Obama Praises Muslims at Ramadan Dinner

(AP)  President 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," Mr. 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, D-Minn., and Andre Carson, D-Ind., as well as ambassadors from Islamic nations and Israel's ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren.

Mr. 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 basketball player.

"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.

Mr. 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," Mr. 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.

Mr. 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, Mr. Obama said: "America is not - and never will be - at war with Islam."

Mr. 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.

[vuenbelvue]

Why don't articles ever mention over population. These third world people live in countries that have no control over how many children each family has. The children of the children of the children then decide that they want a better life and migrate to countries that are not of their religion. This includes Islam, Hindu and Budhism among others. They are then still having families of four times the birth rate of the countries that allow them entry and even want their relatives to join them. They then expect social services to pay for their large familes medical, education, housing, etc. They then are forcing out the culture of the countries they are allowed into. This is BS. This is not diversity and oh so nice. We love each other and isn't everything nice and swell. This is encrochment and an attack. Print your nice little list of rich Muslin converts. Can these people live in the sand or squalid conditions in Indonesian. No, they live in several mansions and pet themselves on the back on how good they are. Are there muslins with scarves, burka's and white pant suits watching them play in a "Game". No. Only Faux muslims. They are no others to be seem anywhere.
Europe will become a muslim dominated country in less than twenty years because of the over population of the immigrants. I don't want this for my children and their children in America. Muslims go HOME. Go to your birthplace and let us be. Many of you are good people and we are not saying your not. Millions of us just don't want you here, grinding in the background for a takeover of our culture in a certain number of years. We want our culture, the work of our lives to continue in perpetuity. Can the sands of the middle east, the never ending problems of Africa or the islands of Indonesia support the population growth of the humans who decide they are muslim? If it can't, work on changing it so it will support your growth rate or work on reducing your growth rate

[jjreding-2009]

Evan - one more thing:

Afghanistan - <1% Christian, Benin - 15%, Brunei - 8%, Burkina Faso - 10%, Cameroon - 33%, Chad - 25%, Djibouti - 6%, Egypt - 6%, Eritrea - 50%, Ghana - 24%, Iran - <1%, Iraq - 5%, Israel - 2%, Jordan, 8%, Lebanon - 30%, Lesotho - 80%, Liberia - 10%, Myanmar (Burma) - 4%, Pakistan - 1.6%, Qatar - <8%, Sierra Leone - 10%, Syria - 10%, United Arab Emirates - <4%.

I will grant you Saudi Arabia, but the rest of these countries DO have Christian populations, even if they are microscopic. So, 1 out of 23 (plus Israel) - not very good odds. You'd flunk the test.

[jjreding-2009]

Evan - one more thing:

Afghanistan - <1% Christian, Benin - 15%, Brunei - 8%, Burkina Faso - 10%, Cameroon - 33%, Chad - 25%, Djibouti - 6%, Egypt - 6%, Eritrea - 50%, Ghana - 24%, Iran - <1%, Iraq - 5%, Israel - 2%, Jordan, 8%, Lebanon - 30%, Lesotho - 80%, Liberia - 10%, Myanmar (Burma) - 4%, Pakistan - 1.6%, Qatar - <8%, Sierra Leone - 10%, Syria - 10%, United Arab Emirates - <4%.

I will grant you Saudi Arabia, but the rest of these countries DO have Christian populations, even if they are microscopic. So, 1 out of 23 (plus Israel) - not very good odds. You'd flunk the test.

[jjreding-2009]

Evan,

Islam's problems with the West started centuries ago, when the Catholics sent the Templars into Morocco and other parts of the Middle East to destroy it. It has been the same way with Christians and Jews ever since. I suppose it was alright for the Israelis to illegally annex parts of the Palestinian territories. And the US has always sided with Israel - which is the whole reason that the militants hate us. Israel continues to build on the West Bank, they stopped hundreds of Palestinians from coming into East Jerusalem - which is Palestinian controlled - to celebrate their holiday. We all know what would happen if Palestinians prevented Israelis from celebrating Yom Kippur.

