Statement by the President on the Occasion of Eid-al-Fitr
"As Muslims throughout the United States and around the world celebrate Eid-al-Fitr, Michelle and I extend our warmest wishes to them and their families. This last month has been a time of fasting, reflection, spiritual renewal, and service to the less fortunate. While Eid marks the completion of Ramadan, it also celebrates the common values that unite us in our humanity and reinforces the obligations that people of all faiths have to each other, especially those impacted by poverty, conflict, and disease.
In the United States, Eid also reminds us of the many achievements and contributions of Muslim Americans to building the very fabric of our nation and strengthening the core of our democracy.* That is why we stand with people of all faiths, here at home and around the world, to protect and advance their rights to prosper, and we welcome their commitment to giving back to their communities.
On behalf of the Administration, we wish Muslims in the United States and around the world a blessed and joyous celebration. Eid Mubarak." ~ President Barack Obama
*Can you give me any specifics, Mr. President?
I would appreciate hearing details about "the many achievements and contributions of Muslim Americans to building the very fabric of our nation and strengthening the core of our democracy." Did they arrive on the Mayflower? Participate in the American Revolution? Help draft the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights? Settle the West with American pioneers? Create new inventions that facilitate modern life, such as the telephone, lightbulb, or automobile?
I ask these questions, because all I can think of in the way of Muslim "contributions" to the U.S. are the following:
- The 9/11 terrorist attack
- The Boston Marathon bombing
- The Fort Hood massacre
- The airline "shoe bomber"
- The airline "underwear bomber"
- The would-be Times Square car bomber
