US is not, and never will be at war with Islam -- Obama

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 10 (KUNA) -- US President Barack Obama called on Wednesday for resolving any mistrust between the US and the Islamic world, adding that the US is not, and never will be at war with Islam.
The US has developed firmer relations with the Islamic world, "but we have much more work to do," Obama said in speech to Islamic world at the University Of Indonesia in Jakarta.
"All of us must work together to defeat Al-Qaeda and its affiliates, who have no claim to be leaders of any religion -- certainly not a great world religion like Islam," Obama said.
The US administration is working with the Afghan government to bring peace and not to become a refuge for extremists, and it IS also working on ending the war in Iraq, where 100,000 soldiers withdrew from Iraq since Obama took office, it added.
He said security issues would not be the sole focus for the US as it moves ahead to build bridges with the Muslim world, in his June 2009 speech in Cairo.
On the other hand, dozens of demonstrators raised hostile slogans against Obama and his administration in front of the US embassy in Jakarta, although the demonstrators were peaceful amid the tight Indonesian police.
Indonesia is his second stop within the framework of his four-nation tour of Asia after India. The next stops are South Korea for the summit of G20 leaders and finally Japan.
Obama has been forced to leave Indonesia about two hours early due to volcanic ash cloud thrown up by the recent deadly eruption of Mount Merapi.
(end) aab.hs KUNA 101122 Nov 10NNNN