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Voxpress:

The great anger towards Biden/ Muslim groups will boycott the White House invitation for the month of Ramadan

2024-03-20 19:41:54Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
The great anger towards Biden/ Muslim groups will boycott the White House
Muslim groups will boycott the White House invitation for the month of Ramadan

Muslim religious leaders in the United States, outraged by President Joe Biden's support for Israel, say they will not attend White House ceremonies that coincide with the holy month of Ramadan and the Eid holiday. They are demanding that President Biden's administration press for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. As Voice of America correspondent Patsy Widakuswara reports, this is not the first time that the anger of the Muslim community in the United States has overshadowed the White House's Ramadan celebrations.

Ramadan worship continues amid the rubble in Rafah, where over a million Gazans are seeking shelter as a result of Israel's military campaign. Earlier this month, American Muslims held prayers in front of the White House in Washington. Believers say the suffering in Gaza weighs heavily on them.

Since taking office, President Joe Biden has met regularly with Muslim religious leaders, a tradition the White House has continued for decades. Republican and Democratic presidents have hosted Iftar dinners during Ramadan and organized receptions for the Eid holiday. This tradition began during the time of President Bill Clinton.

But this year, Muslim Americans who have attended previous White House dinners say they will decline the invitations.

"The decision is due to the administration's failure to address the demands of the Muslim community for an immediate and permanent ceasefire. Also, because of the refusal to stop the supply of weapons to Israel, which are being used in a genocide against our Palestinian brothers and sisters in Gaza", says Robert McCaw, Director of the Department of Governmental Affairs at the Council for Voice of America. American-Islamic Relations.

The White House spokeswoman told VOA that no ceremonies have been announced on the occasion of Ramadan.

"We understand that this is a painful time for a number of communities. As you know, senior White House officials have held meetings with members of various communities — whether Arab, Muslim or Palestinian — to talk about their views, to express their concerns, and we welcome that." said White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre.

Pro-Palestinian protesters have repeatedly interrupted President Biden's rallies calling in support of the Palestinians.

But this is not the first time that the Ramadan ceremony at the White House has been involved in controversy. In 2021, some American Muslims boycotted President Biden's invitation to celebrate Eid virtually. This coincided with the escalation of violence in Gaza where more than 260 Palestinians were killed.

In 2018, President Donald Trump hosted diplomats from Muslim-majority countries but did not invite any American groups whose members had condemned his rhetoric and policies, which they believed were anti-Muslim. Many of them say that their anger is now much greater. Some are even actively campaigning to ensure that Mr. Biden does not win a second term.

"I want to make sure that he knows that when he loses, it is because of the votes of Arab and Muslim Americans," says Democrat Samraa Luqman, a member of the "Drop Biden" campaign.

The White House says it has been actively engaging with Arab and Muslim Americans since the October 7 Hamas attack. But some members of the communities have rejected the meetings./VOA


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