US President Barack Obama has said he isn't worried about a recent poll showing that nearly one-fifth of Americans believe he is a Muslim.
"The facts are the facts," said Mr Obama, who is a Christian. In an interview broadcast on NBC Nightly News, the president blamed the confusion over his religious beliefs on "a network of misinformation that in a new media era can get churned out there constantly."
A poll released earlier this month by the nonpartisan Pew Research Centre showed that 18% of people believe Mr Obama is Muslim.
That was up from 11% who said so in March 2009.
Just 34% said Mr Obama is Christian, down from 48% who said so last year.
"I'm not gonna be worrying too much about whatever rumours are floating on out there," Mr Obama said.
"If I spend all my time chasing after that, then I wouldn't get much done."
Asked about persistent accusations that he wasn't born in the United States, the president responded, "I can't spend all my time with my birth certificate plastered on my forehead."
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