White House celebrates Idul Fitri for the first time<\/p>\n
By Hillary Rodham Clinton<\/p>\n
This week, for the first time in American history, the White
\nHouse hosted a celebration of an Islamic holiday. It was long
\noverdue.<\/p>\n
To mark the end of the holy month of Ramadhan, the most
\nimportant Muslim holiday of the year, I welcomed 200 men, women
\nand children (and even some sleeping babies) from across the
\ncountry to the Indian Treaty Room of the Old Executive Office
\nBuilding.<\/p>\n
There were prayers and speeches, and a feast of traditional
\ndishes, including meat dumplings, pita bread, hummus (a spicy
\ngarbanzo bean dip), baba ganoush (an eggplant dip), tabbouleh (a
\nsalad of parsley, tomatoes and cracked wheat) and pastries.<\/p>\n
Like 1 billion other Muslims around the world, these American
\nMuslims had just finished fasting from sunrise until sundown for
\n30 days. Ramadhan is a special time for families, when parents
\nand their children practice self-discipline and deny themselves
\nfood and water to gain greater compassion for the poor.<\/p>\n
As I shared in this historic celebration of joy, love, and
\nfamily life, I couldn't help thinking of how we, as a society,
\ntoo often mischaracterize Islam and those who adhere to its
\nteachings. Think back to the Oklahoma City bombing, and some of
\nthe reactions that immediately followed, and you'll know what I'm
\ngetting at. Moments after the explosion, Muslims were publicly
\npresumed to have been responsible. While police searched for
\nsuspects, many Muslims in this country felt afraid to leave their
\nhomes. Mosques and Islamic centers received threatening phone
\ncalls.<\/p>\n
While news stories about Muslims often focus on extremists
\nlike those responsible for the World Trade Center bombing and
\nother acts of terrorism, it's not fair to apply such a negative
\nstereotype to all Muslims.<\/p>\n
The reality is that the vast majority of the estimated 4
\nmillion Muslims in the United States are loyal citizens whose
\ndaily lives revolve around work, family, and community.<\/p>\n
People who find spiritual guidance and sustenance in Islam
\nrepresent all walks of American life. They range from well-known
\ncelebrities like Houston Rockets star Hakeem Olajuwon to
\ncommunity leaders like Dr. Laila Al-Marayati, a California
\nphysician who served on the U.S. delegation to the Women's
\nConference in Beijing, to Chaplain Abdul-Rasheed Muhammad, the
\nfirst Islamic chaplain in the U.S. Army, who offered a prayer at
\nthe White House ceremony.<\/p>\n
They are also children like Marwa Al-Khairo, a Girl Scout and
\naspiring doctor who loves books by Judy Blume and Mark Twain.
\nShe, her two younger brothers and her Iraqi-born parents joined
\nmany other families at the White House celebration.<\/p>\n
Standing on the dais, her green felt hat barely reaching above
\nthe microphone, she offered the most poignant reminder of why a
\ncelebration of Ramadhan at the White House was as important to
\nall Americans as to those in the room.<\/p>\n
\"Only in America, people from different parts of the world can
\ncome together and become one community,\" she said. \"I am proud to
\nbe an American. And I am proud to be an American Muslim,\" she
\nadded, before ending her speech with a plug for her mosque's
\nbaklava, a favorite pastry.<\/p>\n
Marwa's life is no different in many respects from that of
\nother American sixth-graders. But listening to her, I thought
\nabout how hopeful it is for our country that children here can
\ngrow up like Marwa, fluent not only in the ways of America but
\nalso in their own cultural and religious traditions.<\/p>\n
I am grateful that my own daughter has had the chance to study
\nIslamic history in high school, certainly not an option for my
\ngeneration. In fact, Chelsea was so enthusiastic about the course
\nthat when we traveled to South Asia together last year, she
\nprovided a running commentary on everything we did and saw.<\/p>\n
Learning about all of the cultures that have enriched our
\nsociety also enhances our understanding of what it means to be an
\nAmerican. We are, after all, a nation of immigrants and diverse
\nreligious beliefs.<\/p>\n
In the past, children of other faiths have had the opportunity
\nto observe their major holidays at the White House. There have
\nbeen parties at Christmas and a ceremony to light the menorah at
\nthe beginning of Hanukkah. And thousands of children come to the
\nannual Easter egg roll on the South Lawn in the spring.<\/p>\n
Now, I hope, Marwa and other Muslim children will also feel
\nthat their religion has a place in their President's house.<\/p>\n
-- Creators Syndicate, Inc.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/white-house-celebrates-idul-fitri-for-the-first-time-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }