Recognizing Commencement of Ramadan and Commending Muslims for their Faith
Floor Speech
RECOGNIZING COMMENCEMENT OF RAMADAN AND COMMENDING MUSLIMS FOR THEIR FAITH -- (House of Representatives - October 02, 2007)
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Mr. ELLISON. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentleman for yielding time and for this excellent resolution. I'd like to thank all of the authors, including Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson and everyone who signed on to the resolution commemorating the month of Ramadan.
I am celebrating Ramadan myself personally, and I have been doing so ever since my 19th birthday. I'm 44 now, and I can tell you that it is a time of reflection, a time of renewal, and regeneration.
It's true that we fast during the daylight hours during Ramadan, but it also says in the sayings of Prophet Mohammed, that if you do not refrain from ill speech, bad speech, bad words, basically a bad attitude and negative disposition, then God has no use of your refraining from food and drink. And so in this month of Ramadan, it's important to reassess your life, to contemplate your role in society and to benefit your neighbor.
I think it's very important when we talk about ``neighbor'' that we reflect upon what that word really means, ``neighbor.'' It was Jesus, who the Muslims call Esau and who they revere very highly, who told the lawyer in the Bible that his neighbor really wasn't even somebody of his own religion or his own tribe but really was that Samaritan from that other group who lended assistance and gave a helping hand when it was needed. And that is the origin of the story of the Good Samaritan.
This idea of the neighbor is something that's very important in Islam, especially during Ramadan where Muslims of all faiths, all colors, all backgrounds, reach out to our neighbors, Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist of all types.
I want to report to you, Mr. Speaker, that over the course of the last several weeks we've had several Iftar celebrations right here in the Capitol and also in the Pentagon and a tremendous demonstration of interfaith cooperation, interfaith working together and mutual respect and recognition.
As was said earlier, and I quite agree, every faith tradition relies on fasting as a means for spiritual regeneration. I also want to report to you that on the date of Yom Kippur, which is the Jewish holiday of atonement and the commemoration of the time of the new year, that my mosque in Minneapolis and the synagogue Temple Israel in Minneapolis joined together to break fast together, and we ended up with a good problem, Mr. Speaker, and that is, that there were 150 people who RSVP'ed and said they wanted to come. We ended up with about 160 people coming, and we didn't have enough chairs for everybody, but we had enough food because we shared it, Mr. Speaker, showing again that we're not too far apart.
Mr. Speaker, I'd also like to let you know that many of our Christian friends came to celebrate the breaking of the fast with the Muslims and Jews together, and we're really warmed and encouraged by the fact that we can all come together even though we have different faith traditions.
So, Mr. Speaker, let me again thank the wonderful, excellent commemoration we're having today as a true expression of American values, religious tolerance, inclusion of everyone.
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