What Is Eid al-Fitr and Why Isn’t Trump Hosting a Traditional Iftar Dinner to Celebrate?

I've really noticed the media promoting Ramadan celebrations. Should Trump have hosted the dinner? If Muslims must abstain from immoral acts between dawn and dusk can they engage in them from dusk to dawn?

https://www.yahoo.com/news/eid-al-fitr-why-isn-170003429.html

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What Is Eid al-Fitr and Why Isn’t Trump Hosting a Traditional Iftar Dinner to Celebrate?
Jason Le Miere,Newsweek Sat, Jun 24 11:00 AM MDT

Ramadan will come to an end this weekend with the major Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr, and thus far President Donald Trump’s recognition of Islam’s holiest month has been limited to a statement that almost exclusively addressed violence and terrorism.


Breaking with a tradition that dates back more than 20 years, to Bill Clinton’s administration, the White House will not be hosting an iftar—the meal Muslims consume to break their fast—in 2017.


“It is disappointing because that’s been a good tradition,” Imam Talib Shareef of the Nation’s Mosque in Washington, D.C., told Newsweek Friday. “To stop it doesn’t send a good message. You get the chance to go golfing and all this other kind of stuff. How come you don’t have time for a population of your society that needs some assistance? The message that it sends is that we’re not that important.”

Celebrated by more than a 1.5 billion Muslims across the globe, Eid al-Fitr literally means the “festival of breaking the fast.” It closes the month of Ramadan, during which time observing Muslims abstain from food, water and immoral acts from dawn until dusk. Eid lasts three days, with its start date dependent on the first sighting of the new moon, which astronomers expect to occur on Saturday this year—making Sunday the first day.

Last year, President Obama sent out a unifying statement on the first day of Eid al-Fitr. Two weeks later, he hosted a celebration with the Muslim community at the White House.

“Despite what you may sometimes hear, you’ve got to know that you’re a valued part of the American family, and there’s nothing that you cannot do,” Obama said during a speech, along which chants of “Four more years!” rang out.


Shareef attended three iftars at Obama’s White House and attested to their benefits.

“Him being able to bring Muslims there to speak to what he knows to be the true spirit of what Islam is all about is comforting, and it makes you want to be productive because now you feel welcome, you feel a part of society,” he said.

When requested for comment by Newsweek Friday, the White House confirmed in an email that it would not be hosting an iftar dinner and referred to Trump's earlier issued statement at the start of Ramadan.

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Although Shareef admitted he wasn’t sure if he would attend an iftar at the Trump White House, even if invited, he stressed holding it would be an important signal for the Muslim community in the United States, which numbers around 3.3 million people.

“It’s important in the sense now that we see he’s embracing America,” Shareef said. “He only embraced a part of it. Now, as president, he is required to embrace the whole of America.”

Trump has repeatedly alienated the Muslim community, most notably by calling for a total ban of Muslims entering the country during his campaign. Since coming into office, he has repeatedly attempted to issue a travel ban affecting nationals from exclusively Muslim-majority nations.

Instead of being welcomed to the White House, dozens of Muslims held their own iftar outside of Trump Tower in New York City earlier this month.


Although the Pentagon did host an iftar, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson rejected a request to host an event marking Ramadan. Trump’s utterings, meanwhile, have been limited to a statement that, aside from brief pleasantries at the beginning and end, were devoted entirely to discussing Muslims in terms of an extremist threat following a recent attack in Manchester, England. The message attracted condemnation both from the Muslim and much of the non-Muslim population.

“That was an opportunity for him to really say something to help bridge, but it actually caused more of a distance,” Shareef said. “It was best for him to not say anything than to say that. This is our precious month, the best month for Muslims in the year. A month of peace. And the best that he can come out is talking about the extremes that we see, which is so small and it’s not even Islam.”

 

Trump has enough security issues from lefties, why would he go to a ramadan dinner?

How many people have been murdered this ramadan by terrorists?

