You probably didn’t know this. It’s ok if you didn’t.
Last week, President Donald Trump hosted his first Iftar at the White House. Before I jump into the significance of this event, let’s explain what Iftar is.
Muslims fast for one month. It’s one of the foundational pillars of the religion. This month is called Ramadan. For thirty days, we wake up for our pre-dawn meal and fast from sunrise to sunset. The pre-dawn meal is called Sehri. The post sunset meal is called Iftar. This repeats for thirty days until Eid, which is a holiday that celebrates the end of Ramadan.
Ramadan instills a sense of sacrifice, meditation and community. In United States, families often gather to celebrate the sunset meal, Iftar. Former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton hosted an official Iftar where they invited leaders from the Muslim community to break their fast at the White House. Many news outlets proclaim that President Bill Clinton started this annual tradition in 1996.
However, he was not the first President to host Iftar. It was Thomas Jefferson on December 9, 1805. That’s 212 years ago.
That’s right, two hundred years ago, one of our founding fathers hosted a Muslim diplomat from Tunisia. Out of respect for Ramadan, Jefferson changed dinner time from 3:30 pm to sunset time for his guest who was fasting. The tradition of Ramadan and fasting was not a foreign concept. Our founding fathers of this nation were aware of Islam and its traditions. Thomas Jefferson recognized that there are different religions outside of Christianity and that the United States can be a land where true religious freedom can exist.
You see, the founding fathers called people who followed Islam Mahometans (people who follow Muhammad). In arguments for religious freedom, Jefferson argued that the mantle of protection should encompass the Jew, the Gentile, the Christian and the Mahometan. George Washington supported this. Benjamin Franklin supported this.
Our founding fathers envisioned a United States where Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and even Buddhism could coexist peacefully. Thomas Jefferson was so dedicated to the idea of religious liberty and freedom that he chose that accomplishment to place on his gravestone.
I am thankful for our founding fathers to have included religious freedom in the Bill of Rights. I am thankful to be in a country that grants me freedom and liberty. The current President either instills a lot of love or hate amongst you. What I can say is that he is continuing a tradition that started with Clinton’s presidency, but its roots can be found 200 years ago. I can for sure appreciate that.
Your Muslim students are celebrating this month, sacrificing food and water and still trying to focus in school. Your Muslim colleagues are still leading meetings and making sales calls while not drinking or eating for about 16 hours. Respect their commitment to this month and mention how Thomas Jefferson would have totally appreciated their fasting.