(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
[Tehran, Iran] On October 4, President Bush hosted an Iftar dinner at the White House during the Muslim celebration of Ramadan – a celebration of Muhammad's receiving the Qur'an in a revelation.
Both Bush, the Pentagon and the Foreign Office have since adhered to this Islamic tradition since 2001. During an iftar, a meal held at night when the fast breaks, Bush and his wife Laura hosted Muslim leaders and ambassadors. Guests were served eastern food such as crispy lavash, peppermint yogurt, baklava and pomegranates. Bush opened by saying "ramadan mubarak", which means "congratulations on ramadan". In his speech, he talked about the Islamic culture and the experiences the US and Muslims have in common, such as defending the Muslims in Bosnia and Kosovo, the defense of Kuwait after Saddam Hussein's invasion, the assistance of the Afghan people, the resistance to the genocide in Sudan, the support of the Lebanese people during the 2005 uprising, the help of the victims of the Iran and Pakistan earthquakes and the building of a Palestinian democracy.
President Bush also claimed that the world is now at war with violent extremists who he does not believe represent Islam and the Muslims. He condemned these for destroying holy mosques and for killing innocents.
Bush argued that Ramadan is a good time for Americans of all faiths to think about the values they have in common, such as love for the family, gratitude to their god, faithfulness to society, and the struggle for religious freedom.
The President of the United States was proud to have Muslims as American citizens, and ended by reiterating his hope for freedom for all and blessing Ramadan.
The fact that Bush held such a dinner is perhaps a big surprise to anti-American, Iranian Muslims, and they may want to look at it as a ploy from the White House. Pro-American Iranians, on the other hand, would appreciate this tradition in the White House and say that it is an expression of respect for Muslims.
Interestingly, we have the same tradition in Iran. Due to the large number of Armenians in Iran, Muslim religious leaders and the president of Iran must celebrate the Christian Christmas by sending congratulations to the Iranian Armenians.
The Ramadan dinner in the White House can be considered a small remedy for the damage Iraq has inflicted on America's reputation in foreign policy. After September 11, Bush dramatically changed his foreign policy and began his war on terror by proclaiming several Muslim nations as part of the "axis of evil."
Although September 11, 2001 led to enormous changes in the United States, the presidential election is now just around the corner. Writer Thomas Friedman wrote in the New York Times September 30 that September 11 is behind us, and that what the country now needs is a president for September 12.
He also mentioned that it is time to rectify the situation. This is perhaps why Bush is trying to smooth his bankruptcy in Iraq by attending the Ramadan dinner. The meal did not seem to be held primarily to honor the six million Muslims in the United States, but to gain the support of Muslim leaders for a safe withdrawal from Iraq.
But on the whole, such a dinner must be said to be a fine bridge builder between different peoples. The American academic Francis Fukuyama writes in his article "Identity and Immigration" that the US and Europe have different policies towards Muslim immigrants. National identity in Europe is ethnically based, while the United States has many ceremonies that assimilate new immigrants and celebrate Islamic traditions.
In my view it would make the bridges between peoples far more stable if they educated people in cultural differences from childhood. Both in the Middle East and in the West. n
Najmeh Mohammadkhani works on North American studies at the University of Tehran. She writes exclusively for Ny Tid.
