Trump Broke a Two-Decade Presidential Tradition by Not Hosting a Ramadan Dinner
This past weekend, Muslims observed Eid al-Fitr, an important Islamic holiday marking the end of Ramadan. President Trump broke with a recent White House tradition and neglected to host an iftar dinner to commemorate the holy month of fasting.
Instead, the president released a short statement: "Muslims in the United States joined those around the world during the holy month of Ramadan to focus on acts of faith and charity. Now, as they commemorate Eid with family and friends, they carry on the tradition of helping neighbors and breaking bread with people from all walks of life."
The First Family, though, did not want to be included in those breaking bread. The tradition of hosting an iftar dinner at the White House began in 1996 by Hillary Clinton during President Bill Clinton's term, and both Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama followed suit. The dinners had previously served as a gathering of prominent Islamic leaders, members of Congress, and diplomats from Muslim countries. A history of honoring the Islamic holy month in some capacity dates all the way back to 1805, when Thomas Jefferson hosted a "precisely at sunset" dinner during Ramadan for visiting Tunisian envoys.
In a similar vein as Trump's decision to forgo celebration, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in April declined a request from the Office of Religion and Global Affairs and decided not to host an iftar dinner at the State Department, which had been a tradition for the past 20 years.
In a statement he released last month for the start of Ramadan, the president focused on terrorist acts carried out by Islamic extremists.
"This year, the holiday begins as the world mourns the innocent victims of barbaric terrorist attacks in the United Kingdom and Egypt, acts of depravity that are directly contrary to the spirit of Ramadan. Such acts only steel our resolve to defeat the terrorists and their perverted ideology," the statement reads.
The administration's decisions regarding Ramadan celebrations may aggravate an already fraught relationship with the Muslim community in America and abroad. Other "symbolic" moves from President Trump include his travel ban on six majority-Muslim countries.
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