U.S., Muslim Governments Address Religious Tolerance

December 13, 2011

This week, the Obama administration is hosting representatives from several Muslim countries who are upset over what they consider a lack of tolerance toward Islam, OneNewsNow.com reports. Some have criticized the three-day conference in Washington, D.C., as "appeasing hardline Islamist governments," but U.S. officials say they are simply promoting understanding while rejecting any demands for free-speech restrictions. For years, Muslim governments have cited examples of perceived offenses against Islam, such as the burning of the Qur'an by U.S. groups and cartoons of the prophet Muhammad by European newspapers. However, their efforts to stop such actions have been rejected by the U.S. and Western countries because of free speech laws.