- From Shahed Amanullah, shahed@amanullah.org:
THE WHITE HOUSE
November 22, 2000
VIDEOTAPED REMARKS OF THE PRESIDENT IN RAMADAN MESSAGE
THE PRESIDENT: It is a privilege to deliver again this year, on behalf of
the American people, a message of friendship and respect to Muslims
around the world as they begin the sacred month of Ramadan.
As America's six-million-member Muslim community grows in numbers and
prominence, Americans of every religious tradition are learning more
about the origins and meaning of Islam. That on "the Night of Power," the
Angel Gabriel appeared to the Prophet Muhammad and revealed to him the
first verses of the Koran. That the Koran declares that Ramadan was the
month Allah's words were sent down, and so should be spent in fasting.
The rigors undertaken by devout Muslims inspire respect for Islam among
people of all faiths. And this can bring hope of greater understanding
for good will. It can overflow old boundaries when wholehearted devotion
to one's own faith is matched with a devout respect for the faith of
others.
That is why we welcome Islam in America. It enriches our country with
Islam's teachings of self-discipline, compassion and commitment to
family. It deepens America's respect for Muslims here at home and around
the world, from Indonesia to Pakistan, the Middle East and Africa.
We all had hoped that when this month's crescent moon first appeared and
the month of Ramadan was announced, fasting would begin in a time of
peace. Yet, tragically, violence continues, and lives are being lost in
the land that is holy to Islam, Judaism and Christianity.
For all Americans, these deaths are a source of great sorrow. The Muslim
chaplain at Georgetown University, where I attended college, has told me
of a verse in the Koran in which Allah tells us that He created nations
and tribes so we may know one another, not so we might despise one
another.
As the fasting of Ramadan begins, I pray people of all faiths may come to
appreciate this precious wisdom of the Koran. And when next month's moon
appears, and the Muslim world celebrates Eid al-Fitr, we may also
celebrate the revival of our hopes for peace throughout the world.
Ramadan Kareem.
END
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