The US president, Barack Obama, has defended controversial plans to build a mosque near the site of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York, saying to oppose them would be un-American.
Prominent Republicans have led protests against the construction of an Islamic cultural centre and mosque two blocks from the site of the former World Trade Centre. The proposed building would not be visible from Ground Zero.
Obama acknowledged that "sensitivities" surrounded the 9/11 site, which he described as "hallowed ground", but he said Muslims had the same right to practise their religion "as anyone else".
In a speech at a White House dinner celebrating Ramadan, he said: "As a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practise their religion as everyone else in this country.
"That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community centre on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances.
"This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable".
The White House has not previously taken a stand on the mosque. Its press secretary, Robert Gibbs, has described the issue as a local matter.
Republicans including Sarah Palin, the former vice-presidential candidate, and Newt Gingrich, the Republican former speaker of the House of Representatives, have been vocal opponents of the scheme, describing it as an insult to the memory of those killed by Islamist terrorists in the 2001 attacks. The Guardian
