[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 46 (Monday, November 15, 2004)]
[Pages 2813-2814]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at the Iftaar Dinner

November 10, 2004

    Thank you all. Please be seated. Thank you. Thank you all for 
coming, and welcome to the White House, and Ramadan Mubarak. I'm honored 
to be with so many friends and distinguished guests.
    As we gather during this holy month, America is stronger and more 
hopeful because of the generosity and compassion of our Muslim citizens. 
Our Nation is safer and more prosperous because we have a close 
relationship with our Islamic friends around the world. And tonight we 
honor the traditions of a great faith by hosting the Iftaar dinner here 
at the White House.
    I want to acknowledge our Secretary of State, Colin Powell. I 
appreciate his great service. I want to thank our Secretary of Energy, 
Spence Abraham, who is with us today. I want to thank Dr. Elias Zerhouni 
for his great work at the National Institutes of Health. Thank you. I 
want to thank all the distinguished Ambassadors who are with us today.
    I want to thank the American Muslim leaders who've joined us. I 
appreciate you coming from all around the country. I want to thank Imam 
Faizul Khan of the Islamic Center of Washington, who will lead the 
blessing tonight. And tonight we also remember the late

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Shaykh Zayid, the founder of the United Arab Emirates, who passed away 
last week. He was a wise leader, and America joins the people of the UAE 
in honoring his memory.
    For Muslims in America and around the world, Ramadan is a special 
time of reflection, fasting, and charity. It is a time to think of the 
less fortunate and to share God's gifts with those in need. It is a time 
of spiritual growth and prayer, and the heartfelt prayers offered by 
Muslims across America are a blessing for our whole Nation.
    Ramadan is also a time for togetherness and thanksgiving. And 
Muslims gather to break the fast, and there is so much to be thankful 
for. I know you're thankful for your families and communities, and we 
all pray for their safety and happiness in the year ahead. Here in 
America, Muslims also think of their brothers and sisters in distant 
lands where lives are being lifted up by liberty and by hope.
    In Iraq, families are observing this holy month in a free society. 
After enduring decades of tyranny and fear, the Iraqi people are guiding 
their nation toward democracy. And this January, they will choose their 
leaders in a free election.
    In Afghanistan, brave men and women have transformed a country, and 
they have inspired our world. Just over 3 years ago, the Taliban 
Government controlled Afghanistan. They harbored terrorists and denied 
basic rights to millions of citizens. And today, the Taliban is gone 
from power. Women have their freedom. Girls go to school. And last 
month, the people of Afghanistan stood in long lines to cast their vote 
in a free election.
    The elections in Afghanistan and Iraq will be counted as landmark 
events in the history of liberty. And America will always be proud of 
our efforts to bring liberty and hope to those nations. Freedom is not 
America's gift to the world. Freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each 
man and woman in this world.
    Over the next 4 years, we'll work to ensure that the gift of freedom 
reaches more men and women in the broader Middle East. By working with 
leaders in that region, we can advance reform and change in a vital part 
of the world. And as we do so, we'll build a better future for all 
mankind.
    As we defend liberty and justice abroad, we must honor those values 
here at home. At our founding, America made a commitment to justice and 
tolerance, and we keep that commitment today. We reject ethnic and 
religious bigotry in every form. We strive for a welcoming society that 
honors the life and faith of every person. We will always protect the 
most basic human freedom, the freedom to worship the Almighty God 
without any fear.

    In recent years, Americans of many faiths have come to learn more 
about our Muslim brothers and sisters. And the more we learn, the more 
we find that our commitments are broadly shared. As Americans, we all 
share a commitment to family, to protect and to love our children. We 
share a belief in God's justice and man's moral responsibility. We share 
the same hope for a future of peace. We have so much in common and so 
much to learn from one another.

    Once again, I wish you a blessed Ramadan. I want to thank you for 
joining us at the White House for this Iftaar, and may God bless you 
all.

Note: The President spoke at 5:58 p.m. on the State Floor at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Imam Faizul Khan, administrator, 
Islamic Society of the Washington Area.