Obama sends best wishes to Muslims on advent of Ramadan - Pakistan Times

Obama sends best wishes to Muslims on advent of Ramadan
'Pakistan Times' Wire Service

WASHINGTON: U.S. President Barack Obama has sent his best  wishes to Muslim communities in the United States and around the world on the  advent of the holy month of Ramadan.

Following is President Obamas statement as released by the White House 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 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 Gods 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 ongoing relief efforts. 

Times like this remind us of the lesson of all great faiths, including  Islamthat 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.

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