Seven years into his presidency, Barack Obama makes his first trip to an American mosque on Wednesday, offering a symbolic rebuttal of harsh Republican election rhetoric against Muslims.

White House describes the visit as poisonous election-year rhetoric from Republicans, reported Yahoo.

‘We have seen an alarming willingness on the part of some Republicans to try to marginalize law-abiding, patriotic Muslim Americans, and it is offensive,’ White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Tuesday. ‘We have seen a willingness on the part of leading Republican presidential candidates to try to appeal to people’s fears and anxieties.’

‘White House aides say Obama won’t call out any Republicans by name during his visit to the Islamic Center of Baltimore mosque. But they privately say that the spark for the president’s visit was Trump’s call to halt Muslim immigration to the United States, a proposal that drew condemnation from some — but not all — of the bombastic billionaire’s rivals to be the Republican standard-bearer in 2016, and won considerable support in Congress. Obama’s advisers also bristle at charges from some in the GOP that Islam is inherently prone to violence.’

‘And administration officials worry that coverage overseas of Trump’s remarks could fuel what one called a ‘false impression that we are at war with Islam.’ Republicans have often countered that Obama’s refusal to brand the enemy ‘Islamic extremists’ is a nod to politically correct sensibilities that shows he does not take the threat seriously.’

‘Public opinion polls in late 2015 found that a majority of Republican voters backed Trump’s idea. Democrats overwhelmingly rejected it, and most independents sided with them.’

‘Among the key audiences for Obama’s remarks is America’s Muslim community, which he needs to have as an ally against home-grown extremists, like those who carried out the deadly attack in San Bernardino, Calif., in December.’

‘We will have more success in our efforts to prevent that if we work effectively with the Muslim community to confront that threat as opposed to branding everybody who attends a mosque as a potential enemy of the United States of America,’ Earnest said Tuesday.

‘Seven years ago, Obama’s key audience was Muslims around the world, a constituency he described as vital to allied efforts to stamp out the kind of violent extremism that plotted the 11 September 2001, attacks.’

‘Back then, the centrepiece of his outreach was a June 2009 speech at Cairo University in which he pleaded for ‘a new beginning,’ acknowledged ‘civilization’s debt to Islam’ and highlighted the contributions of American Muslims.’

‘They have fought in our wars, they have served in our government, they have stood for civil rights, they have started businesses, they have taught at our universities, they’ve excelled in our sports arenas, they’ve won Nobel Prizes, built our tallest building and lit the Olympic Torch,’ he said.

‘Obama is certain to echo that part of his Cairo message on Wednesday as he visits the Islamic Society of Baltimore mosque, holds a round  table with key community figures and makes remarks.’

‘Obama has visited mosques in Cairo and Jakarta as president, but never before one on US soil. He has delivered impassioned pleas for religious acceptance before, as recently as his appearance at the House Democrats’ annual retreat and his State of the Union address, and years earlier when he defended plans to build a mosque near ground zero in New York City. He has continued the practice of holding annual dinners at the White House to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.’

‘Obama officials cite an unlikely model for this latest outreach: George W. Bush. They note with approval Bush’s visit to the Islamic Centre of Washington just days after the 11 September terrorist strikes.

‘Bush had declared a ‘war on terrorism’ not quite 12 hours after the attacks. But he hurried to the Islamic Centre of Washington, a mosque and cultural centre, less than a week later, quoted the Quran, and warned that Americans unleashing their anger on fellow Americans who follow Islam ‘represent the worst of humankind’.’