US will never wage war against Islam or any religion: Obama

Washington, Sep 12: Ten years after the US launched war against terrorism, in particular those of al Qaeda and the Taliban, President Barack Obama has said America was not and never would be at war with Islam or any other religion.

"These past 10 years underscore the bonds between all Americans. We have not succumbed to suspicion and mistrust.

After 9/11, President (George) Bush made clear what we reaffirm today: the United States will never wage war against Islam or any religion. Immigrants come here from all parts of the globe," Obama said.

"In the biggest cities and the smallest towns, in our schools and workplaces, you still see people of every conceivable race, religion and ethnicity; all of them pledging allegiance to one flag; all of them reaching for the same American dream - e pluribus unum, out of many, we are one," Obama said.

Obama said these 10 years have shown that Americans hold fast to their freedoms. "Yes, we are more vigilant against those who threaten us, and there are inconveniences that come with our common defense," he said.

"Debates about war and peace; about security and civil liberties have often been fierce. But it is precisely the rigor of these debates, and our ability to resolve them in a way that honors our values, that is a measure of our strength," Obama said in his speech at the Kennedy Center here, capping his day-long 9/11 memorial events that took him to the Ground Zero in New York, Shanksvile in Pennsylvania and the Pentagon.

PTI