Obama to call for religious freedom in a US mosque

WASHINGTON: President Obama will make his first visit as president to a US mosque next week in a defense of religious freedom, the White House said, following a rise in anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States. Obama will visit on Wednesday the Islamic Society of Baltimore mosque, where he will hold a round-table with the community and deliver remarks, a White House official said on Saturday. This is part of the the administration’s push to promote religious tolerance at a time when rhetoric linking Islam with terrorism is growing, it said. At the mosque, the president will “reiterate the importance of staying true to our core values, welcoming our fellow Americans, speaking out against bigotry, rejecting indifference, and protecting our nation’s tradition of religious freedom,” the official said. AGENCIES