United States President Donald Trump on Friday wished Muslims a “joyful Ramadan” and urged them to reject violence and help fight terrorism around the world.
“At its core, the spirit of Ramadan strengthens awareness of our shared obligation to reject violence, to pursue peace, and to give to those in need who are suffering from poverty or conflict,” Trump said in his first Ramadan message to the Muslim world as the president of the United States.
Trump referred to this week’s bombing of a concert in Manchester and the shootings of Christians in Egypt in his statement.
“This year, the holiday begins as the world mourns the innocent victims of barbaric terrorist attacks in the United Kingdom and Egypt, acts of depravity that are directly contrary to the spirit of Ramadan,” Trump said.
“Such acts only steel our resolve to defeat the terrorists and their perverted ideology,” he said.
Trump mentioned his recent trip to Saudi Arabia, during which he decried terrorism but avoided controversial terms like “radical Islamic terror”. He had frequently argued during his campaign that politicians can’t be afraid to use that term.
The message is a departure from the more aggressive rhetoric Trump used on the trail.
Referring to his visit to Saudi Arabia, Trump said he had the honour of meeting with the leaders of more than 50 Muslim nations.
“There, in the land of the two holiest sites in the Muslim world, we gathered to deliver together an emphatic message of partnership for the sake of peace, security, and prosperity for our countries and for the world,” said the US president.
“I reiterate my message delivered in Riyadh: America will always stand with our partners against terrorism and the ideology that fuels it,” he said.
“During this month of Ramadan, let us be resolved to spare no measure so that we may ensure that future generations will be free of this scourge and able to worship and commune in peace,” Trump said.
Image: A Muslim devotee tears up as she performs tarawih prayers to mark the start of Ramadan at a mosque in Singapore. Photograph: Edgar Su/Reuters
