Mamdani hosts Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil for Ramadan dinner at Gracie Mansion (Update video)

Amanda Hurley

Tue, March 10, 2026 at 10:24 AM EDT

The Brief

• NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife hosted Mahmoud Khalil and his family at the Gracie Mansion this past weekend.
• It comes one year after the former Columbia University graduate was arrested by ICE.
• The Palestinian activist has since been freed, but his deportation case remains tied up in court.

NEW YORK CITY - New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani hosted Mahmoud Khalil, the former Columbia University graduate student arrested by ICE last year, and his family for Ramadan dinner at the mayor's residence this weekend.

What they're saying

Mamdani posted a photo of the dinner to social media on Monday, stating that he and his wife invited Khalil, his wife and their son to break their fast together.

The dinner also marked the one year since the Palestinian activist was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents outside his apartment in New York City.

"For Mahmoud Khalil, this past year has been marked by profound hardship—and by profound courage," Mamdani said in the photo caption. "And yet, even in the face of that cruelty, there has also been beauty. New Yorkers raising their voices in solidarity. A city refusing to look away. Mahmoud won his freedom, and a father was finally reunited with his child."

Ramadan and Lent coinciding Ash Wednesday and Ramadan are coinciding for New Yorkers

President Trump Marks Ramadan with the Annual White House Iftar Dinner (...

Christians, Muslims can speak out against injustice, proclaim beauty of diversity, Vatican says

In a message for Ramadan, Vatican officials call on Christians and Muslims to foster fraternity, justice and mutual respect through dialogue. Highlighting shared values like compassion and respect for creation, the letter emphasizes building bridges, rejecting exclusion and working together toward a future of hope.



The dome of the Istiqlal Mosque across from the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption is seen at sunset in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sept. 4, 2024. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez).

Carol Glatz
March 7, 2025

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In a world where people are tempted to build walls to exclude others, Christians and Muslims are challenged to build, through dialogue, a shared future based on fraternity, leaders of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue said in a message to Muslims around the world.

"We do not want simply to coexist; we want to live together in sincere and mutual esteem," said the message for the month of Ramadan, which began Feb. 28 in many countries and ends March 29.

"The values we share, such as justice, compassion and respect for creation, should inspire our actions and relationships, and serve as our compass in constructing bridges rather than walls, defending justice rather than oppression, protecting the environment rather than destroying it," it said.

 

Cardinal George Koovakad, prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, greets journalists aboard Pope Francis' flight to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore in this file photo from Sept. 2, 2024. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

Cardinal George Koovakad, dicastery prefect, and Msgr. Indunil Janakaratne Kankanamalage, secretary, signed the letter, which was released by the Vatican March 7.

"This year, Ramadan largely coincides with Lent, which for Christians is a period of fasting, supplication and conversion to Christ," the Vatican officials wrote. "This proximity in the spiritual calendar offers us a unique opportunity to walk side-by-side, Christians and Muslims, in a common process of purification, prayer and charity."

"This year," they wrote, "we wish to reflect with you not only on what we can do together to live better lives, but above all on what we want to become together, as Christians and Muslims, in a world in search of hope. Do we want to be simple co-workers for a better world or genuine brothers and sisters, bearing common witness to God's friendship with all humanity?"

"Our world is thirsting for fraternity and genuine dialogue," they said. "Together, Muslims and Christians can bear witness to this hope, in the conviction that friendship is possible despite the burden of history and ideologies that promote exclusion."

 

A commemorative plaque signed by Pope Francis celebrates his visit to the Tunnel of Friendship, which connects a mosque and a Catholic cathedral, during an interreligious meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Sept. 5, 2024. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

"Our trust in God is a treasure that unites us, far beyond our differences," the message said. "It reminds us that we are all spiritual, incarnate, beloved creatures, called to live in dignity and mutual respect."

"We desire to become guardians of this sacred dignity by rejecting all forms of violence, discrimination and exclusion," the Vatican officials said. "We have a unique opportunity to show the world that faith transforms people and societies, and that it is a force for unity and reconciliation."

Today there is a temptation to "build a culture of walls" to prevent encounters with other cultures and other people, they said. "Our challenge is to build, through dialogue, a common future founded on fraternity."

"Our faith and its values should help us to be voices that speak out against injustice and indifference, and proclaim the beauty of human diversity," they said.

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President Trump Participates in the White House Iftar

*Event begins at approx. 25:50 Mins.
Fast forward to view the program...

Vatican Wishes Happy Ramadan to ‘Muslim Brothers and Sisters’

ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/Getty
THOMAS D. WILLIAMS, PH.D. 

