For the first time in 20 years the White House did not host an iftar dinner to commemorate the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. President Trump declined to hold the iftar dinner at the White House, and AG Jeff Sessions also cancelled the annual tradition at the State Department.
The iftar dinner began in 1996 when then-first lady Hillary Clinton hosted prominent members of the Muslim community. George Bush and Barack Obama continued the tradition in the ensuing years.
President Trump and first lady Melania Trump issued a statement to mark the end of Ramadan. But leftwing media outlets noted that the statement was released after Trump was spotted on a golf course he owns in Virginia over the weekend.
Muslim Americans rebuked Trump for ending the 20-year tradition, saying it sends the wrong message to Muslims who have been ostracized and attacked in America in recent months.
“To stop [the dinner] doesn’t send a good message” Imam Talib Shareef told Newsweek.
He added: “You get the chance to go golfing and all this other kind of stuff. How come you don’t have time for a population of your society that needs some assistance?”
Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images