Obama Celebrates Diwali
By Dan Gilgoff, God & Country
The U.S. press mostly ignored it, but the Indian news media are all over yesterday's White House celebration of Diwali, which the Oxford Dictionary of Hinduism describes as "a major pan-Indian festival celebrated around the day of the new moon in October-November."
Worth noting that the Diwali celebration, like so many aspects of Obama's interfaith outreach—including last month's Ramadan dinner or the White House faith-based office—began in George W. Bush's administration.
Here is a feel for how this is playing on the subcontinent from today's Times of India:
In an expansive gesture to Indians worldwide as much as to showcase his-and America's—multi-cultural affections, U.S. president Barack Obama on Wednesday lit a ceremonial Diwali lamp at the White House to ''symbolize victory of light over darkness.''
Although it was the Bush White House that began celebrating Diwali, the Indian festival of lights, in 2003, Obama became the first President to personally grace the ceremony—a brief affair that began with a rather incongruous performance by the well-regarded Hindi a-capella group Penn Masala, and ended with a Sanskrit invocation by a priest from the local Siva-Vishnu temple....
The Diwali ceremony shared the platform with another event where Obama signed an executive order re-establishing the President's advisory committee and White House initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. By hosting both events together, the U.S President, who is clearly comfortable being a composite of American, Asia-Pacific, and African cultures, brought together an unusual coalition in the White House East Room of Asian-Americans, Indian-Americans, and Pacific Islanders.
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Reader Comments
Broken records
I've just read several religion stories on this site, and the comments at the end of them. It's clear that there are several people on here who just go on, like broken records, about whatever issue is their particular hobby-horse, no matter what the topic of the story is. That's sad.
I think it's wonderful that Obama acknowledged Diwali, a holiday celebrated by a billion people around the world. The mere acknowledgement of it is not an unconstitutional promotion of religion. It is merely a way to say to those who celebrate this festival that we recognize the common bond of humanity that we share with you. Namaste. We see, in you, a reflection of our own humanity.
And we could always use more celebrations in this world.
Free speech for nobody but Alf
More attacks on Constitutional freedom by Alf, with hints i should be a prostitute on a corner? He's made himself a place on one of those corners where a fellow stands with a sign that says "Repent, the End is Near," and sticks out his beggar bowl for a handout. Comment sites are maintained to spread information. Here. the topic is "What do people think about Obama celebrating an India religious rite?" But Alf is far off topic, asking why I get up in the morning. As an addict of Scripture literature, he can't understand the process of evolution. But it's on record he says I'm "a product of reverse evolution." Far from asking him to stop commenting, let him make more wrong guesses and snicker to himself as thinks he "scored another one against atheists." They include atheists Edison, inventor of many uses of electricity; Burbank who improved quality & amount of crops, Morse who invented the telegraph and James Smithson who gave us the Smithsonian Institution for the advance of knowledge.
Aura Why do you even get up in the morning?
Your proof that evolution can go in reverse, go stand on a street corner !
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