United States President Barack Obama taking a moment to show respect as he receives a tour by the National Mosque imam Tan Sri Syaikh Ismail Muhammad (left) and Abdul Rashid Md Isa at the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur today. – Reuters pic, April 27, 2014.United States President Barack Obama today visited the National Mosque, also known as Masjid Negara, symbolising his approach in reaching out to the Muslim world.
The 44th American president, who came to power in 2009 and later was re-elected to a second term in 2012, was greeted by National Mosque imam Tan Sri Syaikh Ismail Muhammad and the mosque's committee members upon arrival at 9.40am.
Obama, in a dark suit, strolled alongside Syaikh Ismail to the prayer hall and made a brief stop at the Warriors' Mausoleum, next to the National Mosque.
Obama's three-day visit – part of his four-nation tour of Asia – is a first by a sitting US president in 48 years since president Lyndon B. Johnson's trip in 1966.
The Warriors' Mausoleum is where the country's second prime minister, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, father of current Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Tun Hussein Onn (third prime minister) and two former deputy prime ministers, Tun Ghafar Baba and Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman, were laid to rest.
Yesterday, The Star quoted the religious adviser to the prime minister, Tan Sri Dr Abdullah Md Zin, as saying that it was "not common" for the leader of a superpower to include a visit to a mosque in his itinerary.
"There can be no better way for Obama to honour Islam than by visiting Masjid Negara. It will be interesting to know what he has to say about the mosque and Islam," he had said.
After the visit to the National Mosque, Obama headed to Putrajaya for talks with Najib. – Bernama
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