    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book II)]
    [October 17, 2005]
    [Pages 1556-1558]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the Iftaar Dinner
    October 17, 2005

        Please be seated. Thank you. Welcome to the White House. This is the
    fifth year in a row that it's been my honor to host an Iftaar in the
    State Dining Room.
        Our distinguished guests represent the millions of Muslims that
    we're proud to call Americans, and many Islamic nations are represented
    here that America is proud

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    to call friend. We welcome the representatives from many countries with
    large Muslim populations. I want to thank you all for coming to
    celebrate an honored tradition of the Muslim faith and wish you a
    Ramadan Mubarak.
        I want to thank those in my administration who have joined us. I
    want to thank the Imam for joining us today, and
    thank you for leading us in prayer after these short remarks. I want to
    thank all the ambassadors from the Organization of the Islamic
    Conference. I welcome other members of the diplomatic corps. And I want
    to thank the Muslim--American Muslim leaders who are with us today.
    Thanks for taking time out to celebrate this important dinner.
        Ramadan is the holiest time of the Muslim year. According to Islamic
    teaching, this month commemorates the revelation of God's word to the
    Prophet Mohammed in the form of the Koran. For more than a billion
    Muslims, Ramadan is a time of heartfelt prayer and togetherness. It is a
    time of fasting and personal sacrifice. It's a time to give thanks for
    God's blessings through works of charity.
        One Muslim leader said, ``It's a national
    and Islamic obligation to assist one's neighbors when they are in
    need.'' The American people saw that spirit as we recovered from
    Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The world sees that spirit, that compassion
    of Islam, through the countless acts of kindness following the recent
    earthquake in southeast--in South Asia.
        America is fortunate to count such good-hearted men and women among
    our fellow citizens. We have great respect for the commitment that all
    Muslims make to faith, family, and education. And Americans of many
    backgrounds seek to learn more about the rich tradition of Islam. To
    promote greater understanding between our cultures, I have encouraged
    American families to travel abroad, to visit with Muslim families. And I
    have encouraged American families to host exchange students from the
    Muslim world. I have asked young Americans to study the language and
    customs of the broader Middle East. And for the first time in our
    Nation's history, we have added a Koran to the White House Library.
        All of us gathered tonight share a conviction that America must
    remain a welcoming and tolerant land in which our people are free to
    practice any faith they choose. We reject every form of ethnic and
    religious discrimination. As I said in my second Inaugural Address, we
    cannot carry the message of freedom and the baggage of bigotry at the
    same time.
        We also share a common hope for the future, that our children and
    grandchildren will grow up in a safer and more peaceful world.
    Delivering on that promise to future generations requires action from
    our generation. We must stand confidently in the cause of freedom,
    including the freedom of people everywhere to practice their faith in
    peace. We must also firmly oppose all who commit evil in God's name. I
    am grateful to the Muslim nations that have joined our coalition in the
    war on terror, including many nations that have been victims of terror
    themselves.
        As we work together to defeat the terrorists, we must be very clear
    about the enemies we face. The killers who take the lives of innocent
    men, women, and children are followers of a violent ideology very
    different from the religion of Islam. These extremists distort the idea
    of jihad into a call for terrorist murder against anyone who does not
    share their radical vision, including Muslims from other traditions, who
    they regard as heretics.
        Their strategy will fail. Many Muslim scholars have already publicly
    condemned terrorism, often citing Chapter 5, Verse 32 of the Koran,
    which states that killing an innocent human being is like killing all of
    humanity and saving the life of one person is like saving all of
    humanity. I appreciate those of you here who have joined these scholars
    in rejecting violent extremists. And

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    I believe the time has come for all responsible Islamic leaders to
    denounce an ideology that exploits Islam for political ends and defiles
    your noble faith.
        I have great confidence in the future of this Nation and in the
    future of the Muslim world. I have been inspired by the courage of
    people in Afghanistan and Iraq, where Muslims are celebrating Ramadan in
    two of the world's newest democracies. I believe that people of every
    religious and ethnic background have the right and the desire to be
    free. And I believe that the spread of freedom and justice and tolerance
    in the broader Middle East will lead to the peace that we all seek.
        As we celebrate this special Iftaar, we renew the ties of friendship
    that bind all those who trace their faith back to God's call on Abraham.
    We recognize the many hopeful works we have achieved together. We look
    forward to learning more from each other in the years ahead.
        I'm so grateful that you've joined us today. I wish you a blessed
    Ramadan, and may God bless you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 7:01 p.m. in the State Dining Room at the
    White House. In his remarks, he referred to Imam Talal Eid, Islamic
    Institute of Boston.