Obama to pay first visit to mosque as president

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 (UPI) -- The White House announced plans for President Barack Obama to visit the Islamic Society of Baltimore on Wednesday.

The visit will be Obama's first visit to a mosque as president.

"The President will hold a roundtable with community members and deliver remarks, where he will reiterate the importance of staying true to our core values," a White House official said in a statement. "Welcoming our fellow Americans, speaking out against bigotry, rejecting indifference, and protecting our nation's tradition of religious freedom."

The Washington Post reported the mosque is the same one attended by the family of Adnan Syed, the subject of the immensely popular true crime podcast Serial. Syed was convicted of murdering his high school girlfriend in 2000, a case examined last year by Serial. Syed is set to appear in court the day after Obama's visit for a post-conviction relief hearing.