President Obama made a change of plans this year as he decided to not celebrate the tradition of hosting the annual Iftar dinner, but rather celebrate the conclusion of the Islamic holy month instead. The president of the United States makes history by being the first sitting president to host and celebrate Eid al-Fitr at the White House. So what is this exactly? According to Wikipedia the Muslim holiday is described as:

An event celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. The religious Eid is a single day during which Muslims are not permitted to fast. The holiday celebrates the conclusion of the 29 or 30 days of dawn-to-sunset fasting during the entire month of Ramadan. The day of Eid, therefore, falls on the first day of the month of Shawwal. The date for the start of any lunar Hijri month varies based on the observation of new moon by local religious authorities, so the exact day of celebration varies by locality.

According to the report from MailOnline, More than 100 Muslim Americans attended the event celebrating the holiday, including Muhammad Ali’s wife Lonnie and six of their children.


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The president looked like he was having a great time from the pictures of the event and even began his remarks by paying tribute to the Greatest, who passed during Ramadan. Referring to the recent death of Mohammad Ali.
‘As proud of his blackness as he was of his faith, the Champ taught us that the most important thing in life is to be ourselves,’ the president told the crowd.  And, Obama said, he wanted the day to be a reminder that Muslims ‘have always been a part of America’.  ‘For more than two centuries, Muslim Americans of all backgrounds – Arab and Asian, African and Latino, black and white – have helped build America,’ he said. ‘As farmers and merchants, factory workers, architects, teachers and community leaders. Muslim Americans have enriched our lives every single days.’

‘Let’s be clear,’ the president said. ‘Muslim Americans are as patriotic, as integrated, as American as any other members of the American family.’ What’s even more frightening was the response of many in attendance who met the president with chants of ‘Four more years!’ the audience yelled, ‘Four more years!’  Obama responded with laughter and carried on.