Obama acknowledges the contributions of Hindus and Sikhs

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama today acknowledged the contribution of Hindus and Sikhs in the country along with other faiths in reflecting compassion and decency of the American people.

At the National Prayer Breakfast meeting, Obama spoke on the compassion and decency of the American people which is expressed through individuals, organisations and the religious institutions.

He said, "It is expressed through the efforts of our Armed Forces, through the efforts of our entire government, through similar efforts from Spain and other countries around the world. It's also, as Secretary (of State Hillary) Clinton said, expressed through multiple faith-based efforts."

"By evangelicals at World Relief. By the American Jewish World Service. By Hindu temples, and mainline Protestants, Catholic Relief Services, African American churches, the United Sikhs. By Americans of every faith, and no faith, uniting around a common purpose, a higher purpose," Obama said.

Obama praised the relief efforts launched by the Hindu and the Sikh community in Haiti following the devastating earthquake that hit the country last month.

"It's inspiring. This is what we do, as Americans, in times of trouble. We unite, recognising that such crises call on all of us to act ... recognizing that life is most sacred responsibility -- one affirmed, as Hillary said, by all of the world's great religions -- is to sacrifice something of ourselves for a person in need," Obama said.