10 May 2019

The Vatican has sent a special message to all the world’s Muslims, wishing them “a peaceful and fruitful celebration of Ramadan.”

The month of Ramadan, which began this year on May 5, is “a month for strengthening the spiritual bonds we share in Muslim-Christian friendship,” reads the message from the Vatican’s office of interreligious dialogue bearing the title “Christians and Muslims: Promoting Universal Fraternity.”

“We Muslims and Christians are called to open ourselves to others, knowing and recognizing them as brothers and sisters,” the text states. “In this way, we can tear down walls raised out of fear and ignorance and seek together to build bridges of friendship that are fundamental for the good of all humanity.”

“We thus cultivate in our families and in our political, civil and religious institutions, a new way of life where violence is rejected, and the human person respected,” reads the message, which bears the signature of Bishop Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

Our religions invite us to “remain rooted in the values of peace; to defend the values of mutual understanding, human fraternity and harmonious coexistence; to re-establish wisdom, justice and love,” the text says, citing a joint declaration signed by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam Ahmed a-Tayyeb in Abu Dhabi this past February.

That same declaration brought down heavy criticism on the pope particularly due to the assertion that the plurality and diversity of religions “are willed by God in His wisdom,” just as God wills a plurality of colors, sexes, races, and languages.

A number of Catholic theologians raised objections to the statement, insisting that it seemed to suggest that either God actively wills error, or that all religions are equally valid paths to God. The existence of a variety of colors, races, and languages in humanity is very different from a variety of contradictory claims about God’s identity and way of acting, they said.

In early April, Francis walked back the earlier statement, clarifying that in reality God only permits the existence of many religions without actively willing it.

The Vatican’s Ramadan message steers clear of such theological swampland.

“We are encouraged, therefore, to continue advancing the culture of dialogue as a means of cooperation and as a method of growing in knowledge of one another,” the message says.

The text also reaffirms the importance of religious liberty and the right of all people to worship God in freedom.

“In order to respect diversity, dialogue must seek to promote every person’s right to life, to physical integrity, and to fundamental freedoms, such as freedom of conscience, of thought, of expression and of religion,” it states. “This includes the freedom to live according to one’s beliefs in both the private and public spheres. In this way, Christians and Muslims – as brothers and sisters – can work together for the common good.”

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Christians and Muslims must move from confrontation to cooperation, says cardinal

by Carol Glatz
posted Sunday, 20 May 2018

 

Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran (CNS)


Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran issues message as Ramadan begins

A competitive attitude between Christians and Muslims fosters the belief that religions are a source of tension and violence, not peace, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran has said.

“It is important that we Christians and Muslims recall the religious and moral values that we share, while acknowledging our differences,” said the cardinal, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

“By recognising what we hold in common and by showing respect for our legitimate differences, we can more firmly establish a solid foundation for peaceful relations, moving from competition and confrontation to an effective cooperation for the common good,” he said in a message to Muslims.

The annual message was for Ramadan, which began on May 16, and Eid al-Fitr, the feast marking the end of the monthlong fast, which will be on or around June 15 this year. The Vatican published the message on May 18.

Titled “Christians and Muslims: From Competition to Collaboration,” the message expressed appreciation for “the great effort by the Muslims throughout the world to fast, pray and share the Almighty’s gifts with the poor.”

The importance of the month was an opportunity to share some thoughts about relations between Christians and Muslims and the need to move from competition to collaboration, the cardinal wrote.

“A spirit of competition has too often marked past relations between Christians and Muslims,” he said, adding that “the negative consequences of which are evident: jealousy, recriminations and tensions.”

“In some cases, these have led to violent confrontations, especially where religion has been instrumentalised, above all due to self-interest and political motives,” the message said.

This kind of “interreligious competition” hurts the image of religions and their followers, “and it fosters the view that religions are not sources of peace, but of tension and violence,” it said.

To prevent and overcome such negative consequences, the cardinal wrote, it is key for Christians and Muslims to recognise what values they share and show respect concerning legitimate differences.

Working together for the common good should include assisting those most in need, allowing both sides “to offer a credible witness to the Almighty’s love for the whole of humanity,” the message said.

“So that we may further peaceful and fraternal relations, let us work together and honour each another,” Cardinal Tauran wrote. “In this way we will give glory to the Almighty and promote harmony in society, which is becoming increasingly multi-ethnic, multireligious and multicultural.”

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President Trump Broke Clinton – Obama Tradition of Hosting Ramadan Dinner

On Jun 27, 2017

President Donald Trump walks out from the Oval Office to make a joint statement with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Monday, June 26, 2017. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)




For the first time in nearly two decades, the White House decided to skip hosting the annual Eid al-Fitr dinner celebrating the end of Ramadan. The dinner began under the Clinton administration and continued through the Obama years.

