Posted on 06/24/2017 2:33:59 PM PDT by Hadean
In the early days of December 1805, a handful of prominent politicians received formal invitations to join President Thomas Jefferson for a White House dinner.
Whatever Jefferson could have foreseen for the young country’s future, it appears the modern-day White House tradition of marking Ramadan with an iftar dinner or Eid celebration has come to an end.
Ramadan, which falls on the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, started on May 27 this year and ends at sundown Saturday. Muslims around the world will mark the end of the holy month by celebrating the holiday Eid al-Fitr, the “feast of breaking of the fast.”
For the first time in nearly two decades, Ramadan has come and gone without the White House recognizing it with an iftar or Eid celebration, as had taken place each year under the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations. In recent weeks, several former White House staff members told The Post they would usually begin planning an iftar “months in advance” and didn’t anticipate the Trump White House could pull something off before the end of Ramadan.
White House officials did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
In late May, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reportedly said the State Department would break with recent tradition and not host a Ramadan reception, as it had done nearly annually for two decades. On Saturday, Tillerson released a brief statement sending “best wishes to all Muslims celebrating Eid al-Fitr.”
“This holiday marks the culmination of Ramadan, a month in which many experience meaning and inspiration in acts of fasting, prayer, and charity,” Tillerson said in the statement. “This day offers an opportunity to reflect on our shared commitment to building peaceful and prosperous communities. Eid Mubarak.”
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
Winning.
YES!
I always face away from Mecca while dealing with my shoes at airport....
Our beautiful Ramadan for 2017 is nearing it's conclusion. Thanks to the Washington Post for all of your support.
For the first time in nearly two decades, Ramadan has come and gone without the White House recognizing it with an iftar or Eid celebration, as had taken place each year under the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations.
As far as I can tell this sort of action is precisely why Donald Trump was elected President. Suits me fine. On to the next win.
What if they gave a Jihad and nobody showed up?
Does anyone think that celebrating Ramadan in the White House did a single thing to appease the Muslim killers? No, it only helped convince them that they were winning against a bunch of groveling jerks.
Don’t believe this Jefferson - Ramadan guff. He was trying to end a war/deal with pirates. The “tradition” didn’t start till much later. Under Clinton IIRC.
I once heard that every single year, more books are translated into Spanish than have been translated into Arabic in the entire history of the world.
they just don’t feel they have to learn anything from the outside world and you know what..?
good.
because I don’t want to learn anything from Islam at all.
Twenty years is a long tradition? All those presidents should be condemned along with the mussies that were killing men, women and children during that time.
Headline is a blatant lie
Did Jefferson actually have an eid dinner? Seems unlikely with the state of relations with the Muslims in N Africa? Can some history buff tell us?
Bravo Mr. President.
Thank you!!!!
MAGA!
My guess is this attempt to make nice with Muslims began after 9/11 in a misguided attempt to show that we did not consider all of Islam to be evil. Well, despite our celebration of their holidays it seems nothing has changed and the war goes on and radical islamists are killing people all over the world and here any chance they get.
I believe the president should speak on this and he should tell the world that the United States of America will again celebrate the end of Ramadan as soon as we see the Muslim countries celebrate Christmas and Easter.
Thomas Jefferson DID NOT celebrate Ramadan. Being a courteous gentleman, he postponed a state dinner until after sunset in order to accommodate the religious practices of an ambassador from an Islamic country.
Why on earth should a Christian president celebrate Ramadan?
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