(Image source from: Obama visits US mosque)

The US President, Barak Obama, made visits to a US mosque in Baltimore, on Wednesday. During his first visit, the president said that, there is no place for anti-Muslim rhetoric in America. The visit was aimed at showing another side of Islam to Americans. Mr. Obama described Muslim-Americans, as "some of the most respectful and patriotic Americans you'll ever meet".

Obama said during speaking  to the Muslim Community at the Baltimore Mosque, that, "we have to understand that an attack on one faith is an attack on all our faiths. When any religious group is targeted, we all have a responsibility to speak up."

The White House, said that,  Obama’s visit was aimed as a defense of the religious freedom and a statement against bigotry. During the start of his speech at the Islamic Society of Baltimore mosque in Maryland, Obama said that, "the first thing I want to say is two words that Muslim-Americans don't hear often enough, and that is,  thank you. Thank you for serving your community, thank you for lifting up the lives of your neighbors, and for helping keep us strong and united as one American family."

Muslim Americans are being blamed and targeted for the acts of a few people, Obama said.  The President spoke of  colonialism, terrorism, damaging Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Nandini