U.S. President Barack Obama spoke out against religious prejudice Monday at a White House dinner celebrating the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
Several members of the diplomatic community, lawmakers and Muslim Americans were on hand for a traditional Iftar dinner, which follows daily fasting from dawn to sunset.
Mr. Obama said the Iftar dinner is a reminder of "the freedoms that bind us together as Americans," including the "inviolable right to practice our faiths freely."
He condemned a number of recent deadly incidents involving religion, including last week's mass shooting at an African American church in Charleston, South Carolina. "When our values are
threatened, we come together as one nation," the president said. "As Americans, we insist that nobody should be targeted because of who they are, or what they look like, who they love, how they worship. We stand united against these hateful acts."