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Annual prayer breakfast in Washington, witnessed world icons and many leaders’ voice against terrorism and advocated for religious tolerance. President Barack Obama spoke about the importance of religious freedom, and mentioned spiritual leader Dalai Lama, who was in the audience at a table in the front row across from the president along with senior Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett.

Obama came across some of the Nobel Peace prize laureate Lama’s own teachings, calling for religious tolerance and noting that too often faith is twisted to justify violence. He said, “I want to offer a special welcome to a good friend, His Holiness the Dalai Lama - who is a powerful example of what it means to practice compassion, who inspires us to speak up for the freedom and dignity of all human beings.”, which was not there in his script prepared by Washington.

While coming across the acts of religious intolerance (terrorism), Mr. Obama said the "acts of intolerance" experienced by religious faiths of all types in India in the past few years would have shocked Mahatma Gandhi.

"Michelle and I returned from India - an incredible, beautiful country, full of magnificent diversity - but a place where, in past years, religious faiths of all types have, on occasion, been targeted… acts of intolerance that would have shocked Gandhiji," he added.

The Spiritual Leader Dalai Lama fled to India after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959 over the Tibetan issue, he is demanding China since then to grant Tibet autonomy.

-Kannamsai