Obama backs mosque near ground zero in New York, calls religious freedom a fundamental value

Obama makes clear support for ground zero mosque

WASHINGTON — After skirting the issue for weeks, President Barack Obama is making it clear he supports the construction of a mosque near ground zero in New York City.

Obama says religious freedom was one of the nation’s founding principles.

The president held a White House dinner Friday in celebration of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. He said Muslims have the same right as anyone else to practice their religion in this country.

He said that included the right to build a place of worship and a community center near the site of the World Trade Center towers that were brought down in the Sept. 11 attacks.

The mosque would be part of a $100 million Islamic community center just two blocks from where nearly 3,000 people died.