Instead, President Donald Trump issued a statement wishing warm greetings to Muslims.

“Muslims in the United States joined those around the world during the holy month of Ramadan to focus on acts of faith and charity. Now, as they commemorate Eid with family and friends, they carry on the tradition of helping neighbors and breaking bread with people from all walks of life,” the statement read in part.


Ramadan is considered the Muslim holy month, marked by prayer and fasting. Eid al-Fitr is the “break” to that fast.

Liberal mosque opens in Germany where men women worship together with female imams
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Pagan elements of worship crafted into modern Islam
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The State Department also rejected an offer to host a Ramadan dinner.

Obama praises Egypt's cease-fire plan for Israel

President Barack Obama speaks as he hosts an Iftar dinner, which celebrates the breaking of fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, Monday, July 14, 2014. Obama also made comments about Syria and the Israel and Palestinian conflict. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

GALLERY: Obama praises Egypt's cease-fire plan for Israel

JOSH LEDERMAN, THE ASSOCIATED PRESSPOSTED: Monday, July 14, 2014, 10:44 PM

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama praised Egypt's proposal Monday for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, telling Muslim-Americans that he's hopeful that the plan can restore calm in the wake of a deadly wave of violence.

"We're going to continue to do everything we can to facilitate a return to the 2012 cease-fire," Obama said at a White House dinner celebrating the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. "We are encouraged that Egypt has made a proposal to accomplish that goal."

The upbeat assessment from Obama came hours after Egypt presented a plan to end a week of heavy fighting that has killed at least 185 people. Both Israel and the Palestinians say they are seriously considering the proposal, which marks the first sign of a breakthrough in international efforts to end the conflict.

At the same time, Obama said the U.S. has been "very clear that Israel has the right to defend itself" against an onslaught of rockets being launched indiscriminately by Hamas militants into Israel. He also lamented the death and injury of Palestinian civilians in Gaza during Israel's military response to quell the rockets, urging that civilians be protected and warning against further escalation by either side.

Infusing Obama's words with a heightened sense of seriousness was his audience in the State Dining Room: Dozens of Muslim-Americans and diplomats from predominantly Muslim countries who gathered for the White House's annual iftar, or Ramadan evening meal. The first Muslim elected to Congress, Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., and Israel's ambassador to the U.S., Ron Dermer, were also on the guest list.

"More broadly, the situation in Gaza reminds us, again, that the status quo is unsustainable," Obama said. "The only path to true security is a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians."

Ahead of the dinner, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee called for a boycott of all government-hosted iftar dinners, objecting to U.S. support for Israel during the conflict and alleged government spying on Muslim-Americans. Ellison said he shared the group's concerns but disagreed with the boycott and said it was important for passionate members of the Muslim community to attend.


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Guantanamo Detainees’ Lawyers Cite Hobby Lobby Ruling In Prayer Motion

Lawyers who represent two detainees held at Guantanamo bay have filed motions asserting that their clients should be allowed to pray communally during the month of Ramadan, citing the Supreme Court’s recent ruling in the case of Hobby Lobby.

According to Aljazeera America, the lawyers are arguing that their clients’ rights are protected under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). They assert that the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Hobby Lobby case changes the fact that courts have previously failed to find Guantanamo detainees “persons within the scope of the RFRA,” who enjoy “religious free exercise rights.”

In court papers, the lawyers argue that “Hobby Lobby makes clear that all persons — human and corporate, citizen and foreigner, resident and alien — enjoy the special religious free exercise protections of the RFRA.” The motions were filed earlier this week in Washington, D.C., on behalf of Emad Hassan of Yemen and Ahmed Rabbani of Pakistan.

“If, under our law, Hobby Lobby is a ‘person’ with a right to religious freedom, surely Gitmo detainees are people too,” attorney Cori Crider argued.

According to Axis of Logic, attorneys have asserted that the two men are being prevented from taking part in communal prayers due to the fact that they are participating in a hunger stroke. Cori Crider, an attorney who represents the detainees, questioned the circumstances:

“Why are the authorities at Guantanamo Bay seeking to punish detainees for hunger striking by curtailing their right to pray? If, under our law, Hobby Lobby is a ‘person’ with a right to religious freedom, surely Gitmo detainees are people too.”

U.S. Army Lt. Col. and Department of Defense spokesman Myles B. Caggins III acknowledged that the department was aware of the filing, and said that the government would respond to it through the proper legal channels. “We are committed to religious freedoms and practices for the detainees,” Caggins stated, “keeping in mind the overall goal of security and safety for detainees and staff.”

