Obama sends hajj, Eid greetings to Muslims

[jefferson_dem]

Obama sends hajj, Eid greetings to Muslims



WASHINGTON (AFP) – President Barack Obama sent greetings Wednesday on behalf of the United States to pilgrims performing the annual hajj in Saudi Arabia, and to Muslims worldwide celebrating the Eid-ul-Adha holiday.

"The rituals of Hajj and Eid-ul-Adha both serve as reminders of the shared Abrahamic roots of three of the world's major religions," read a White House statement.

"On behalf of the American people, we would like to extend our greetings during this Hajj season -- Eid Mubarak," Obama said, using a traditional Muslim greeting.

A sea of pilgrims from around the world, dressed in white robes and towels, began the five-day hajj late on Tuesday and early on Wednesday, circling the Kaaba shrine inside Mecca's Grand Mosque.

Few people appeared concerned over the main threat to the hajj, swine flu, despite the news that four pilgrims had died from the disease before the rites officially began.

Obama said in the statement that the US Department of Health and Human Services partnered this year with the Saudi Health Ministry "to prevent and limit the spread of H1N1" during the hajj.

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/pl_afp/saudireligionhajjusobama

[Scurrilous]

1. K & R

:thumbsup:

[Cha]

2. Pres Obama..trying to

bring the world closer together with his State Dinner in honor of India last night and his greeting to the Muslim World today along with reaching out to the underprivleged in D.C.

[DavidDvorkin]

3. How many rightwing

heads exploded as a result?

[treestar]

4. Oh noes!

Emboldening our enemies! :rofl:

:sarcasm:

[Hekate]

5. There's a reason we like the guy, you know. There's a reason a European group gave him the Nobel...

... before he "did anything" -- because what he DID do was change the whole tone of foreign relations between the US and the entire rest of the world.

Hekate