'No Thanks': President Trump's Iftar Dinner Draws Criticism from Muslims

Jennifer Wishon
06-06-2018

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WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump is hosting 30 to 40 Muslims for an Iftar dinner at the White House Wednesday.

Iftar is the evening meal Muslims eat at sunset to break their daily Ramadan fast.

The president declined to host the event last year, along with other traditions kept by previous administrations, such as the Christian Easter prayer breakfast and Hindu Diwali celebration.

Some of Trump's critics say he decided to host a dinner this year to attempt to mend fences with the Muslim community after his travel ban targeted a number of Muslim majority countries.

Some groups, like the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), planned to boycott the event.

"Trump hosting a Ramadan Iftar? No thanks, I've seen the Red Wedding episode of Game of Thrones," tweeted Salim Hamideh.

Ramadan is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. Muslims are required to fast during daylight during the time of prayer and reflection.

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About The Author

Jennifer
Wishon

As Senior Washington Correspondent for CBN News, Jennifer covers the intersection of faith and politics - often producing longer format stories that dive deep into the most pressing issues facing Americans today. A 20-year veteran journalist, Jennifer has spent most of her career covering politics, most recently at the White House as CBN's chief White House Correspondent covering the Obama and Trump administrations. She's also covered Capitol Hill along with a slew of major national stories from the 2008 financial crisis to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic and every election in between. Jennifer
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