Our American Christian Tradition or an American Muslim Tradition?
The National Day of Prayer, a Christian event, began with the Eisenhower administration in 1952. Every president since Eisenhower has proclaimed a National Day of Prayer.
This year the prayer day was honored everywhere, all across America on May 7, 2009. Everywhere that is except - in the Obama White House. Breaking with tradition, heads were not bowed in Christian prayer on that day in our nation’s Capitol.
This evening (September 2), however, a feast following a day of fasting as required by Muslim Sharia law during the holy month of Ramadan was held in the White House. Ramadan will be observed almost nowhere* in America - except in the Obama White House.
President Obama, who has declared himself a Christian, writes in his autobiography titled “Audacity of Hope”:
They (Arab and Pakistani Americans following 9/11) have been reminded that the history of immigration in this country has a dark underbelly; they need specific reassurances that their citizenship really means something, that America has learned the right lessons from the Japanese internments during World War II, and that I will stand with them should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.”
Indeed tonight he is standing with them.
God bless America. God bless President Obama.
Jose Vasquez
*Estimates of the number of Muslims living in the US vary considerably but are probably between 0.5% to 2% of the population. Christians are now estimated to be at 76%.