The Summer Olympics are in full-swing in Rio de Janeiro. (If you missed our behind-the-scenes look at the ceremony, check it out on the White House Instagram.) As Team USA works on bringing home the gold, President Obama and the First Lady looked back at a few of their favorite golden moments from Olympics-past in a presidential pop quiz. Watch:
This weekend, President Obama joined Americans across the country in wishing our Olympic and Paralympic athletes the best of luck and thanked them for representing what’s best in America:
When you watch these Games, remember that it’s about so much more than the moments going by in a flash. Think about the countless hours these athletes put in, knowing it could mean the difference in a split-second victory that earns them a lifetime of pride, and gives us enduring memories. It’s about the character it takes to train your heart out, even when no one’s watching. Just hard work, focus, and a dream. That’s the Olympic spirit – and it’s the American spirit, too
Watch:
This year, the Opening Ceremony in Rio celebrated the culture of Brazil but also took the opportunity to remind the world the threat and challenges climate change pose to people around the world, including athletes. A few athletes — Olympians among them — came to the White House today to discuss exactly how climate change is impacting the world of sports. Olympic snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler and former NFL football player Ovie Mughelli jumped on twitter to answer a few questions about this issue:
Today, Emmanuel Odama sent this email to share why he’ll be introducing President Obama at today’s town hall for the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). Started in 2010, YALI has brought hundreds of thousands of young people across the continent together to make their communities, countries, and continent more prosperous and secure. Emmanuel is one of those young leaders. Didn’t get his message? Sign up for email updates here.
I come from Uganda — from a farming community in the countryside where I learned what I know from the farmers I grew up with.
When I had the chance to complete my education in agricultural science, the hardest decision I had to make was whether to find a new job or return to my local community and teach them a little bit of what I had learned.
More than anything else, I wanted to see improvement in the livelihoods of the farmers that helped me become the agricultural scientist, pastor, and mentor that I am today. So I returned home to the Arua district in Uganda, and spent years working to pass on the knowledge and skills I had gained.
My passion is to be a part of bringing solutions to the country, and continent, where I grew up. That’s how so many of my fellow Africans who are part of the President’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) feel, too. You can tune in at 3:20 pm ET to watch live here:
As President Obama knows, the African continent is not only in need of transformational leaders, but leaders who will make the deliberate effort to inspire those they lead to take up the mantle — particularly young leaders, who are looking for seasoned role models to emulate.
For all the challenges Africa faces, it is my hope that, just like the Fulbright Fellowship program and Peace Corps Volunteers program, YALI will continue to shape and support more young African leaders who return home to embrace the challenges they grew up with — and the challenge of being the generation that will offer the African continent a new hope for a better future that we can pass on to our younger siblings, our children, and our great grandchildren.
Thanks to President Obama and the legacy he leaves with YALI, so many of us our are well-poised to do it.
So please join us at the town hall today at 3:20 pm ET to hear President Obama’s answers to our questions about the future of young leaders in Africa and around the world.
Watch Live: The U.S. Welcomes Singapore to the White House
After more than 30 years, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is returning to the White House for an official state visit. Today, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will welcome Prime Minister Lee and his wife, Mrs. Lee, to our nation’s capitol — eight years after he visited the country during his first year in office.
So what is so unique about the U.S. relationship with Singapore?
When we first established diplomatic relations with the country 50 years ago, the island nation was defined mostly by its rural villages and crowded tenements. But in just one generation, Singaporeans have turned their country into a first world nation that is helping shape a more peaceful and prosperous Asia Pacific. As the first Southeast Asian country to join in the fight against ISIL, Singapore has become an anchor nation in the President’s rebalance strategy toward Asia and has helped the U.S. engage in the region and ensure regional security as well as the mutual growth of both countries’ economies.
With Singapore’s partnership, the United States in engaging more deeply across South-east Asia and Asean, which is central to the region’s peace and prosperity. Singapore is an anchor for the US presence in the region, which is a foundation of stability and peace. Both our nations are committed to building a regional order where all nations play by the same rules and disputes are resolved peacefully and this visit will be an opportunity to continue deepening our cooperation on behalf of regional stability and prosperity.
