    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000, Book I)]
    [January 6, 2000]
    [Page 13]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Message on the Observance of Id al-Fitr, 2000
    January 6, 2000

        Warm greetings to Muslims across the United States and around the
    world as the holy month of Ramadan comes to a close and you celebrate
    the festival of Id al-Fitr.
        The month of fasting that Muslims everywhere are completing is not
    only a sacred duty; it is also a powerful teaching, a gift from Islam to
    the world. It reminds not just Muslims but all people of our obligation
    to aid those who face poverty and suffering. It reminds us that we must
    work together to build a better, more humane world.
        We hope and pray for a world where all faiths are respected; where
    people of different beliefs and ethnic backgrounds can live together in
    harmony, finding strength and joy in our differences and in our common
    humanity. And we pray that the new moon will bring a new era of peace
    between nations--in the Middle East and all across the world--so people
    can emerge from the shadows of violence and make better lives for their
    children.

                                                                Bill Clinton