President Obama paid a visit to the Islamic Society of Baltimore on Wednesday
The visit marked the first time Mr Obama has set foot in a U.S. mosque during his presidency; he has visited mosques in other countries
During his speech, President Obama hit back at what he called 'inexcusable' anti-Muslim rhetoric in politics
Mr Obama sat down with members of the Mosque to discuss concerns about bias towards Muslim-Americans

President Barack Obama on Wednesday slammed what he called 'inexcusable' anti-Muslim rhetoric in the political sphere - a veiled jibe at Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump and others.

Making his first visit to a mosque while in office, Obama praised American Muslims as upstanding citizens and thanked them for helping their community.

'Recently we've heard inexcusable political rhetoric against Muslim-Americans that has no place in our country,' Obama told the members of the Islamic Society of Baltimore, without specifically naming anyone.

'The first thing I want to say is two words that Muslim-Americans don't hear often enough, and that is thank you,' Obama said at the start of his speech, to applause.

'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.'
We have to understand: An attack on one faith is an attack on all our faiths.
President Barack Obama

In this year's Republican presidential campaign, Donald Trump has called for banning Muslims from the U.S. temporarily and Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio warned of 'radical Islamic terrorism.'

Muslim-American advocacy groups have warned of a growing number of attacks on mosques and on individuals following attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California, by those purporting to act in the name of Islam.

'We have to understand: An attack on one faith is an attack on all our faiths,' Obama said. Denouncing a political dynamic that incentivizes attacks against certain religions, he said it fell on all Americans to speak up.

He decried the 'hugely distorted impression' of Muslims given in the media - both in film and television portrayals, and in the news after acts of terror.

'Since 9/11, but more recently since the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, you have seen too often people conflating the horrific acts of terrorism with the beliefs of an entire faith,' he said.

While he admitted that there is a very 'radical, tiny, minority' of Muslims perverting Islam's texts to promote violence, Mr Obama hit back at Republicans who have been criticizing him for not recognizing the groups as radical Islamists.

We're one American family and when any part of our family starts to feel separate or second class, it tears at the very fabric of our nation.
President Barack Obama

'I often hear that we need more clarity in this fight. That somehow if I would simply say these are all Islamic terrorisst that we would have already solved the problem by now.

'I agree that we need more clarity. Groups like ISIL are desperate for legitimacy...I refuse to give them that legitimacy.

'We must never give them that legitimacy. They're not defending Islam,' Obama said. 'The vast majority of the people they kill are innocent Muslim men, women and children.'

Obama said bias against any segment of American society tears at the fabric holding the nation together and must be tackled 'head on.'

'We're one American family and when any part of our family starts to feel separate or second class, it tears at the very fabric of our nation,' Mr Obama said.

At the end of his speech, Mr Obama shared his ideas for promoting better relationships with Muslim-Americans. First off, he said that Americans need to embrace 'our common humanity'.

The second move was to remember the promise out founding fathers made to protect freedom of religion.

Finally, Mr Obama said that we need to reject politicians that 'seek to manipulate prejudice or bias' and 'target people because of their religion'.

For Obama, the visit in his final year in office reflects a willingness to wade into touchy social issues that often eluded him earlier in his presidency.

For years, Obama has fought incorrect claims that he's actually a Muslim and was born in Kenya, beliefs that polls suggest remain prevalent among many Republicans. Obama, a Christian, was born in Hawaii.

Obama, acknowledging that uncomfortable chapter in his own story, noted that Thomas Jefferson had also been accused of being a Muslim.

'So I was not the first,' Obama said to laughter from a hundred or so Muslims who gathered for his speech. 'No, it's true. Look it up.'

He also drew a parallel between Muslim-Americans' struggle for broad societal acceptance and that of African-Americans, noting that 'there was a time when there were no black people on television.'

With no plans to ever again appear on a ballot, Obama faces less pressure to avoid political controversy, and seemed to relish the possibility that his visit would raise eyebrows among some of his most entrenched critics.

Ahead of his visit, White House officials readily acknowledged the visit could spark controversy but suggested that would help make his point about ignorance and religious bias.



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