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Clinton Sends Ramadan Message To Muslims As State Department Opens Website
WASHINGTON (IslamOnline) – U.S. President Bill Clinton delivered a message to American Muslims and the world on Monday welcoming the month of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting.
The message was presented in both videotape and written format. The text of President Clinton’s message follows:
President’s message
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 Qur’an. That the Qur’an 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 Qur’an 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 Qur’an. 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.
U.S. State Department’s Islam in America website
The U. S. State Department also introduced a new section on its website entitled, “Islam in the United States,” (see Related Link) focusing on Islam’s presence and influence in the U.S.
The website features facts and figures on the population of American Muslims and includes official speeches from U.S. President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Madeline Albright, as well as other government officials.
The site also features articles relevant to the American Muslim community as well as selected readings, academic programs, related sites and an American mosque picture gallery.
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