As The Inquisitr previously reported, the Supreme Court ruled earlier this week in favor of craft store Hobby Lobby, a case that sharply divided public opinion along partisan lines. The owners of Hobby Lobby claimed that their religious freedom was violated by a contraceptive mandate found in the Affordable Care Act. In a widely circulated, scathing dissent, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg criticized the “startling breadth” of the court’s ruling, asserting that “What the Court must decide is not ‘the plausibility of a religious claim…’ but whether accommodating that claim risks depriving others of rights accorded them by the laws of the United States.”

The ruling is already being cited by religious groups who wish to claim exemption from federal laws, though it remains to be seen if the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision will be applied to the detainees at Guantanamo.

[Images via Raw Story and Huffington Post]

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Pope Francis Adds a Personal Touch to Eid Al-Fitr Greetings

Posted by: Zafar Siddiqui Updated: August 7, 2013 - 11:27 PM




Pope Francis is pressing ahead with his efforts to strengthen ties between Muslims and Catholics. In his personal message for Eid al-Fitr, the holiday that comes at the end of Ramadan, the Pope touched upon the theme of “Promoting Mutual Respect Through Education.” I find this particularly exciting because it speaks to the effort that I and other Muslims have been involved in the Twin Cities through the Islamic Resource Group (IRG) and other organizations. The IRG’s mission is to build bridges of understanding through education, one very similar to the Pope's call.

The Pope’s renewed call for dialogue is another opportunity for the Catholic community to take the dialogue with Muslims to the next level and I am confident that the Catholic leadership will find the IRG and several other Muslim organizations willing partners in this effort to promote mutual respect through education.

Eid Mubarak to all who are celebrating.

Below is the text of Pope Francis’s message to Muslims worldwide:

To Muslims throughout the World

It gives me great pleasure to greet you as you celebrate ‘Id al-Fitr, so concluding the month of Ramadan, dedicated mainly to fasting, prayer and almsgiving.

It is a tradition by now that, on this occasion, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue sends you a message of good wishes, together with a proposed theme for common reflection. This year, the first of my Pontificate, I have decided to sign this traditional message myself and to send it to you, dear friends, as an expression of esteem and friendship for all Muslims, especially those who are religious leaders.

As you all know, when the Cardinals elected me as Bishop of Rome and Universal Pastor of the Catholic Church, I chose the name of “Francis”, a very famous saint who loved God and every human being deeply, to the point of being called “universal brother”. He loved, helped and served the needy, the sick and the poor; he also cared greatly for creation.

I am aware that family and social dimensions enjoy a particular prominence for Muslims during this period, and it is worth noting that there are certain parallels in each of these areas with Christian faith and practice.

This year, the theme on which I would like to reflect with you and with all who will read this message is one that concerns both Muslims and Christians: Promoting Mutual Respect through Education.

This year’s theme is intended to underline the importance of education in the way we understand each other, built upon the foundation of mutual respect. “Respect” means an attitude of kindness towards people for whom we have consideration and esteem. “Mutual” means that this is not a one-way process, but something shared by both sides.

What we are called to respect in each person is first of all his life, his physical integrity, his dignity and the rights deriving from that dignity, his reputation, his property, his ethnic and cultural identity, his ideas and his political choices. We are therefore called to think, speak and write respectfully of the other, not only in his presence, but always and everywhere, avoiding unfair criticism or defamation. Families, schools, religious teaching and all forms of media have a role to play in achieving this goal.

Turning to mutual respect in interreligious relations, especially between Christians and Muslims, we are called to respect the religion of the other, its teachings, its symbols, its values. Particular respect is due to religious leaders and to places of worship. How painful are attacks on one or other of these!

It is clear that, when we show respect for the religion of our neighbours or when we offer them our good wishes on the occasion of a religious celebration, we simply seek to share their joy, without making reference to the content of their religious convictions.
Regarding the education of Muslim and Christian youth, we have to bring up our young people to think and speak respectfully of other religions and their followers, and to avoid ridiculing or denigrating their convictions and practices.

We all know that mutual respect is fundamental in any human relationship, especially among people who profess religious belief. In this way, sincere and lasting friendship can grow.

When I received the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See on 22 March 2013, I said: “It is not possible to establish true links with God, while ignoring other people. Hence it is important to intensify dialogue among the various religions, and I am thinking particularly of dialogue with Islam. At the Mass marking the beginning of my ministry, I greatly appreciated the presence of so many civil and religious leaders from the Islamic world.” With these words, I wished to emphasize once more the great importance of dialogue and cooperation among believers, in particular Christians and Muslims, and the need for it to be enhanced.

With these sentiments, I reiterate my hope that all Christians and Muslims may be true promoters of mutual respect and friendship, in particular through education.

