*Administration of Barack Obama, 2011 *

**Statement on the Observance of Ramadan **

*August 1, 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 coworkers.

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 ongoing 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*.

*Categories:* Statements by the President : Ramadan*.*

*Names:* Obama, Michelle*.*

*Subjects:* Africa : East Africa, famine and humanitarian crisis; Africa : International assistance; Africa : Relations with U.S.; Holidays and special observances : Ramadan; Somalia : Famine and humanitarian crisis.

*DCPD Number:* DCPD201100541.