In the first-ever documentary survey on religious perspective, religious intolerance has surfaced its ugly face, ranging from hate speech, discrimination, incarceration, violence against believers of different religious denominations, among others.
It is with good news that US President Barack Obama has defended controversial plans to build a mosque near Ground Zero in New York.
But since a New York developer announced plans to build a 13-storey Islamic community centre and mosque about two blocks from the former World Trade Center site, prominent Republican politicians and a host of conservative pundits have attacked the project.
We say with fingers crossed that for the US President Barack Obama, America's commitment to religious freedom and practices would be unshakeable.
People with different faiths should try to tolerate and accept each other in peace and unity. The Holy Qur'an teaches us that there is no compulsory in religion, and therefore each individual person should be given the freedom to exercise his or her religion. Islam is a religion of peace and as Obama himself put it. "Al-Qaeda's cause is not Islam."
"It is a gross distortion of Islam" while acknowledging "sensitivities" surrounding the 9/11 site, but as he said Muslims have the same right to practise their religion as anyone else.
We must commend Mr. Obama for taking such a bold step. For centuries, people of all religious faiths have been living together in peace and harmony, which we must safeguard for the benefit of generations yet unborn.
Once again we thank Mr. Obama for the initiative.