Finally, I send you my prayerful good wishes, that your lives may glorify the Almighty and give joy to those around you.

Happy Feast to you all!
From the Vatican, 10 July 2013

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Francis: To Muslims throughout the World

MESSAGE OF POPE FRANCIS TO MUSLIMS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
FOR THE END OF RAMADAN ('ID AL-FITR)

To Muslims throughout the World

It gives me great pleasure to greet you as you celebrate ‘Id al-Fitr’, so concluding the month of Ramadan, dedicated mainly to fasting, prayer and almsgiving.

It is a tradition by now that, on this occasion, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue sends you a message of good wishes, together with a proposed theme for common reflection. This year, the first of my Pontificate, I have decided to sign this traditional message myself and to send it to you, dear friends, as an expression of esteem and friendship for all Muslims, especially those who are religious leaders.

As you all know, when the Cardinals elected me as Bishop of Rome and Universal Pastor of the Catholic Church, I chose the name of “Francis”, a very famous saint who loved God and every human being deeply, to the point of being called “universal brother”. He loved, helped and served the needy, the sick and the poor; he also cared greatly for creation.

I am aware that family and social dimensions enjoy a particular prominence for Muslims during this period, and it is worth noting that there are certain parallels in each of these areas with Christian faith and practice.

This year, the theme on which I would like to reflect with you and with all who will read this message is one that concerns both Muslims and Christians: Promoting Mutual Respect through Education.

This year’s theme is intended to underline the importance of education in the way we understand each other, built upon the foundation of mutual respect. “Respect” means an attitude of kindness towards people for whom we have consideration and esteem. “Mutual” means that this is not a one-way process, but something shared by both sides.

What we are called to respect in each person is first of all his life, his physical integrity, his dignity and the rights deriving from that dignity, his reputation, his property, his ethnic and cultural identity, his ideas and his political choices. We are therefore called to think, speak and write respectfully of the other, not only in his presence, but always and everywhere, avoiding unfair criticism or defamation. Families, schools, religious teaching and all forms of media have a role to play in achieving this goal.

Turning to mutual respect in interreligious relations, especially between Christians and Muslims, we are called to respect the religion of the other, its teachings, its symbols, its values. Particular respect is due to religious leaders and to places of worship. How painful are attacks on one or other of these!

It is clear that, when we show respect for the religion of our neighbours or when we offer them our good wishes on the occasion of a religious celebration, we simply seek to share their joy, without making reference to the content of their religious convictions.

Regarding the education of Muslim and Christian youth, we have to bring up our young people to think and speak respectfully of other religions and their followers, and to avoid ridiculing or denigrating their convictions and practices.

We all know that mutual respect is fundamental in any human relationship, especially among people who profess religious belief. In this way, sincere and lasting friendship can grow.

When I received the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See on 22 March 2013, I said: “It is not possible to establish true links with God, while ignoring other people. Hence it is important to intensify dialogue among the various religions, and I am thinking particularly of dialogue with Islam. At the Mass marking the beginning of my ministry, I greatly appreciated the presence of so many civil and religious leaders from the Islamic world.” With these words, I wished to emphasize once more the great importance of dialogue and cooperation among believers, in particular Christians and Muslims, and the need for it to be enhanced.

With these sentiments, I reiterate my hope that all Christians and Muslims may be true promoters of mutual respect and friendship, in particular through education.

Finally, I send you my prayerful good wishes, that your lives may glorify the Almighty and give joy to those around you.

Happy Feast to you all!

From the Vatican, 10 July 2013



FRANCIS


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Christians Urged to Participate in Month-Long Prayers During Ramadan

(Photo: AP Images/Alessandro Fucarini)
Faithful offer Eid al-Fitr prayers in Palermo, Italy, Sunday Sept. 20, 2009. Eid al-Fitr festival marks the end of the Muslim month of Ramadan.


By Stoyan Zaimov , Christian Post Reporter

June 20, 2013|6:58 am

Open Doors USA, a persecution watchdog organization, is urging Christians to pray during this year's Ramadan, which will be observed by millions of Muslims around the world.

"During the season of Ramadan we need to lift up in prayer our brothers and sisters in Christ who live in Islamic-dominated nations; strengthening them, empowering them, comforting them and encouraging them. Also, pray for Muslims. There are millions of Muslims who have never experienced real peace and joy in knowing a loving God and having Jesus as their Savior," said Open Doors USA Director of Ministries Michele Miller in a statement Wednesday.

Ramadan, which is an annual fast and one of the five pillars, or basic acts, of Islam, runs this year from July 9 to August 7. During this period, Muslims are expected to practice humility and submissiveness to Allah by abstaining from eating, drinking, and any immoral activities from sunrise to sunset, choosing to focus on spiritual reflection instead.

