He extended his “best wishes” to Muslim communities in the
“Today I want to wish Muslims across America and around the world a blessed month as you welcome the beginning of Ramadan, may God’s peace may be upon you.”
Obama said that he knows this is a “festive time” but also a time of “intense devotion and reflection” when Muslims fast during the day and perform Tarawih prayers at night, reciting and listening to the entire Koran over the course of the month.
These rituals remind us, the President says, of the principles that different faiths have in common.
“Fasting is a concept shared by many faiths, including my own Christian faith, as a way to bring people closer to God. And to those among us who cannot take their next meal for granted.”
“At this time of renewal, I want to reiterate my commitment to a new beginning between
The new beginning, he said, must be one of sustained effort to listen, learn, respect and seek common ground.
“I believe an important part of this is listening. And the last two months American embassies have reached out not just to government but directly to people in Muslim majority countries. And from around the world and we have received an outpouring of feedback about how
The President said they will focus and team up on the areas that make the most difference in people’s lives – on education, jobs and increasing collaboration on science and technology.
“We’re also moving forward with the OIC member states to eradicate polio and working with the international community to confront the common health challenges like H1N1 which I know is particular concern to many Muslims preparing for the hajj.”
Citing the broader “challenging times” for the world – the President reaffirmed his commitment to the problems beyond just
“That’s why we’re responsibly ending the war in