 

Typical lazy assed Trump. He couldn't be bothered to throw out the first pitch at Nationals opening day. He was scared that his ego would be offended and he'd get shutdown at the White House correspondents dinner. He did virtually nothing at the Easter egg roll. But he can always find time for golf.

He'd be wise to begin mending relations with the Muslim community by hosting a iftar dinner.

Cheers,
Jason Bourne

 

Muslims deserve no respect until they reform their backwards religion.

 

Islam is not a "backwards religion." Radical Islam is. Big difference.

Cheers,
Jason Bourne

 

All Muslims are radical. They're just a minority in the west so they can't express it... yet.

Cheers

 

That is absolute misinformed nonsense. The majority of Muslims are decent, peaceful and productive people. Radicalized Muslims have perverted Islam to conform to their warped ideas and hatred. Radicalized Muslims hope that people like you will be so narrow minded that they'll buy into the opinion that all Muslims are radicalized. It's a shame that so many are just that stupid.

Cheers,
Jason Bourne

 

Try reading the Koran. https://www.thereligionofpeace.com/

Cheers

 

You sound triggered.

 

Have your hearing checked.

Cheers,
Jason Bourne

 

I suppose we're just gonna have to get used to all these feast-days and gawd knows what other festivals and celebrations . . . like we haven't got enough of our own mindless rituals?

 

lefties demand the US president celebrates the ramadan bombathon.

 

People expect the President to respect Ramadan and continue the tradition of hosting a end of fasting dinner as a matter of respect for the Islamic community. It would have been a simple matter for Trump to do so. But, of course, Trump has no respect for that which he doesn't understand. He's an ignorant and boorish simpleton.

This would have been a fantastic opportunity for Trump to prove that he's not a complete idiot and show respect for one of this country's major religions. But, as is usual, the dimwit dropped the ball.

Trump could screw up a wet dream.

Cheers,
Jason Bourne

 

Other presidents would celebrate the 'merits' of cultural and religious diversity (especially the most recent one), but I can't see The Donald doing so.

 

Trump has no concept of religious and cultural diversity. He is that sociologically impaired. He cares only about maintaining an opulent lifestyle at the expense of the taxpayer and voicing his bizarre opinions via tweets.

Cheers,
Jason Bourne

 

I don't know why you Liked my previous post - you must have misunderstood something in it. I'm an admirer of The Donald. I won't mind if you Unlike it!

 

Because you stated that other President's, you know, the ones with a functioning brain, celebrate religious and cultural diversity. But not Trump. As you inferred, he's too ignorant to appreciate sociological diversity. All that he understands is personal gain, opulence and money.

So you get a like.

Cheers,
Jason Bourne

 

The issue isn't withe the Quran - the issue is the absolute idiocy with which folks believe everything written thousands of years ago is somehow instruction for everyone for all time. Islam is fine - the evil, jaded, hateful believers who get horny at the thought of murder - those ****ers should be treated for their illness or killed.

 

Well mebbe we should feel sorry for them because the koran is so ambiguous it's no wonder they get confused?

 

What's ambiguous about the Quran? Be specific please.

Cheers,
Jason Bourne

 

Well the adherents claim that Islam is the religion of love and tolerance but they also advocate 'death to the infidels'. I'm surprised you haven't noted that yourself.

 

Lolz at foreigners demanding respect.

Lets pretend a dinner matters.

 

In this case, of course a dinner matters. It demonstrates respect for one of this country's major religions.

Trump has Thanksgiving dinner. He and his family have Christmas dinner. He has dinner with world leaders, some of whom are not the nicest people. But he shuns the religion of Islam during one of their holiest periods. His predecessors honored the end of Ramandan. But Trump is is a bizarre individual who cares only about himself and shuns diversity.

Cheers,
Jason Bourne

 

Wherein in the Quran does it advocate "death to infidels?" With a source link please. And define "infidels."

Cheers,
Jason Bourne

 

Non-believers. Find a link for yourself or read the on-line Koran. Now stop pestering me please.