Open Doors, which also called on Christians to participate during last year's Ramadan, is urging followers of Christ to pray in one of the names of Christ while using scripture on each day of the month-long period. For example, the group offered the passage in 1 John 2:1, which calls Jesus an "advocate": "But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One."

A number of countries on the persecution watchdog group's 2013 World Watch List, which features the world's most oppressive regimes and governments, happen to be Muslim-dominated nations, where Christians face danger due to their faith. During last year's Ramadan observance, Open Doors noted that those Christians often face heightened persecution because they do not fast or participate in the Islamic tradition.

"The religious atmosphere among Muslims rises dramatically, more than during any other month of the year. During Ramadan, Muslims usually read the Quran extensively, often very loudly in public places such as public transportation, at work and certainly at home. This is a holy month for Islam, so they are promised to gain more points from Allah when they do good works, hoping that some of the bad things they have done during the past year will be erased," a Christian leader in Egypt, who wasn't named, observed last summer.

"My heart is really broken for the millions of Muslims here in Egypt and around the world, who are seeking peace with God this month, trying so hard to do good works in an effort to somehow earn His favor and forgiveness. Although God is so near to those truly calling on His name, it brings tears to my eyes that most of my countrymen do not know that Jesus died and rose from the dead to give them freely, through simple faith, that peace with God they so long to have," the leader added.

Other Christian organizations, such as Mission Network News (MNN), have also launched campaigns for Christians to pray during Ramadan in the past, suggesting that many young people in Islamic countries like Iran are disillusioned with the faith and can be reached through Christ.


Source: http://global.christianpost.com/news/christians-urged-to-participate-in-month-long-prayers-during-ramadan-98351/#s8oy43IRyF4djfXo.99

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General: Ramadan Factor in Afghan Insider Attack

Published on Aug 23, 2012 by AssociatedPress

The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan says one possible explanation for a spike in killings of American troops by their Afghan partners is the strain of fasting during the just-concluded Muslim holy month of Ramadan. (Aug. 23)

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During Ramadan dinner at White House, Obama honors victims of Sikh temple shooting

By Associated Press, Updated: Friday, August 10, 10:47 PM

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says an attack at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin is an assault on religious faith and has no place in the United States.

He says such an attack “is an attack on the freedom of all Americans.” He says no American should ever have to fear worshipping in public.
Obama spoke at a White House dinner he hosted Friday night to celebrate the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Obama singled out Huma Abedin (HOO’-muh AB’-uh-deen), an aide to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton who is Muslim. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota has alleged that Abedin has family ties to Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood.

Obama called Abedin “an American patriot” and “an example of what we need in this country.”

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Obama Hosting Ramadan Dinner at White House

ABC OTUS News – 17 hrs ago

President Barack Obama will celebrate the Islamic holy month of Ramadan by hosting an iftar (ifta) dinner Friday night at the White House.

The iftar is the meal that breaks the day of fasting, when Muslim families and communities eat together after sunset.

The meal to be served in the State Dining Room will be the fourth iftar that Obama has hosted. It continues the tradition of hosting iftars that began annually under President Bill Clinton and was continued by President George W. Bush.

Invited guests include elected officials, religious and grass-roots leaders in the Muslim American community and leaders of diverse faiths and members of the diplomatic corps.

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President Obama Hosts an Iftar Dinner to Celebrate Ramadan

Posted by Nikki Sutton on August 11, 2011 at 12:14 PM EDT





Continuing a tradition at the White House, last night President Obama hosted his third Iftar dinner to celebrate Ramadan. The Iftar is the meal that breaks the day of fasting, when Muslim families and communities eat together after sunset. The President was joined in the State Dining Room by two Muslim American members of Congress, Keith Ellison and Andre Carson, members of the diplomatic corps, and Muslim American families and service members. During his remarks the President wished a blessed Ramadan to Muslim Americans and Muslims around the world:

To the millions of Muslim Americans across the United States and more -- the more than one billion Muslims around the world, Ramadan is a time of reflection and a time of devotion. It’s an occasion to join with family and friends in celebration of a faith known for its diversity and a commitment to justice and the dignity of all human beings. So to you and your families, Ramadan Kareem.

This evening reminds us of both the timeless teachings of a great religion and the enduring strengths of a great nation. Like so many faiths, Islam has always been part of our American family, and Muslim Americans have long contributed to the strength and character of our country, in all walks of life.