Key to our shared goals is the Trans-Pacific Partnership, President Obama’s trade agreement with 11 other countries that will help boost exports from U.S. businesses and wages for U.S. workers. As President Obama said in an interview with the Strait Times:
There are legitimate concerns and anxieties that the forces of globalisation are leaving too many people behind—and we have to take those concerns seriously and address them. But the answer isn’t to turn inward and embrace protectionism. We can’t just walk away from trade. In a global economy where our economies and supply chains are deeply integrated, it’s not even possible.
The answer is to make sure that trade is working for our people by supporting good jobs, reducing inequality and creating more opportunity. That’s what TPP does. I’ll continue making the case for TPP, and I’m optimistic that the United States Congress will ultimately support this landmark agreement.
“From our shared security to climate change, Mexico is a critical partner and is critically important to our own well-being. We’re not just strategic and economic partners, we’re also neighbors, and we’re friends, and we’re family—including millions of Americans that are connected to Mexico by ties of culture and of language. And that’s why, as President, I’ve worked to deepen the partnership between our two nations.”
President Obama
This week, President Obama invited President Enrique Peña Nieto to the White House to recognize and strengthen America’s enduring relationship with our neighboring country of Mexico.
¡Bienvenido, amigo! We value our enduring partnership with Mexico & will work to strengthen it in the years to come. https://t.co/mjlABSm7jF
From enhancing our shared national security and combating climate change to advancing our cooperation on health and strengthening our economies through trade, the President reiterated that the U.S. and Mexico are stronger together on the world stage.
“The United States values tremendously our enduring partnership with Mexico” —@POTUS in a press conference with @EPNhttps://t.co/kcCbHNvY6Q
You can get the complete rundown of what President Obama and President Nieto are working on together here — including the benefits of the President’s trade deal, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Both Canada and Mexico are parties to the TPP, which renegotiates past trade deals to put in place the highest labor and environmental standards of any trade agreement in history. In an increasingly interconnected world, these standards will make a big difference for American workers and small businesses.
Learn more about the President’s trade deal and what it means for our workers, our businesses, and our environment here. You can also watch the full press conference here:
In the wake of the tragedies in Dallas and Baton Rouge, President Obama penned a letter to the men and women of America’s law enforcement community. The President’s letter was shared with officers around the country.
Read it here:
The National Fraternal Order of Police shared the letter on its Facebook page, and offered this comment:
The reason this letter has value is that we want and deserve to change the National Dialogue. The people of this country respect law enforcement. Now we continue to speak out about the issues that have helped create disconnects with members of the communities to work so hard to protect.
We can and do provide the best quality law enforcement that we can but we cannot be held responsible for the social issues such as poverty, lack of mental health services, unemployment, and abject poverty. The work now is to assist our communities by continuing to recognize that we are but one spoke in the wheel and we will do our part. Now it’s time for politicians and government to assist us in working in the communities we have always worked in to make life better for all Americans.
Here is a transcript of the President’s letter:
To the brave members of our Nation’s law enforcement community:
Every day, you confront danger so it does not find our families, carry burdens so they do not fall to us, and courageously meet test after test to keep us safe. Like Dallas officer Lorne Ahrens, who bought dinner for a homeless man the night before he died, you perform good deeds beyond the call of duty and out of the spotlight. Time and again, you make the split-second decisions that could mean life or death for you and many others in harm’s way. You endure the tense minutes and long hours over lifetimes of service.
Every day, you accept this responsibility and you see your colleagues do their difficult, dangerous jobs with equal valor. I want you to know that the American people see it, too. We recognize it, we respect it, we appreciate it, and we depend on you. And just as your tight-knit law enforcement family feels the recent losses to your core, our Nation grieves alongside you. Any attack on police is an unjustified attack on all of us.
I’ve spent a lot of time with law enforcement over the past couple of weeks. I know that you take each of these tragedies personally, and that each is as devastating as a loss in the family. Sunday’s shooting in Baton Rouge was no different. Together, we mourn Montrell Jackson, Matthew Gerald, and Brad Garafola. Each was a husband. Each was a father. Each was a proud member of his community. And each fallen officer is one too many. Last week, I met with the families of the Dallas officers who were killed, and I called the families of those who were killed in the line of duty yesterday in Baton Rouge. I let them know how deeply we ache for the loss of their loved ones.
Some are trying to use this moment to divide police and the communities you serve. I reject those efforts, for they do not reflect the reality of our Nation. Officer Jackson knew this too, when just days ago he asked us to keep hatred from our hearts. Instead, he offered—to protestors and fellow police officers alike—a hug to anyone who saw him on the street. He offered himself as a fellow worshipper to anyone who sought to pray. Today, we offer our comfort and our prayers to his family, to the Geralds and the Garafolas, and to the tight-knit Baton Rouge law enforcement community.
