RAMADAN 2000
President Clinton's Ramadan Message
President Clinton sent "A message of friendship and respect to Muslims around the world."
Following is the text of the videotaped remarks of President Clinton at the start of Ramadan.
THE PRESIDENT: 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 Koran. That the Koran 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 Koran 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 Koran. 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.
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