Obama decries discrimination against Muslim Americans

Associated Press
President Barack Obama uses a rose to tap the cheek of Sophia Ahmadinejad, 2, as her parents Zainab Ahmadinejad and Mohammad Hussein Ahmadinejad, right, watch as Obama greets guests at an Eid al-Fitr reception in the East Room of the White House in Washington, on Thursday. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama says discriminating against Muslim Americans 鈥渇eeds the lie鈥� that the West is at war with their religion.
He also says that singling them out isn鈥檛 smart national security.
In comments Thursday at a White House reception commemorating the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Obama called discrimination 鈥渁n affront鈥� to the values that make the US a great nation.
Ramadan actually ended earlier this month, and Obama joked that the advantage of holding the event late is that his Muslim guests are not as hungry as they would have been a few weeks ago. Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset during the holiday.
Among those in the audience were the widow of boxer Muhammad Ali, Lonnie Ali, and several of his children.