President Obama had a celebration for Islamic holiday Eid al-Fitr at the White House. The first large celebration after the period of Ramadan ended with a speech from President Obama. Upon his arrival, the crowd burst into chants of ‘4 more years!’ A witty President Obama quickly responded, “Michelle will not allow that.”
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During his speech, President Obama asked for tolerance of Muslim Americans. He also went on to highlight communities’ achievements and contributions to the United States. He spoke directly to the young Muslim Americans, stating, “I especially want to speak to the young people who are here, to make sure that you know that we see you, that we believe in you, and despite what you may sometime hear, you’ve got to know that you’re a valued part of the American family, and there’s nothing that you cannot do.”
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He even poked fun at Ibtihaj Muhammad, who is a Muslim American participating in this year’s Olympics: “You are 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. No pressure.”
In closing, President Obama again stated his respect for the Muslim community: “So today, we celebrate this wonderful holiday and honor a great faith, but we also recommit ourselves to building an America where everybody has the opportunity to achieve their dreams, and we reaffirm the values of democracy, and freedom of religion, and tolerance, and community building, and understanding, and hard work that allows all of us — whatever our faiths — to prosper.”
