Obama attacks Trump's ban on Muslims: It is 'not the America we want'

Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban was attacked by President Barack Obama on Tuesday as "not the America we want".

An angry Obama savaged the plans and said if Muslim-Americans were treated differently it would create a divide between the West and the Muslim world and so make the US would become less safe. The President's intervention came after Trump extended his suggestion to ban people from any country with a history of terror attacks against the US.

Trump said the attack on an Orlando nightclub, the worst mass shooting in American's history, justified his plans. He said the proposals could be put into place given the President's power to "suspend entry into the country of any class of persons that the President deems detrimental to the interests or security of the United States".

The President's strongly worded attack on Trump's plans did not name the presumptive Republican nominee for president. But he said religious freedom was fundamental to the US's history and said having a "religious test" for immigration would be against the constitution.

Obama also pointed out that the recent terror attack in Orlando had been carried out by a US citizen.

In a statement less than 24 hours after the shooting in Florida, Trump called for President Obama to resign because he would not use the words "radical Islam" in his response.

But Obama ignored his call. "If we fall into the trap of painting all Muslims with a broad brush and imply that we are at war with an entire religion, then we are doing the terrorists' work for them," he said.

related articles
Orlando shooting: why Christians must not stay quiet
Orlando shooting: why Christians must not stay quiet

Orlando shooting: why Christians must not stay quiet

Archbishops Welby and Sentamu: It is 'absolute call' on Christians to support LGBTI people

Archbishops Welby and Sentamu: It is 'absolute call' on Christians to support LGBTI people

Orlando shootings: There\'s only one answer to people who peddle hate
Orlando shootings: There's only one answer to people who peddle hate

Orlando shootings: There's only one answer to people who peddle hate

Do we need to talk about 'radical Islam'?
Do we need to talk about 'radical Islam'?

Do we need to talk about 'radical Islam'?

Orlando: The images that show the world remembering a tragedy

Orlando: The images that show the world remembering a tragedy

News
A brief history of Christmas bans
A brief history of Christmas bans

These days, Christmas is hard to miss and nearly impossible to avoid. But at various times it has been banned in different countries, including Britain. This is the story …

Organisers of Christmas evangelistic campaign thrilled with impact
Organisers of Christmas evangelistic campaign thrilled with impact

Organisers of this year's Shine Your Light Christmas evangelistic outreach have been "overwhelmed" by the response from local churches.

Reach out to others, says Salvation Army, as 1.8 million Brits set to spend Christmas Day alone
Reach out to others, says Salvation Army, as 1.8 million Brits set to spend Christmas Day alone

People are being urged to reach out after polling suggested 1.8 million UK adults will spend Christmas Day alone, even though they do not want to.

Another Christmas in hardship for Gaza church
Another Christmas in hardship for Gaza church

For Christians sheltering in the Holy Family parish in Gaza, there will be few comforts this Christmas.