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If a
church or Hindu temple okay at ground zero, why not mosque?: Obama
Friday, September 10, 2010 11:09:30 PM,
Arun Kumar, IANS
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Washington:
President Barack Obama Friday again backed controversial plans to
build an Islamic centre near the site of 9/11 attacks in New York
reminding critics that the US was at war against terrorism not
Islam.
"All men and women are created equal, they have certain
inalienable rights, and one of those is to practice their religion
freely," he said at a White House press conference.
"You can build a church on a site, you can build a synagogue on a
site, if you could build a Hindu temple on a site, you should be
able to build a mosque."
Obama's comments came amidst a controversy about a Florida
pastor's plans to burn the Quran on the ninth anniversary of the
Sep 11, 2001 terror attacks unless the proposed Islamic centre was
moved away from ground zero in exchange for the burning being
called off.
Obama said he recognised the sensitivity in the area because of
the 9/11 attacks and acknowledges that family members are
continuing to experience pain and anguish over their losses.
However, he urged people to remember who their real enemies are.
"We are not at war against Islam. We are at war against terrorist
organizations that have distorted Islam or falsely used the banner
of Islam," Obama said.
"If we're going to deal with the problems ... (of) reducing the
terrorist threat, we need all the allies we can get."
Obama pressed that in fact, the anti-Islam sentiment and a war
between the West and Islam is exactly what terrorist organizations
are hoping for.
"Al Qaeda, that's what they've been banking on," Obama said. "The
overwhelming majority of Muslims are peace-loving - are interested
in the same things that you and I are interested in."
Obama stressed it is important that Americans do not believe the
entire religion of Islam is offensive.
(Arun Kumar can
be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)
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