Speeches

Remarks by Chargé d'Affaires, a.i., Stephen Schwartz, at
Eid al Fitr Dinner

Ambassador’s Residence
November 9, 2005

I want to thank you all for coming tonight to this Eid dinner celebrating the significance of the month of Ramadan just passed.  I say a special thanks to Idriss Mahmaud, President of World Islamic Research & Advisory Council for agreeing to make some remarks on this occasion.   I’d also like to thank Shariff Jathoonia and Laura Ramgoulam from the U.S. Embassy who organized tonight’s dinner. 

I also want to thank some people who aren’t here tonight.  Vice President Bundhun who had agreed to speak tonight but, along with many other people, had to regret in order to attend the prime minister’s state dinner in honor of the president of Madagascar.   Let me also say a special tribute to Mr. Nissar Ramtoola of the Jummah Mosque who suggested to me that an Eid dinner would be preferable to an iftaar.

Before planning this dinner, I wrestled with the question of why I should host such an event.  Though America is a country of religious freedom and the vast majority of its citizens believe in God and practice religion, the United States is also a country that tries not to mix government and religion.  Yet here we have the U.S. Government doing just that.  President Bush recently hosted his fifth iftaar at the White House.  Secretary of State Rice perpetuated the tradition set by Secretary Albright and Secretary Powell of hosting an iftaar at the State Department.  So, why are we doing this?

I’ve concluded that we hold these events because it is important to the world that:
-  the Government of the United States go out of its way to demonstrate its respect for Islam, and
- to develop relationships and learn about each other.

The reality is that the United States plays a preeminent role in global affairs and a lot of this activity affects Muslim communities around the world.  Relations between the Islamic world and the United States are of particular concern to everybody here.  American influence is pervasive and comes in all forms: cultural, educational, scientific, military, economic, and diplomatic.  Everyone in the world has an opinion of the United States, usually several and often conflicting ones.  To our minds, too many of these views are negative, causing us both to reflect on why that is the case and to redouble our efforts to explain ourselves.  So…we are here to learn from you and you are a captive audience to hear me and meet us.

America is not at war with Islam.  If you leave here tonight with one message let it be this, because I think this misconception is at the heart of the problems between America and the Islamic world.  We can differ over whether a specific decision or act was wise, or even whether it was respectful or disrespectful of Islam, but I assure you that the U.S. Government and the vast majority of its citizens have great respect for Islam and for Muslims.  Indeed seven million Americans are Muslim.  As President Bush said in his Eid al-Fitr message a few days ago, “Our nation is blessed to count many Muslims among our fellow citizens.  As Americans, we share a commitment to family, a belief in God’s justice and man’s moral responsibility, and hope for a future of peace and tolerance.”

That said; problems remain.  Some of these reflect a struggle within the Islamic world over matters of faith and doctrine in which the U.S. may be used as a tool or scapegoat.  To this end, I urge you to try to identify the real issues at play and to resist efforts by extremists to foster hate, intolerance, and even violence.  Another set of problems stem from a clash of worldviews, not civilizations.  In the past 15 years the preponderance of U.S. military interventions and a large amount of our diplomatic capital has been spent – in our eyes – to assist Muslim communities in need.  The United States has sacrificed many lives and spent much treasure to help the people of Somalia, Kuwait, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq.  We are hard at work to promote democracy, human rights, and peace across the world, including in Darfur, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, the Palestinian territories, Iran, and elsewhere.  Yet it is clear that our actions have not always been received in the spirit in which they were intended nor, to be frank, have they always ended up as we’d hope.  We need to create a better dialogue.

In her iftaar address Secretary Rice explained it this way:

President Bush believes that when states guarantee the basic rights of their citizens, our world grows more just and more secure.  We in America support people of every culture and race and religion who wish to make their own decisions and choose their own governments and speak their own minds.  We know that free choices may produce disagreement, but listening to one another and exchanging ideas respectfully and cooperating wherever and whenever we can, this is the essence of democracy and it is also the mission of diplomacy.

America supports the democratic aspirations of all people, not because we think ourselves perfect; to the contrary, it is precisely because we are imperfect, with a long history of failures and false starts, that we cherish democracy and support others who embrace its challenges.

I want to thank each of you for coming here tonight.  Meeting, sharing, and engaging in respectful dialogue are necessary preconditions for understanding and progress. 

I know you have all just completed a month of restraint, in every sense, and were involved in deep spiritual devotion and reflection exemplifying the Islamic virtues of peace, sharing, and tolerance.  We are glad you joined us tonight so that we might share in the joy and happiness that Eid brings to Muslims around the world. 

Please enjoy the rest of the evening.  Eid Mubarak.