Yesterday afternoon, President Obama hosted a somewhat belated Eid al-Fitr reception at the White House. In his Remarks (
full text) he said in part:
For Muslims across the United States and around the world, this is a time of spiritual renewal -- a time to reaffirm your duty to serve one another, especially the least fortunate among us. And it’s a time to reflect on the values that guide you in your faith -- gratitude, compassion and generosity. And it’s a reminder that those values of Islam -- which comes from the word salaam, meaning peace -- are universal....
Today is also another reminder that Muslims have always been a part of America. In colonial times, many of the slaves brought over from Africa were Muslim. We insisted on freedom of religion, in Thomas Jefferson’s words, for, “the Jew and Gentile, the Christian and the Mahometan.” For more than two centuries, Muslim Americans of all backgrounds -- Arab and Asian, African and Latino, black and white -- have helped build America....
And Muslim Americans have enriched our lives every single day. You’re the doctors we trust with our health, entrepreneurs who create jobs, artists who inspire us, activists for social justice -- like the LGBT Muslims who are on the frontlines in the fight for equality.... You’re the athletes that we cheer for -- like American fencing champion Ibtihaj Muhammad... who is going to be proudly wearing her hijab when she represents America at the Rio Olympics.
