President Barack Obama on Tuesday
praised American Muslims for enriching the nation's culture at a
dinner to celebrate the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
"The contribution of Muslims to the United States are too
long to catalog because Muslims are so interwoven into the fabric of
our communities and our country," Obama said at the iftar, the
dinner that breaks the holiday's daily fast.
The president joined Cabinet secretaries, members of the
diplomatic corps and lawmakers to pay tribute to what he called "a
great religion and its commitment to justice and progress."
Attendees included Congress' two Muslim members - Reps. Keith
Ellison and Andre Carson as well as ambassadors from Islamic nations
and Israel's ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren.
Obama shared the story of Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir, another invited
guest, who broke a state record for most career points as a
Massachusetts high school student.
"As an honor student, as an athlete on her way to Memphis,
Bilqis is an inspiration not simply to Muslim girls - she's an
inspiration to all of us," he said.
Obama also noted the contributions of Muhammad Ali, who was not in
attendance, though the president borrowed a quote from famous boxer,
explaining religion.
"A few years ago," Obama said, "he explained this
view - and this is part of why he's The Greatest - saying, 'Rivers,
ponds, lakes and streams - they all have different names, but they
all contain water. Just as religions do - they all contain truths."'
Ramadan, a month-long period of prayer and sunrise-to-sunset
fasts, began Aug. 22 in most of the Islamic world. It is believed
that God began revealing the Quran to Muhammad during Ramadan, and
the faithful are supposed to spend the month in religious reflection,
prayer and remembrance of the poor.
White House dinners marking the holy month are nothing new. Former
President George W. Bush held iftars during his eight years in
office.
Obama has made a special effort since taking office to repair U.S.
relations with the world's Muslims, including visits to Turkey and
Cairo. In a June speech at the Egyptian capital, as well as in one to
another important Muslim audience, in Turkey, Obama said: "America
is not - and never will be - at war with Islam."
Obama also released a video message to Muslims before the start to
Ramadan. In the video, he said Ramadan's rituals are a reminder of
the principles Muslims and Christians have in common, including
advancing justice, progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human
beings.
