Obama to visit South East Asia’s largest mosque in Indonesia
By ANIFriday, October 29, 2010
WASHINGTON - U.S. President Barack Obama will visit the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia and the third largest Muslim house of worship in the world, during his swing through the country November 9 and 10.
White House national security aide Ben Rhodes said the visit is standard protocol for Obama, who visited the famed Blue Mosque while on a visit to Turkey shortly after his inauguration.
“When he visited Muslim-majority countries as president, he has often visited the most prominent mosques,” Politico quoted Rhodes, as saying.
Rhodes also cautioned against linking Obama’s statement about the controversial Park51 mosque project in New York and his visit to the Jakarta mosque.
“I would not conflate the two. When we planned to go to Indonesia in March, we planned to go to this same mosque,” he said. (ANI)
