland to visit the Islamic Society of Baltimore mosque to celebrate the contributions Muslim Americans make to our nation and reaffirm the importance of religious freedom to our way of life,” a White House official said in a statement.
The President believes that one of our nation’s greatest strengths is our rich diversity and the very idea that Americans of different faiths and backgrounds can thrive together – that we’re all part of the same American family.
As the President has said, Muslim Americans are our friends, and neighbors; our co-workers, and sports heroes – and our men and women in uniform defending our country.
At the Islamic Society, the president will hold a roundtable discussion with community members, the official said.
The visit will be part of the tightrope-walking Obama has done during his presidency around Islam.
For years, Muslim Americans have promoted him to visit a mosque, citing Islam phobia.
At the same time, a segment of Obama’s critics have said since he took office that he is a Muslim pretending to be Christian, and that he plays down the religious aspect of Muslim extremism. Recent polls show that 29 percent of Americans and nearly 45 percent of Republicans think he is a Muslim.
The visit comes in the last year of his presidency.
