Bush visits Washington Islamic center to celebrate Eid al-Fitr
Regional-USA, Religion, 12/7/2002

US President Bush paid a visit to the Islamic Center in Washington to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr festivities with American Muslims. In a statement, the president wished Muslims in the United States and around the world a joyous holiday, and paid tribute to the spiritual significance of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Making his second visit to the Washington mosque December 5, the president wished the world's more than one billion Muslims "health, happiness, and prosperity in the year to come."

The ceremony at the center marked the first time a U.S. president has visited a Muslim place of worship in order to celebrate the end of Ramadan with the Muslim community.

"Islam affirms God's justice and insists upon man's moral responsibility," said Bush. "This holiday is also an occasion to remember that Islam gave birth to a rich civilization of learning that has benefited mankind."

The president's motorcade arrived at the center on a day where most of the U.S. capital was covered with a heavy snowfall that inhibited traffic across the region. Before entering the house of worship, Bush removed his shoes as a sign of respect.

Greeting the president at the podium, the center's director, Abdullah Muhammad Khouja said, "your visit today is greatly appreciated."

In his message, President Bush explained to Americans unfamiliar with the Islamic faith that the month of Ramadan commemorates God's first revelations to the Prophet Muhammad, and Muslims observe the month by fasting in order to "refocus their minds on faith and redirect their hearts to charity."

"Muslims worldwide have stretched out a hand of mercy to those in need," he said. "Charity tables at which the poor can break their fast line the streets of cities and towns, and gifts of food and clothing and money are distributed to ensure that all share in God's abundance."

He credited fellow citizens who practice Islam for "making many contributions in business, science and law, medicine, education, and other fields" in the United States.

The president also paid tribute to Muslims serving in the U.S. armed forces and government for "serving their fellow Americans with distinction, upholding our nation's ideals of liberty and justice and a world at peace."

The president spoke as he stood with six Washington, D.C. imams under a solid bronze chandelier donated by the Egyptian government. Egypt also sent craftsmen to decorate the high ceilings of the mosque with ornate verses from the Qur'an. The center's carpets were donated by Iran, and its wall tiles were given by Turkey.

Before delivering his remarks, Bush met with Muslim schoolchildren at the Islamic Center, who showed the president religious artwork and told him stories and recited poems pertaining to the holiday.

The Islamic Center of Washington, D.C., built in 1949, is the oldest mosque in the U.S. capital, and its congregation includes Muslim Americans who came from approximately 75 countries.

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