I also suppose that all those football and basketball players are terrorists too. Or the former Catholics and Protestants.

There is just nothing that is going to convince you xenophobic bigots. As for this business about 'allowing thousands to immigrate to America', after the Viet Nam war, thousands of Viet Namese refugees, called 'boat people' were allowed into the United States as well. It has always been this country's policy to grant political asylum to those who seek it and to provide comfort to the maligned and disenfranchised of the world. After BOTH world wars we went into Germany and helped reconstruct what was damaged during wartime. We've also made peace with the Japanese who we mercilously bombed to end WWII. Same with Korea - after our involvement in the Korean Conflict, thousands of Koreans came to America. And you know what? All of these foreigners have given great advances to our culture and our country. I suppose we should ship all the Arab and Egyptian doctors back to their own countries?

I'm sick of you people and I'm not going to waste my time battling with a bunch of hard-headed bigots any more.

[CommentMaker]

Everyone has the right to practice their religion, but we don't need the President of the United States endorsing it. He speaks for all Americans and there are more that would not have said that than would. Obama, please do something a little more respectable next time. Ha, what's the chances of that!

[jjreding-2009]

What has Obama done that's evil???????? Jump started an economy devastated by George Bush's policies? Added money for treatment for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans to get treatment for PTSD and other horrendous injuries like brain trauma? Traveled around the world trying to make amends for Bush's indiscretions against other countries? Saved American automakers from collapsing and completely destroying what shreds of the economy still existed at the beginning of this year? Passing legislation for children's health care (SCHIP)providing guaranteed health care to 4 million children who didn't have it? Passing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which makes it easier for employees to fight for equal pay? Stopping illegal torture of detainees? Yeah, that's really evil stuff there.

But Bush's lies, illegal wars, illegal wiretaps, illegal spying on US citizens, tax cuts for cronies and the rich, torture, illegal renditions, making us citizens disappear for years on end without access to lawyers, blowing a hole in the economy, gutting restrictions and regulations on industries (particularly the oil and energy industries) aren't wrong or evil or anything out of place, huh?

What the hell happened to my country to make it so hateful?

[vuenbelvue]

From another CBS article 9/2/09
(AP) A Berlin court has upheld rulings in favor of parents who sought to name their son Djehad, a variation on the Arabic "jihad," or holy war.

The superior court upheld two lower court rulings allowing the name on grounds that it is recognized for males in Arabic-speaking countries.

German authorities who register births had objected to the name, saying it could be harmful for the child given the associations with Islamic terrorism.

But the court said in a ruling Tuesday that the name's meaning is rooted in the requirement to spread the Muslim faith, although it has recently become linked _ especially since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks _ with radical Islam.

German law restricts parents from giving their children names that could be interpreted as harmful.

[jjreding-2009]

by evanl802 September 2, 2009 1:45 PM EDT
Barksdale4 , yes, that 9-11 contribution from Islam was very nice.
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It wasn't a 'contribution from Islam'. It was a horrible act of terrorism BY A SMALL GROUP OF FANATICS, sponsored by a large group of fanatics that George Bush stopped chasing so he could go to war to satisfy a vendetta.

By your reasoning, Bush's invasion of Iraq was a 'contribution from Christianity'. See how stupid that statement is?

[jjreding-2009]

by Acehacker1 September 2, 2009 10:37 AM EDT
"For the first time in my life, I am not proud of my President!"
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So, what you're saying is that you WERE proud of Bush's lies, illegal wars, illegal wiretaps, illegal spying on US citizens, tax cuts for cronies and the rich, torture, illegal renditions, making us citizens disappear for years on end without access to lawyers, blowing a hole in the economy, gutting restrictions and regulations on industries (particularly the oil and energy industries) ...

[jjreding-2009]

by IndepTex14 September 2, 2009 10:29 AM EDT
I wonder what celebration is planned at the White House for Kwanzaa?
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Do you even know what Kwanzaa is? At least you spelled it right. Kwanzaa is NOT an Islamic holiday - it's a black holiday to celebrate their roots. If this is a problem for you, join the KKK bigot.