2024-04-09 09:45:42
Some of the invitees refused to accept President Joe Biden’s invitation to attend an iftar party in El Obeid on the occasion of Ramadan, which prompted the cancellation of the party.
White House spokeswoman Karen Jean-Pierre said that the US President is scheduled to hold a “working meeting” with “notables from the Islamic community” who insisted that the meeting be “closed,” explaining that these leaders preferred holding a meeting rather than having breakfast.
She added, “This comes at the request of members of the Muslim community. This is what they wanted, and we understand that.”
Biden met with leaders of the Islamic community before having breakfast with senior Muslim officials in his administration, which was also attended by First Lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamla Harris and her husband.
One of the attendees, Dr. Thaer Ahmed, an emergency room doctor who spent at least three weeks in Gaza, told CNN that he withdrew from Tuesday’s meeting before it ended.
“Out of respect for my community, and out of respect for all the people who suffered and were killed in this operation, I had to withdraw from the meeting,” he added.
This ceremony contrasts sharply with a reception hosted by Biden in May 2023 on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, where dozens of attendees cheered for Biden at the White House when he told the crowd, “This is your home.”
Among the Muslim members of Congress who attended the iftar last year were House members Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, an American of Palestinian origin, who are now among the most vocal critics of Biden’s policy in Gaza.
Image Action, an advocacy group for American Muslims, said it declined the iftar invitation, citing Biden’s “continued unconditional military aid to Israel,” which it says has led to a “horrific humanitarian catastrophe.”
Many Muslims, Arabs and anti-war activists are angry at the US administration’s support for Israel and its military attack in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands and caused famine in the Strip, which is inhabited by about 2.3 million people.
Last updated: April 5, 2024 – 00:50
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2024-04-09 09:45:42