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September 02, 2009
Obama Holds Ramadan Dinner and Praises Islam as 'Great Religion'
Obama Praises Islam as 'Great Religion'
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 monthlong period of prayer, reflection 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.
Guest list for Obama's White House Ramadan dinner
LINKS of information from White House:
Obama's White House Muslim List
Here is the list of invited guests, as provided by the White House:
Cabinet: Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr., and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
Deputy Cabinet secretaries: Commerce Deputy Secretary Dennis Hightower and Education Deputy Secretary Adam Miller.
Congress: Reps. Andre Carson (D-Ind.), John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.), Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), Rush D. Holt (D-N.J.) and Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.).
Diplomats: Ambassador Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al Hussein of Jordan; Ambassador Adel A.M. Al Jubeir of Saudi Arabia; Ambassador Husain Haqqani of Pakistan; Ambassador Erlan A. Idrissov of Kazakhstan; Ambassador His Excellency Said ...
... Tayeb Jawad of Afghanistan; Ambassador Aziz Mekouar of Morocco; Ambassador Peter N.R.O. Ogego of Kenya.
Also, Ambassador Roble Olhaye of D’jibouti; Ambassador Michael Oren of Israel; Ambassador Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat of Indonesia; Ambassador Klaus Scharioth of Germany; Ambassador Meera Shankar of India; Ambassador Nabi Sensoy of Turkey; Ambassador Sir Nigel Elton Sheinwald of Britain; Ambassador Sameh Hassan Shoukry of Egypt; Ambassador Samir Shakir Mahmood Sumaida’ie of Iraq; and Ambassador Pierre Nicolas Vimont of France.
Also the following Chargé d'Affaires: Sheikh Mohammed Belal of Bangladesh; Ilango Karuppanan of Malaysia; Mohamed O Maiga; Angela Oi Foong Shim of Brunei; Baba Gana Wakil of Nigeria; and Maen Areikat, chief of mission, Palestine Liberation Organization.
Members of the public: Bilquis Abdul-Qaadir, University of Memphis; Professor Azizah Al-Hibri, University of Richmond School of Law; Reema Ali, Karamah, Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights; Hasan Chandoo, Oppenheimer & Co.; Rabbi Nathan Diament, director, Institute for Public Affairs, Orthodox Union; Imam Plemon El-Amin, Atlanta Masjid al-Islam.
Also, Wahid Hamid, PepsiCo; Dina Hammad; Lutfi Hassan; Nashala Hearn; Rosalind Hearn; Imam Yahya Hendi, chaplain, Georgetown University; pastor Joel Hunter, Northland Church; Nooman Husain; and Imad Hussain.
Additionally, Sanford Ibrahim, CEO, Radian Group; Jameel Jaffer, staff attorney, ACLU; Mrs. Elsheba Khan; Dr. Mansur Khan, UMMA Community Clinic; Farhana Khera, Muslim Advocates; Lt. Commander Abuhena Saifulislam, U.S. Marine Corps; and Kareem Salama.
Also, Imam Yusuf Saleem; Masjid Muhammad; Dr. Ingrid Mattson, president, Islamic Society of North America; Farooq Mitha; Dalia Mogahed, director, Gallup Center for Muslim Studies; Hutham Olayan, Olayan America Corp.; Eboo Patel, Interfaith Youth Corps; and Rabbi David Saperstein, Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism.
Additionally, Mina Trudeau, executive director, El Fatiha Foundation; J. Saleh Williams, Congressional Muslim Staffers Assn.; and Mohamed Zakariya, Zakariya Calligraphy.
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Wild Thing's comment.......
The President of the United States is bringing a gas can to a forest fire. Keep it up A-hole! Meanwhile....Obama says we “are not a Christian nation”......and doesn’t participate in the National Day of Prayer.
"a great religion and its commitment to justice and progress."
BULL! Obama's idea of justice and progress isn't ours.
"The contribution of Muslims to the United States are too long to catalog"
obama couldn’t specify any specific contribution to American society because there are none.
If Jesus came back today he would be recognized as Jesus.
If Mohammed came back, he would be in Federal prison for murder, terrorism, rape, pedophile and numerous other crimes, recognized as a cult leader like Charles Manson!!
Posted by Wild Thing at September 2, 2009 07:50 AM
Comments
barack HUSSEIN obama... What a caliphate, er country!
Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at September 2, 2009 11:12 AM
That pre dinner speech was pure BS, propaganda and patronizing.
obama is a muslim. He refused to observe the National Day of Prayer, he referred in an interview to "my muslim religion", he proclaimed America to not be a Christian nation but to be one of the worlds's largest Christian countries. obama repeatedly claims muslims have done so much for America, but fails to list even one accomplishment.
obama is a muslim.
Posted by: TomR at September 2, 2009 11:19 AM
Remember, they don't celebrate Christmas either. That's a muslim thing as well. Just wait until the White House isn't decorated for the Christmas season. How much crap will hit the fan when that happens? He thinks that we somehow owe him and we don't owe him a dime. That's our house, not his. We just let him live there while he's in office.
More and more, he is showing he is a muslim.
Posted by: Lynn at September 2, 2009 11:35 AM
Here is how Islam was invented
http://boudicabpi.wordpress.com/files/2009/09/islam-is-born.jpg
And here is what they can do with their unholy book
http://boudicabpi.wordpress.com/files/2009/09/islam_3.jpg
Posted by: Bob A at September 2, 2009 11:59 AM
I guess killing your daughters is the mark of a great religion. Rifqa Bary is another shining example of how great the muslem Religion is. She converted to Christianity, her Moslem father threatened to kill her. She ran away in fear of this great Religion. Funny isn't it how he was all Christian before the election, now suddenly he won't even host the National Prayer Breakfast, and celebrates Ramadan and touts this great religion. Obama's a liar.
Posted by: Mark at September 2, 2009 04:20 PM
Barack HUSSEIN Blowbama, sworn enemy of America!
Posted by: Eddie (Locked & Loaded) at September 2, 2009 05:37 PM
Eddie, ditto that he really is.
He is the number one enemy of our country.
Posted by: Wild Thing at September 2, 2009 10:26 PM
