Obama Wishes 'Ramadan Kareem' to Muslims (No English Translation Provided)

Washington Post
8/21/09
Garance Franke-Ruta

President Obama released videotaped Ramadan wishes Friday, sending "best wishes to Muslims in America and around the world" and wishing them "Ramadan Kareem" on "behalf of the American people, including Muslim communities in all 50 states."

SNIP

The president makes sure to mention "my own Christian faith" and the values shared by Islam and Christianity when it comes to service, even as he speaks of Muslim ceremonies he knows well.

He also recapitulates his basic foreign policy positions involving Muslim nations. "We're also committed to keeping our responsibility to build a world that is more peaceful and secure. That's why we're responsibly ending the war in Iraq," he says, adding, "That is why we strongly and actively support a two-state solution that recognizes the rights of Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security. That is also why America will always stand for the universal rights of all people."

"I want to reiterate my commitment to a new beginning between America and Muslims around the world," he continues, emphasizing his Cairo message of seeking common ground and that "an important part of this is listening."

SNIP

The president lays out collaborations with international health authorities to eradicate polio in Muslim-majority nations, and to mitigate H1N1 flu transmission risks during the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca by devout Muslims which this year will fall at the end of November.
"May God's peace be upon you," he concludes.

Translations of his Ramadan message are provided on the White House Web site in Arabic, Bengali, Dari, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Pashto, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Turkish and Urdu.
No English transcript is provided.

(Excerpt) Read more at voices.washingtonpost.com ...

NOTE: Obama ignores the National Day of Prayer service in DC but not Ramadan? What gives? For the National Day of Prayer he did a proclamation in private. See details:

President Obama is distancing himself from the National Day of Prayer by nixing a formal early morning service and not attending a large Catholic prayer breakfast the next morning.

All Mr. Obama will do for the National Day of Prayer, which is Thursday, is sign a proclamation honoring the day, which originated in 1952 when Congress set aside the first Thursday in May for the observance.

For the past eight years, President George W. Bush invited selected Christian and Jewish leaders to the White House East Room, where he typically would give a short speech and several leaders offered prayers. Click Here for Full Article from Washington Times