The Mind Behind Obama's Ramadan Dinner: George W. Bush

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How could you possibly have missed the fact that the Ramadan dinner was the brainchild of Hillary? http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=o5UVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IAsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6622,3778449&dq=clinton+ramadan+host

Michael of KS 7:13AM August 25, 2010

The Clinton's hosted the first ever dinner at the White House having anything to do with Ramadan in 1996. You moron.

Stan Harrell of KY 8:42AM August 17, 2010

You, in many ways are quite observant and thoughtful. You have accurately identified what many in the U.S. have observed about this President, that he is a closet Muslim having studied in and absorbed the teachings of a Muslim school in his most formative years in Indonesia. If he would only acknowledge this it would displace some of the religious difficulties he has and will continue to experience.

As for the negative auras you detect, please consider that the people of the United States had nothing against followers of Islam until they were savagely and without provocation attacked in the worst way. The same reaction happened the last time America was attacked December 7. You will not convince us there were no and are no subversive Muslims currently in the U.S. You will not convince us of your faithful and peaceful intents until you and other moderate Muslims identify and turn in those subversive who live in this country only because the moderate and peace-loving Muslims in their communities tolerate and encourage them.

Unless and until you and your peaceful brothers start turning in these animals, you can realistically expect to receive the same treatment you complain of in your post. I am sorry it must be this way, buy you must earn our trust through your widespread and effective behaviors to end the fundamentalist's activities.

Leonard Gump of MD 12:24PM August 14, 2010

The Constitution, specifically the Bill of Rights and the 1st Amendment. Read it.

Julia of OH 1:10AM August 14, 2010

I'm speaking specifically of the desperate grasping-at-straws cbh of FL @ Sep 20, 2009 01:14:28 AM was attempting. If you'd bother to do just the tiniest bit of research, noodle-brain, you'd find something useful before flapping your gums.

First off, that link you provided was dead. And you may very well be correct that the Clintons started having an Eid celebration at the WH in 1996. But it's irrelevant. If you'd bother to look it up, "Eid" and "Iftar" are two different things entirely. Eid-Ul-Fitr is the three (or more) day celebration that marks the end of Ramadan, and is filled with varying activities depending on the part of the world you are in; so it isnot a specific thing. Iftar is the evening meal itself that breaks the Ramadan fast. That is VERY specific. And I found that out with about thirty seconds worth or research.

As with most things that Bill and (especially the extremely pretentious) Hillary were/are involved in, when told by her, they are blown way out of proportion, are wildy out of context, and are sadly lacking in facts. Just like when she was running for Senate the first time, and was speaking in front of a mostly Jewish crowd, and not only claimed but ESPOUSED her "Jewish roots" (her grandmother's second husband was Jewish - not her grandfather, so no blood ties). She does nothing except to pander, so her "Eid" talk means absolutely nothing except window dressing.

George Bush actually hosted EIGHT dinners (one each and every year he was in the WH; why did it take the Clinton's 4 years to get around to it?). Obama has framed his Muslim outreach largely as an effort to repair the damage to the U.S. image in the Muslim world by the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq; part of his on-going "Apology Tour". At his dinners Bush, on the other hand, praised American Muslims in the military, and those Muslims around the world the U.S. has partnered with in "...helping the people of Iraq and Afghanistan build free societies after decades of tyranny". Quite a bit of difference, dude.

Put down the Kool-aid and get some REAL facts for a change.

Don in Utah of UT 3:32AM August 12, 2010

Knowledgable people, Muslims and non, are aware that White House-hosted Ramadan celebrations have been a tradition since the Clinton administration first began them in 1996.

"An innovation of George W. Bush"?

This is disappointing from a religion reporter for a major publication such as USNews.

To suggest President Bush as "The Mind Behind Obama's Ramadan Dinner," when Secretary of State Clinton said again, as recently as her Eid-Ul-Fitr video message (http://www.holidays.net/ramadan/pres2009hceid.htm), that:

"In 1996, my husband and I were privileged to host the first ever White House Eid celebration, which has now become a tradition,"

...contributes more of the confusion rather than clarity that we too often are subjected to on matters of faith.

cbh of FL 1:14AM September 20, 2009

You are a typical liberal atheist who loves to be critical about others but can't take the backlash of your own hypocracy. You and your liberal demogagory is ridiculous. Every phrase from your mouth is hate and you insinuated SSF was a Jew. Your a disgrace and a typical lost cause of Liberal mentality.Your obviously a very weak and simple man who speaks like a woman and if this true I sympathize for you. We are the superior country and people. We hate liberals and are proud to say. You are devious, anti-American, anti-Christ and a true loser. Mr Feingold your right. And if you don't know what a Feminazi is your not so intelligent.

DOES IT MATTER, HONESTLY of FL 10:34PM September 03, 2009

It's amazing to see how much hate, division, racism, and downright hypocrisy you right wingers spew. Just go back to the beginning of these series of postings and read your own posts. Who is dishing out the hate, the prejudice, the insults, and the name-calling. Who are the self-righteous ones here who think of themselves as the only 'real Americans'?

Look at the way you claim, repeatedly, that this is a country only for 'true believers'. American's founding fathers NEVER intended it that way. Read Thomas Jefferson's writings. You call liberals 'elitist' and self-centered, and yet you have created a little bubble world where you see everyone else not like you as evil, dangerous and not to be trusted, or against God and America. It's sick...

'Feminazi liberal'???!! Now that's an interesting one, meaningless and absurd, but creative!

I'm a man if you must know, also a PROUD non-religious liberal, and glad to live in a free country which still allows muslims, christians, jews, and non-believers to live in peace AND SPEAK THEIR MINDS. I intend to fight for that freedom.

Reading your posts just confirms my opinion that many religious evangelicals on the right would like to put an end to that very freedom and give us 'Scum of America' 'no voice' as Mr. Fiengold puts it in his kind and gentle note! By the way, does your friend 'True American' think there is something wrong with being a Jew? I mentioned it based on the fact that Feingold is a Jewish name. Nothing more, nothing less. Also, 'True Americans' are people who judge people based on their actions and have open minds, not hate-mongers like the one on this board.

I'm through with this board. The gulf is just too huge and the hatred too raw.

Dara of CA 3:32PM September 03, 2009

I agree 100% with your comments about these liberals who spew hate and try to make everyone else responsible. This Dara is a typical femanzi lowlife that tries to influence through bogus claims and hypocracy.

These left wing radical Dara's are the root of the downfall of morals in our country!

We owe no radical cultures anything, this is our country. The spiteful,radical left wing non believers of this country should shut up!

And that bigot hypocrite Dara referred to you as a Jew, typical CA feminazi b i # c h.

True american of NY 1:18PM September 03, 2009

You are a feminazi man hating loser!

And yes we are superior to you. You are the non believing anti Christ garbage Liberal I speak of, obviously you have changed your name for cover.

Femanazi losers are an inferior person of jealousy and hate. You have no voice in America. Liberals are the scum of America.

Jack of Ca pinned you perfectly, thanks !!!

Stanley Stuart feingold of NY 2:21AM September 03, 2009

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Dan Gilgoff covers religion for U.S. News & World Report. He is the author of The Jesus Machine: How James Dobson, Focus on the Family, and Evangelical America are Winning the Culture War, and is a former politics editor at beliefnet. E-mail Dan at godandcountry@usnews.com.

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