[Alb-Islam] President Clinton's Ramadan Message

[Olsi]

                        RAMADAN 2000
            President Clinton's Ramadan Message 
                       November 27, 2000

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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.
    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
taken without permission, for fair use at:
http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/islam/s112700.htm


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

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Shopping - Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products.
http://shopping.yahoo.com/