As you continue to serve us in this tumultuous hour, we again recognize that we can no longer ask you to solve issues we refuse to address as a society. We should give you the resources you need to do your job, including our full-throated support. We must give you the tools you need to build and strengthen the bonds of trust with those you serve, and our best efforts to address the underlying challenges that contribute to crime and unrest.
As you continue to defend us with quiet dignity, we proclaim loudly our appreciation for the acts of service you perform as part of your daily routine. When you see civilians at risk, you don’t see them as strangers. You see them as your own family, and you lay your life on the line for them. You put others’ safety before your own, and you remind us that loving our country means loving one another. Even when some protest you, you protect them. What is more professional than that? What is more patriotic? What is a prouder example of our most basic freedoms—to speech, to assembly, to life, and to liberty? And at the end of the day, you have a right to go home to your family, just like anybody else.
Robert Kennedy, once our Nation’s highest-ranking law enforcement official, lamented in the wake of unjust violence a country in which we look at our neighbors as people “with whom we share a city, but not a community.” This is a time for us to reaffirm that what makes us special is that we are not only a country, but also a community. That is true whether you are black or white, whether you are rich or poor, whether you are a police officer or someone they protect and serve.
With that understanding—an understanding of the goodness and decency I have seen of our Nation not only in the past few weeks, but throughout my life—we will get through this difficult time together.
We will do it with the love and empathy of public servants like those we have lost in recent days. We will do it with the resilience of cities like Dallas that quickly came together to restore order and deepen unity and understanding. We will do it with the grace of loved ones who even in their grief have spoken out against vengeance toward police. We will do it with the good will of activists like those I have sat with in recent days, who have pledged to work together to reduce violence even as they voice their disappointments and fears.
As we bind up our wounds, we must come together to ensure that those who try to divide us do not succeed. We are at our best when we recognize our common humanity, set an example for our children of trust and responsibility, and honor the sacrifices of our bravest by coming together to be better.
Thank you for your courageous service. We have your backs.
“I condemn, in the strongest sense of the word, the attack on law enforcement in Baton Rouge. For the second time in two weeks, police officers who put their lives on the line for ours every day were doing their job when they were killed in a cowardly and reprehensible assault. These are attacks on public servants, on the rule of law, and on civilized society, and they have to stop.
“I’ve offered my full support, and the full support of the federal government, to Governor Edwards, Mayor Holden, the Sheriff’s Office, and the Baton Rouge Police Department. And make no mistake – justice will be done.
“We may not yet know the motives for this attack, but I want to be clear: there is no justification for violence against law enforcement. None. These attacks are the work of cowards who speak for no one. They right no wrongs. They advance no causes. The officers in Baton Rouge; the officers in Dallas – they were our fellow Americans, part of our community, part of our country, with people who loved and needed them, and who need us now – all of us – to be at our best.
“Today, on the Lord’s day, all of us stand united in prayer with the people of Baton Rouge, with the police officers who’ve been wounded, and with the grieving families of the fallen. May God bless them all.”
On July 14, a truck drove into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in Nice, France, killing at least 84 people in what French authorities have called a terrorist attack. Two American citizens were among those lost. Upon learning of the horrific attack, President Obama offered the following statement:
“On behalf of the American people, I condemn in the strongest terms what appears to be a horrific terrorist attack in Nice, France, which killed and wounded dozens of innocent civilians. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and other loved ones of those killed, and we wish a full recovery for the many wounded. I have directed my team to be in touch with French officials, and we have offered any assistance that they may need to investigate this attack and bring those responsible to justice. We stand in solidarity and partnership with France, our oldest ally, as they respond to and recover from this attack.
On this Bastille Day, we are reminded of the extraordinary resilience and democratic values that have made France an inspiration to the entire world, and we know that the character of the French Republic will endure long after this devastating and tragic loss of life.”
Today, on behalf of American citizens, Secretary of State John Kerry offered our deepest condolences to all who lost loved ones.
