STATEMENT: U.S. President on the Occasion of Ramadan

As Ramadan begins, Michelle and I would like to send our best wishes to Muslim communities in the United States and around the world. Ramadan is a festive time that is anticipated for months by Muslims everywhere. Families and communities share the



By President Barack Obama WASHINGTON D.C. Aug 02, 2011
As Ramadan begins, Michelle and I would like to send our best wishes to Muslim communities in the United States and around the world. Ramadan is a festive time that is anticipated for months by Muslims everywhere. Families and communities share the happiness of gathering together for iftar and prayers. Bazaars light up the night in many cities from Rabat to Jakarta. And here in the United States, Muslim Americans share Ramadan traditions with their neighbors, fellow students, and co-workers.

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.

Times like this remind us of the lesson of all great faiths, including Islam -- that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. In that spirit, I wish Muslims around the world a blessed month, and I look forward to again hosting an iftar dinner here at the White House. Ramadan Kareem.
More in Media Room
Morocco Purchases AH-64 Apache Helicopters
Morocco marked its initial purchase of AH-64E Apache helicopters in a ceremony at Sale Air Base near Rabat, March 5, 2025.
Read more
Military Flight Supports Partner Training, Projects Global Power
U.S. Africa Command, supported by U.S. Strategic Command, conducted a unique training opportunity with Libyan military tactical air controllers to promote the process of reunification of Libyan military and security institutions Feb. 26 in the vicinity of Sirte, Libya.
Read more
Federal Government of Somalia engages al Shabaab with support from U.S. Forces
At the request of the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted collective self-defense airstrikes against al Shabaab on March 1, 2025.
Read more
More in Media Room
Morocco Purchases AH-64 Apache Helicopters
Morocco marked its initial purchase of AH-64E Apache helicopters in a ceremony at Sale Air Base near Rabat, March 5, 2025.
Read more
Military Flight Supports Partner Training, Projects Global Power
U.S. Africa Command, supported by U.S. Strategic Command, conducted a unique training opportunity with Libyan military tactical air controllers to promote the process of reunification of Libyan military and security institutions Feb. 26 in the vicinity of Sirte, Libya.
Read more
Federal Government of Somalia engages al Shabaab with support from U.S. Forces
At the request of the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted collective self-defense airstrikes against al Shabaab on March 1, 2025.
Read more
More in Media Room
Morocco Purchases AH-64 Apache Helicopters
Morocco marked its initial purchase of AH-64E Apache helicopters in a ceremony at Sale Air Base near Rabat, March 5, 2025.
Read more
Military Flight Supports Partner Training, Projects Global Power
U.S. Africa Command, supported by U.S. Strategic Command, conducted a unique training opportunity with Libyan military tactical air controllers to promote the process of reunification of Libyan military and security institutions Feb. 26 in the vicinity of Sirte, Libya.
Read more
Federal Government of Somalia engages al Shabaab with support from U.S. Forces
At the request of the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted collective self-defense airstrikes against al Shabaab on March 1, 2025.
Read more