In one month, we will mark the 10th anniversary of those awful attacks that brought so much pain to our hearts. It will be a time to honor all those that we’ve lost, the families who carry on their legacy, the heroes who rushed to help that day and all who have served to keep us safe during a difficult decade. And tonight, it’s worth remembering that these Americans were of many faiths and backgrounds, including proud and patriotic Muslim Americans.

The President also reflected on the sacrifices Muslim Americans have made to our country and the diversity that defines us as a nation:

This year and every year, we must ask ourselves: How do we honor these patriots -- those who died and those who served? In this season of remembrance, the answer is the same as it was 10 Septembers ago. We must be the America they lived for and the America they died for, the America they sacrificed for.

An America that doesn’t simply tolerate people of different backgrounds and beliefs, but an America where we are enriched by our diversity. An America where we treat one another with respect and with dignity, remembering that here in the United States there is no “them” or “us;” it’s just us. An America where our fundamental freedoms and inalienable rights are not simply preserved, but continually renewed and refreshed -- among them the right of every person to worship as they choose. An America that stands up for dignity and the rights of people around the world, whether a young person demanding his or her freedom in the Middle East or North Africa, or a hungry child in the Horn of Africa, where we are working to save lives.

Put simply, we must be the America that goes forward as one family, like generations before us, pulling together in times of trial, staying true to our core values and emerging even stronger. This is who we are and this is who we must always be.


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Obama hosts Iftar dinner at White House marking start of Ramadan.

Obama hosts Iftar dinner at White House marking start of Ramadan. U.S., foreign press pool reports

By Lynn Sweeton August 14, 2010 9:23 AM

DOMESTIC POOL REPORT

Everyone should have the news already. Potus inserted himself firmly into the controversy over the so-called Ground Zero Burlington Coat Factory mosque with, "This is America, and our commitment to the religious freedom must be unshakeable."

The scene: The sun officially down, a crowd of men in suits and women in dresses, a few head scarves, saris, one Saudi head piece -- nothing terribly exotic -- milled in the White House foyer drinking ayran, Turkish yogurt drink, and pitless dates. Your non-Muslim pooler is told by his better-informed colleagues that dates are the traditional nosh for the fasting ahead of the formal Iftar feast. About 90 guests were invited, including ambassadors, Muslim community leaders, dignitaries and Rep. Andre Carson on Indiana, one of two Muslims in Congress.

Pool was ushered into the State Dining Room at 8:30. Guests were seated around round tables with gray, silken tablecloths and four tall, white candles arrayed around a simple centerpiece. The lectern was set up in front of the brooding portrait of Lincoln.

Potus entered seven minutes later wearing a navy suit, navy tie, and white shirt, with some audible "how are you's".

The speech, read from paper, not a teleprompter, hewed closely to the text with one flourish. He spoke of an American "way of life" from the text, then added, "that quintessential American creed," picking up "...that stands in stark contrast to the nihilism..." The crowd was attentive and respectful. Only twice did they interrupt with applause, after he declared "Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country" and after his story of Jefferson hosting the first Iftar for the ambassador from Tunisia.

When he finished, several guests surged forward to shake his hand while your pool was hastily ushered to the door.


Jonathan Weisman
Wall Street Journal

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FOREIGN POOL REPORT

Foreign Pool report on POTUS Iftar dinner

Pool entered at 8:16 pm to the grand Foyer leading into the state dining room. Guests were standing talking and breaking their fast on dried dates and drinking fruit Juices,and a yogurt like drink called Ayran, common in Turkey.

Pool was held up in the red room for about 10 minutes before ushered in to the State dinning room at 8:30.Drinks and dates were offered to fasting reporters .Guests sat on decorated tables with candles, and flowers chatting for about 8 minutes before POTUS entered the room and greeted the guests. Remarks by the president has already been sent out but here are some of the highlights:

The President made news by supporting the rights of muslims to practice their religion freely including building a mosque and a community centre in NY while recognising the emotional sensitivities, he said, " let me be clear: as a citizen, and as a President, I believe that Muslims have the right to practice their religion as anyone else in the country. That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan", he talked about freedom of religion and how the founding fathers understood it well and gave equal rights to all. He also talked about 9 -11 and how the perpetrators do not represent Islam, he said, "Al Qaeda's cause is not Islam-it is a gross distortion of Islam. These are not religious leaders-these are terrorists who murder innocent men, women and children".

