Obama support for Ground Zero Mosque
After skirting the controversy for weeks, President Barack Obama is weighing in forcefully for the mosque around ground zero, saying a nation built on religious independence must allow it.
“As a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country,” Obama told an intently listening crowd gathered at the White House Friday evening to observe the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
“That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances,” he said. “This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakable.”
The White House- had not previously taken a stand for the mosque, which will be component of a $100 million Islamic community center two blocks from where almost 3,000 individuals perished when hijacked jetliners slammed in to the World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001. Press secretary Robert Gibbs had insisted it was a neighborhood matter.
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