“On behalf of all Americans, and especially the great many with close ties to France, I offer our deepest condolences to the friends and family of those who were killed and our hopes for a speedy recovery to those who were injured. I was proud to stand alongside French leaders earlier today at Bastille Day celebrations in Paris, and the United States will continue to stand firmly with the French people during this time of tragedy. We will provide whatever support is needed. Our embassy in Paris is making every effort to account for the welfare of U.S. citizens in Nice. Any U.S. citizens in Nice should contact friends and family directly to inform them of their well being.”
“I join the President in condemning what appears to be a horrific terrorist attack in Nice, France. My thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of those lost and wounded. The Department of Justice has reached out to our French counterparts to offer our assistance in the investigation.”
“Together, we can collaborate in ways unimaginable just a few years ago. Together, we can realize the future that none of us can achieve alone. Together, we can deliver historic leaps in development. We can do this. But only if we move forward with the seriousness and sense of common purpose that this moment demands.”
President Obama, September 22, 2010
The final months of the Administration are a time for reflection — not just on policy reforms and the debates that underpin our own democratic society, but on the change we hope to see continue in the future. We’ve made real progress over the last eight years, progress that has translated to meaningful impact in the lives of millions around the world. As Americans, we should feel proud that our investments — which constitute less than one percent of our overall budget — in programs that improve the health, resilience, and inclusive growth opportunities for communities around the world are yielding results that see lasting returns.
Since the very beginning of the Administration, President Obama has defined development as an investment in the future for shared progress and prosperity. And through initiatives like Feed the Future and Power Africa, we — a host of U.S. government agencies — have catalyzed change. We are at the edge of history — and have a big opportunity to be the generation that ends HIV/AIDs, global hunger, and extreme poverty. And we cannot — and have not — made this progress alone.
Through engagement from a range of partners in the private sector, academic institutions, and non-governmental organizations, we’ve reached millions of children with nutrition interventions that mean they stand a better chance to grow, learn, and participate in — and benefit from — a global economy as adults. We have responded to dozens of environmental disasters while promoting stability in recovery. And we have supported reforms needed to enable resilient, democratic societies.
To recognize this progress and ensure it continues, on July 20, 2016, President Obama will host the White House Summit on Global Development. An opportunity for development leaders, public and private sector partners, civil society, diplomats, and entrepreneurs to celebrate shared contributions that have led to dramatic progress in global health, energy, food security, good governance, partnership, and youth engagement
It is also a time to honor the real lives around the world who make it possible to deliver real outcomes. These include heroes like Ms. Maha, a principal of a school in Jordan, who opens the doors of her already overcrowded school to Syrian girls hoping to continue their education. And Monjuara, a mother in Bangladesh who took part in nutrition and agriculture trainings sponsored by the U.S. Government, improved her family’s health and income, and now is passing on what she learned to others in her community.
Inspired by Ms. Maha, Monjuara, and countless others, our work does not stop. For the one billion people still confront hunger and poverty around the world, we can and must to do better. Our progress must continue beyond this Administration so that the next generation of leaders and communities around the world can continue to build a path out of poverty and contribute to global prosperity, stability and progress.
“I speak for every single American when I say that we are horrified over these events, and that we stand united with the people and the police department in Dallas … Let’s be clear: There is no possible justification for these kinds of attacks or any violence against law enforcement.”
President Obama
As law enforcement continues to gather more information, here’s what we know: On the night of July 7, 2016, the police in dallas who were keeping people safe during a peaceful protest were targeted. At least eleven officers were shot, five were killed, and others were injured — including one civilian. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings reported this morning that one shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
While in Warsaw, Poland for the NATO Summit, President Obama offered the following statement:
With your understanding, I want to begin with a few words about the situation back in the United States, specifically the situation in Dallas, Texas.
My team has been keeping me updated throughout the morning of the evening in Dallas. I spoke this morning with Mayor Rawlings of Dallas to convey the deepest condolences of the American people. I told him that the federal government will provide whatever assistance Dallas may need as it deals with this tremendous tragedy.
We still don’t know all the facts. What we do know is that there has been a vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement. Police in Dallas were on duty, doing their jobs, keeping people safe during peaceful protests. These law enforcement officers were targeted, and nearly a dozen officers were shot. Five were killed. Other officers and at least one civilian were wounded — some are in serious condition, and we are praying for their recovery.
