Washington (CNN) -- On the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, President Barack Obama reiterated that America is not at war with Islam but with al Qaeda's "sorry band of men which perverts religion".
Speaking at a commemoration ceremony Saturday at the Pentagon, where American Airlines Flight 77 struck and killed 184 people and five hijackers, Obama said America would hold strong to the values and virtues that have defined the nation.
"They may wish to drive us apart but we will not give in to their hatred and prejudice," Obama said as controversy swirls around a proposed Islamic center near ground zero in New York and anti-Muslim sentiment is running high among Americans.
It was not religion that attacked the United States on September 11, 2001, Obama said. It was al Qaeda.
"Just as we condemn intolerance and extremism abroad, so will we stay true to our traditions here at home as a diverse and tolerant nation," Obama said. " We champion the rights of every American, including the right to worship as one chooses -- as service members and civilians from many faiths do just steps from here, at the very spot where the terrorists struck this building".
Obama's remarks were tailored for a poignant anniversary that this year is cast under a different light.
It was not just heart-stopping grief that gripped America on Saturday. On this September 11, Americans planned to make their voices heard on Park51, the proposed Islamic center two blocks from where the World Trade Center once stood. Rallies were planned for Saturday afternoon.
Critics of the center say it is an affront to survivors of the September 11 attacks. Supporters cite First Amendment rights and the need to express religious tolerance.
CNN
