Al Azhar on Saturday hailed a visit paid by US President Barack Obama to a Baltimore County mosque Wednesday in an effort to help combat political marginalization of Muslims in America .

In a statement, Al Azhar expressed the hope that the visit would help reduce the phenomenon of Islamophobia against Muslims in the United States and Europe.

The statement called on Western heads of State and leaders of various political parties to take similar steps.

Such initiatives contribute to the consolidation of peace and global security and eliminate the justifications invoked by extremist and terrorist groups to carry out their criminal acts, the statement added.

Obama visited the Islamic Society of Baltimore in Windsor Mill. It was his first presidential visit to an American mosque.

"So the first thing I want to say is two words that Muslim Americans don't hear often enough and that is thank you. Thank you for serving your community. Thank you for lifting up the lives of your neighbors and for helping keep us strong and united as one American family," Obama said.

"This is a moment as Americans where we have to truly listen to each other," he added.

Obama participated in a round table discussion on the contributions of Muslim Americans to the US and to reaffirm the importance of religious freedom to the American way of life.

"We've heard inexcusable political rhetoric," Obama said. "We've seen children bullied. We've seen mosques vandalized."

He went on to say, "We have to be consistent in condemning hateful rhetoric and violence against everyone."

Source: MENA