As I told Mayor Rawlings, I believe that I speak for every single American when I say that we are horrified over these events, and that we stand united with the people and the police department in Dallas. According to police, there are multiple suspects. We will learn more, undoubtedly, about their twisted motivations. But let’s be clear: There is no possible justification for these kinds of attacks or any violence against law enforcement. The FBI is already in touch with the Dallas police, and anyone involved in these senseless murders will be held fully accountable. Justice will be done.
I will have more to say about this as the facts become more clear. For now, let me just say that even as yesterday I spoke about our need to be concerned, as all Americans, about racial disparities in our criminal justice system, I also said yesterday that our police have an extraordinarily difficult job and the vast majority of them do their job in outstanding fashion. I also indicated the degree to which we need to be supportive of those officers who do their job each and every day, protecting us and protecting our communities.
Today is a wrenching reminder of the sacrifices that they make for us. We also know that when people are armed with powerful weapons, unfortunately it makes attacks like these more deadly and more tragic. And in the days ahead, we’re going to have to consider those realities as well.
In the meantime, today our focus is on the victims and their families. They are heartbroken. The entire city of Dallas is grieving. Police across America, which is a tight-knit family, feels this loss to their core. And we’re grieving with them. I’d ask all Americans to say a prayer for these officers and their families. Keep them in your thoughts. And as a nation, let’s remember to express our profound gratitude to our men and women in blue — not just today, but every day.
Today, Muslims in America and around the world are breaking fast and celebrating the end of Ramadan with family and friends. President Obama offered the following statement:
Upon the arrival of a new crescent moon, Michelle and I send our warmest greetings to all those celebrating Eid al-Fitr in the United States and around the globe.
For Muslim Americans, Eid is an opportunity to reflect on the 30 days spent fasting and to recommit to values of gratitude, compassion, and generosity. In neighborhoods and homes across the world, this special occasion begins in the early hours of the day when families dress in their finest attire in preparation for prayers and festivities. Homes are decorated with ornaments and lanterns. Gifts are wrapped and envelopes of money are prepared for kids. Above all, Eid is a time to gather and celebrate with loved ones.
Muslim Americans are as diverse as our nation itself—black, white, Latino, Asian, and Arab. Eid celebrations around the country remind us of our proud history as a nation built by people of all backgrounds; our history of religious freedom and civil liberties, and our history of innovation and strength. These legacies would not be possible without the contributions of Muslim Americans that make our country even stronger.
This past month, our country and the world endured challenges and senseless violence that broke our hearts and tried our souls. Our prayers are with the hundreds of innocent lives, many of them Muslim, taken during the month of Ramadan in places like Orlando, Istanbul, Dhaka, Baghdad, and Medina.
Here at home, we’ve also seen a rise in attacks against Muslim Americans. No one should ever feel afraid or unsafe in their place of worship. Many Americans have shared in the experience of Ramadan by volunteering in community service efforts to assist those in need and even fasting a few days with their fellow Muslim American co-workers. In the face of hate, it’s our American values and strength that bring us together to stand in solidarity and protect one another—thereby, making our Nation stronger and safer.
Muslim Americans have been part of our American family since its founding. This Eid, we recommit to protecting Muslim Americans against bigotry and xenophobia, while celebrating the contributions of Muslim Americans around the country, including one of our finest, the People’s Champion Muhammad Ali, to whom we bade farewell this Ramadan. Later this month, Michelle and I will host an Eid celebration at the White House and we look forward to welcoming Americans from around the country to celebrate the holiday.
From our family to yours, Eid Mubarak!
The celebration of Eid al-Fitr is just one of the many cultural and religious traditions with which Muslim Americans enrich our communities. Unfortunately, the current political environment often leaves many feeling targeted for who they are or what they believe. On this Eid al-Fitr, read a few letters from Muslim Americans who shared their pride, concerns, and hopes as Americans with the President:
Noor Abdelfattah
Dear President Barack Obama,
I am Noor Abdelfattah. Born in Chicago in November of 97’, I was blessed enough to grow up on Chicago’s North Shore. Growing up as child of a Muslim immigrant, I truly realize how privileged I am to live in the greatest country in the world. My grandfather left his homeland in 1951, the year my father was born, in search of his American dream. My father would not meet his own father until he was sixteen years old. Coming to this country with very little, my father was unable to attend college. However, he would spend long hours working low-paid jobs in order to provide for his family. Both my parents and five older brothers faced many difficulties before I was born.
