Which deserves more White House attention: Ash Wednesday or Ramadan?
Statement by the President on Ash Wednesday - March 09, 2011
Michelle and I join with millions of Christians here and across the
world to mark Ash Wednesday. As we observe the season of Lent, we
receive with thanksgiving this opportunity for grace and repentance,
recommit ourselves to our faith, and remember our obligations to one
another.
Statement by the President on the Occasion of Ramadan - August 11, 2010
On behalf of the American people, Michelle and I want to extend
our best wishes to Muslims in America and around the world. Ramadan
Kareem.
Ramadan is a time when Muslims around the world reflect upon the
wisdom and guidance that comes with faith, and the responsibility that
human beings have to one another, and to God. This is a time when
families gather, friends host iftars, and meals are shared. But Ramadan
is also a time of intense devotion and reflection – a time when Muslims
fast during the day and pray during the night; when Muslims provide
support to others to advance opportunity and prosperity for people
everywhere. For all of us must remember that the world we want to build
– and the changes that we want to make – must begin in our own hearts,
and our own communities.
These rituals remind us of the principles that we hold in common, and
Islam’s role in advancing justice, progress, tolerance, and the dignity
of all human beings. Ramadan is a celebration of a faith known for
great diversity and racial equality. And here in the United States,
Ramadan is a reminder that Islam has always been part of America and
that American Muslims have made extraordinary contributions to our
country. And today, I want to extend my best wishes to the 1.5 billion
Muslims around the world – and your families and friends – as you
welcome the beginning of Ramadan.
I look forward to hosting an Iftar dinner celebrating Ramadan here at
the White House later this week, and wish you a blessed month.
May God’s peace be upon you.