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Obama condemns anti-Muslim sentiment in first mosque visit

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ANI London

US President Barack Obama has condemned anti-Muslim sentiment in his first mosque visit and urged writers and producers to show a more rounded representation of Muslim characters on television.

According to The Guardian, Obama did not mention any dramas by name but may have had Showtime's hit series Homeland, starring Claire Danes and Mandy Patinkin, in mind when he pleaded for Muslims to appear in series not about terrorism.

Obama told the Islamic Society of Baltimore that the television should incorporate Muslim characters that not related to national security.

The president said many Americans do not know a Muslim person and form a "hugely distorted impression" based on TV, film and negative news reports.

 

Taking a jibe at Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, Obama said that we have heard "inexcusable political rhetoric against Muslim Americans which has cause a surge in threats and harassment of Muslim Americans.

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

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First Published: Feb 04 2016 | 12:28 PM IST

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