AP
Obama says Islam is apart of America and praises it’s commitment to “progress”
President Barack Obama on Tuesday praised American Muslims for enriching the nation’s culture at a dinner to celebrate the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
"The contribution of Muslims to the United States are too long to catalog because Muslims are so interwoven into the fabric of our communities and our country,"Obama said at the iftar,the dinner that breaks the holiday’s daily fast.
The president joined Cabinet secretaries,members of the diplomatic corps and lawmakers to pay tribute to what he called "a great religion and its commitment to justice and progress."
Attendees included Congress’two Muslim members —Reps. Keith Ellison and Andre Carson as well as ambassadors from Islamic nations and Israel’s ambassador to the United States,Michael Oren.
Obama shared the story of Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir,another invited guest,who broke a state record for most career points as a Massachusetts high school student.