At age seven, my oldest brother was caught in a Chicago gang fight where he took a bullet in the face. Today, that same brother is thirty-three years old and a graduate of University of Michigan Law School. The sacrifices my parents endured for their kids allowed us to prosper within our educational careers. Together, the educational institutions we have attended include University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, Northwestern University, University of Michigan, and Loyola University Chicago.
Growing up, my parents have always taught us to treat everyone with respect. Although I grew up Muslim, my parents sent my siblings and I to Catholic high schools that placed us in an environment different than our own. Being the only Muslim in my class, I was allowed to interact with people who were raised different than myself. The opportunities my parents have given me allowed me to enter college open minded. I have met people I consider friends from all over the world.
However, with the hostile attitude some people carry towards Muslims, I believe that it is important that we remain together as a nation. I believe that the tradition of hosting an Iftar Dinner at the White House during the month of Ramadan is one tradition that shows the diversity our country holds. We, as Americans, are accepted for what we practice and how we look. On behalf of the Muslims living in the land of the free and home of the brave, I want to thank you for standing firmly with us in rejection of those who are hoping to limit our rights. Additionally, as your term comes to an end, I want to thank you for all the hard work you have done for all Americans and the rest of the world these past eight years as the President of the United States.
All the best,
Noor Abdelfattah
Dua Yang
Assalamu Alaikum Mr. President,
I am a 28 year old Muslim American woman. I am proud of my faith and I make an effort everyday to show the goodness of Islam. Islam teaches about sincerity, kindness, compassion, perseverance, fairness, and so many beautiful qualities that I try to exhibit each and everyday I serve my students, my school, and community.
Yet, despite my efforts to be a model of the peace and beauty of Islam, I am labeled and treated as a terrorist. As someone dangerous, unwelcomed, and insignificant…. And while having American citizens to public figures degrade my value may come to be dispairing at times. What I have witness from the effect of islamophobia onto the young Muslim American population is even more atrocious. Fourth graders who insecurely share with me the opinions they’ve heard from the media that I can see has psychologically damaged their confidence in themselves. Children who are just starting to find confidence in themselves are having to question their worth in America.
This environment of hate is causing a new generation of young Muslims who are weary and scared. They want nothing but to have the freedom to pursue life with dignity.
Please remain strong on your grounds. Continue to speak out against those who seek to use Islam as a political tool to oppress. You don’t know it, but you are a hero to many Muslim American children who hear your words that ‘it’s not their fault’.
Sincerely,
Ms. Yang
Aleena K
Dear Mr. President,
As-Salaam-Alaikum. My name is Aleena K , and I currently go to Northwest High School in Germantown, Maryland. Per the requirements of an honors research program I participate in, I completed a senior research project on a topic of my choosing. I wanted to make my project something that I could use as a learning experience, something that would correctly embody the passion I have for helping people. That was when I settled on my topic: Muslim-Americans. As a practicing Muslim-American, I am all too familiar with the difficulties of being a Muslim in a non-Muslim majority country. Thus, my project, titled Split in the Middle: Why Muslim-American Teenage Girls Struggle with their Identity, was born.
Completing this project was difficult. I had to face not only my insecurities, but the harsh rhetoric of other Americans. Because one of the potential causes of an identity crisis is the media, I had browse through the comments section of various articles that pertained to Muslim-Americans. I spent a couple of hours, sitting on the floor of my bedroom, reading thousands of comments from other people throughout America. The multitude of people who expressed their desire for deporting Muslims shocked me the most. I am an American, I grew up here. I say the Pledge of Allegiance every day. And yet, I am a Muslim. I fast during the month of Ramadan and celebrate Eid. I read the Quran, go to religion class, and pray. Which one was I allowed to be? It is a question that plagues me to this day.
Today, I watched you give a speech at a mosque in Baltimore. You talked about how society needs to stop its rhetoric, because it is not fair to profile a group of people as a result of the actions of one person. You mentioned how we are not just Muslims, or just Americans, but we are both. We are Muslim-Americans. Amongst the negative comments and the rising hatred of Muslims in this country, your speech was like an oxygen tank. It allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief and give me hope that maybe, just maybe, there was an influential figure who believed in us.
As I am writing this letter, I am listening to Adele’s song “All I Ask” on her new album. And all I ask is for acceptance and tolerance from others. I know that this can eventually be achieved, not from the work of just one individual, but from Muslims and non-Muslims alike. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your faith in us.
Sincerely,
Aleena K
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