Expressions of sympathy to Gazans, for having their Ramadan celebrations foiled by Israeli retaliations, highlight prevailing ignorance of Islamic values, not only on the part of the American media.
On July 9, in his “Ramadan Message,” President Barack Obama, once again, equated the the Islamic principles of Ramadan with American values: “I…know that Ramadan is a time of intense devotion and reflection…reciting and listening to the entire Koran over the course of the month. These rituals remind us of the principles that we hold in common, and Islam’s role in advancing justice, progress, tolerance, and the dignity of all human beings,” he said.
Yet, the Koran and prayers recited by Muslims, are reminders to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet Mohammad, who we all know had nothing in common with our Founding Fathers or Abraham Lincoln.
Canadian Imam Ahmed Shehab, who was linked to at least two of the 9/11 hijackers, set the record straight. Writing in Al Ayam, an Arabic bi-weekly newspaper (Issue 8, June 30, 2014, P. 10), translated by Jonathan D. Halevi, he reminded his Muslim readers of the true meaning of Ramadan:
“The [Prophet], peace and blessing be upon him, used to carry out the jihad during the [month of] Ramadan and to order his companions to strengthen themselves for encountering their enemy….”
“The [Prophet] … was the greatest of the mujahideen. Fasting did not stop him from taking part in invasions. He took part in six invasions during nine years; all of them occurred during the [month of] Ramadan. He committed formidable deeds during the [month of] Ramadan such as destroying al-Darrar Mosque [built by the hypocrites], smashing the famous statues of the Arabs, meeting with delegations, marrying the mother of the believers Hafsah and conquering Mecca during the [month of] Ramadan.