MUMBAI: US President Barack Obama today regretted that
the "great religion" of Islam has been distorted by a few
extremists to justify violence towards innocent people
and called for isolating these elements.
Obama also said that people will have to fundamentally
reject the notion that violence is the way to mediate
differences among them.
"I think all of us have to fundamentally reject the
notion that violence is the way to mediate our
differences," he added.
The US president expressed these views when a Muslim
student A Ansari lobbed a question asking for his views
on on 'jihad" during his interaction with students of St
Xavier's college here.
"I think all of us recognise that this great religion
(Islam) in the hands of a few extremists has been
distorted to justify violence towards innocent people
that is never justified," he said.
"So, one of the challenges the world faces is how to
"isolate" those who have these distorted notions of
religious war...and reaffirm those who see faces of all
sorts whether you are a Hindu or a Muslim or a Christian
and a Jew or any other religion that we can all treat
each other with respect and mutual dignity," he added.
Obama said the phrase 'Jihad' has different
interpretations. Islam is one of the great religions and
majority of its one billion practicers believe in peace,
justice and tolerance, he added.
The President also said the existence of diverse
religious beliefs was a "major challenge" not only in
India but also around the world.
He said the youth of the world can make a huge impact in
re-affirming that one can be a strong observer of one's
faith without putting somebody else down or visiting
violence on somebody else.
Religious tolerance is necessary in a world that is
getting smaller and smaller where more and more people of
different backgrounds, different races and different
ethnicities are interacting and working and learning from
each other, Obama added.