POTUS also talked about the history of Iftar in america, he said that the first iftar was held 200 years ago during the time of president Jefferson to the first muslim ambassador,a Tunisian ,he also talked about the oldest mosques built in seder rapid, Iowa. Pooler noticed few guests impressed with the info and heard one said, " oh,I didn't know that"

Among the attendees are muslim congressman, Andre Carson, almost all Arab and muslim ambassadors, POTUS envoy to OIS, Rashad Hussain , Muslim world envoy Farah Pandith, also Huma Abddine, assistant to Secretary Clinton who just got married to congressman Anthony Weiner, ( full list already sent) This is the second event that POTUS holds to celebrate with Muslims. Its a tradition started during the Clinton years and was followed during the Bush administration . President Bush hosted 8 iftars for each year he was in office. Fasting during the month of Ramadan is obligatory to all adult muslims with exception of the sick, the travelling and pregnant and nursing women and few others . Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam. Muslims abstain from eating , drinking and smoking from dawn to sunset( sucks if they live in a nordic country)!

Ramadan is the holiest month in the islamic calendar. Its the month that prophet Mohamed received the first sura of the Quran by the angel Gabriel while meditating in Hira cave in the year 610 CE. The name of the Sura was Alalaq, and the first word was the order form in Arabic grammar of the verb "read". God commanded the prophet to read in his name.

The wisdom of fasting is numerous according to Islamic teaching, primary of all is to share the feeling of the poor and the hungry and to sympathies with them , therefore encourage the rich to give to charity, known in Arabic as Zakat; another pillar of islam . Also to practice jihad against oneself which means the ability to resist temptation and daily pleasures and finally to give the stomach a break a month a year from indulging and over eating.
The end of Ramadan is marked by Eid Al Fitr, the festival of breaking the fast, not to be confused by Eid al Adha, the feast of sacrifice which takes place during the pilgrimage to Mecca, around two months after the end of Ramadan. Happy weekend everyone.

Ramadan Karim.

Nadia Bilbassy-Charters
Chief US Correspondent,
MBC TV, ( Middle East Broadcasting Centre)

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Source: http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2010/08/obama_at_iftar_dinner_celebrat.html

Related:

Video

Obama: 'Muslims have the right to practice their religion as anyone else'

Obama Using Iftar Dinner to Highlight US Religious Freedom

Bloomberg

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Obama fetes Muslims at end of Ramadan

US President Barack Obama speaks during a rally on healthcare at the Comcast Center in College Park, Maryland

Obama fetes Muslims at end of Ramadan
(AFP) – 12 hours ago

WASHINGTON — US President Barack Obama marked the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan Saturday with his administration stressing the commonality between American culture and the values of Islam.

"As Muslims in the United States and around the world complete the month of Ramadan and celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, Michelle and I would like to extend our personal greetings on this joyous occasion," Obama said in a statement.

"Even on this festive occasion, Muslims remember those less fortunate, including those impacted by poverty, hunger, conflict, and disease," he added.

Obama highlighted Muslims' commitment to collecting and distributing charity and said his administration was "working to ensure that Muslims are able to fulfill their charitable obligations not just during Ramadan, but throughout the year."

In her own message, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stressed that Eid celebrations at the White House, pioneered by her husband Bill Clinton in 1996 when he was president, ensured that "all faiths have a home here in the United States."

"This time of self-reflection reminds us that the values of Islam -- charity, community, cooperation, compassion -- are values which we hold dear as Americans and which have contributed so much to American culture," Obama's top diplomat said.

"We know there is more that unites peoples of faith than divides us. So as Ramadan draws to a close, let us hold on to that spirit of community throughout the year to achieve our common goals of peace, prosperity, and stability."

Obama, who has Muslim heritage on his father's side of his family, vowed to forge a "new beginning" for Islam and America in a landmark speech to the world's 1.5 billion Muslims in Cairo in June.

Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jRtkmXPAi3w07NJNg-i2rGqwmlWA

P.S. What no Yom Kippur wishes??? Not even a L'Haim?

No problem, Malik!

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Osama bin Laden warns Americans in tape -website

Sun Sep 13, 2009 10:25pm EDT

(Updates with background, details)

DUBAI, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden issued an apparently new audio tape on an Islamist website on Monday, warning the American people over their government's close ties to Israel.

The message, entitled "A statement to the American people", was approximately 10 minutes long and appeared on a website often used by supporters of al Qaeda.

The same website said earlier this month it would soon carry a "present" to Muslims from bin Laden, who is thought to be hiding in the mountainous terrain along the Afghan-Pakistani border, on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan.

The message comes a few days after the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks carried out by al Qaeda operatives in 2001 in which nearly 3,000 people died in the United States.

In his last previous known message in June, bin Laden said U.S. President Barack Obama had planted the seeds of "revenge and hatred" towards the United States in the Muslim world.

Those remarks were issued just before a major speech by Obama who said he sought a "new beginning" between the United States and the Muslim community.

(Editing by Michael Roddy)


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Souce: http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSLE539246

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P.S. He's back to promote the 'war on terror'.
............... What, no Ramadan Kareem?
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