President Barack Obama has paid a visit to Indonesia’s largest mosque, one of the largest of its kind in southeast Asia.
Mr. Obama and his wife, Michelle, walked in stockinged feet along a carpet laid across the sprawling courtyard of the Istiqlal Mosque. Along the way, the mosque’s imam explained that a Christian church visible in the distance uses the mosque’s parking lot during Christmas celebrations because it doesn’t have enough parking.
A smiling Mr. Obama then relayed that story to reporters. He called it an example of cooperation between the different religions in Indonesia, a predominantly Muslim country.
Mr. Obama visited the mosque on Wednesday before a scheduled speech to the Indonesian people.
Published - November 10, 2010 12:17 pm IST