Islam has a tradition of tolerance, says Obama

Cairo: Addressing the Muslim world from Cairo University, US President Barack Obama said that freedom of religion is central to peoples' ability to live together.

Islam has a tradition of tolerance, something he saw firsthand as a child in Indonesia, he added.

The US President said that people should be free to worship as they see fit and that Western countries should not impose restrictions on how Muslims practice their faith.

Obama acknowledged that the rules inside the United States have made it more difficult for American Muslims to donate to Islamic charities and said he is committed to ease such giving.

He reached Cairo on Thursday to deliver a speech with the goal of repairing the US' relationship with the Muslim world.

Obama said some Muslims measure their own faith by rejecting other's beliefs, a notion he said he rejects.