US is a nation of Christian, Muslims, Jews and Hindus: Obama

Washington, Jan 21 (PTI) In an unprecedented gesture,
US President Barack Hussein Obama reached out to people across
the globe, calling the United States a great nation of
Christians, Muslims, Jews and Hindus in his maiden speech as
head of the state.

"For we know that our patchwork heritage is a
strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and
Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and non-believers," Obama said
from inaugural podium Tuesday as he urged fellow Americans to
user in an era of responsibility.

"We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn
from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the
bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from
that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but
believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the
lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows
smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that
America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace,"
he said.

While adherents of Hinduism have been in the US for
more than a century, a 2001 study estimated that there are 1.1
million Hindus in America (0.4 percent of the total
population). However, in the last one decade, the population
of Hindus has increased significantly.