Obama says yes to Ground Zero mosque

We saw this Obama says yes to Ground Zero mosque

President Obama of the United States delivered a strong defence on Friday night of a proposed Muslim community centre and mosque near Ground Zero in Manhattan, using a White House dinner celebrating Ramzan to proclaim that “as a citizen, and as President, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practise their religion as anyone else in this country.”

After weeks of avoiding the high-profile battle over the centre, his press secretary Robert Gibbs said last week that the President did not want to “get involved in local decision-making” — Obama stepped squarely into the thorny debate.

“I understand the emotions that this issue engenders. Ground Zero is, indeed, hallowed ground,” Obama said in remarks prepared for the annual White House Iftaar.

But, he said: “This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakable. 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.”
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