Obama Sends Ramadan Greetings To Muslims Around the World

The White House issued a statement (full text) today from President Obama sending his and Michelle Obama's best wishes to Muslim communities in the United States and around the world as Ramadan begins. The statement reads, in part:

For so many Muslims around the world, Ramadan is also a time of deep reflection and sacrifice. As in other faiths, fasting is used to increase spirituality, discipline, and consciousness of God's mercy. It is also a reminder of the importance of reaching out to those less fortunate. The heartbreaking accounts of lost lives and the images of families and children in Somalia and the Horn of Africa struggling to survive remind us of our common humanity and compel us to act. Now is the time for nations and peoples to come together to avert an even worse catastrophe by offering support and assistance to on-going relief efforts.

In the statement, the President also said he is looking forward to again this year hosting an Iftar dinner at the White House.