Muslims gather to pray on the West Front of the Capitol in Washington Sept./2009.
WASHINGTON – American Muslims have enjoyed the direct support of President Obama. In April, Obama traveled to Egypt where he told the Muslim world that the United States no longer considers itself a Christian nation. Obama later traveled to Turkey and announced that America was one of the largest Muslim nations in the world (despite the fact that 78% of Americans claim to be Christians but only 1% claim to be Muslims).
Later in May, President Obama refused to invite Christian and Jewish leaders to the White House to participate in the National Day of Prayer (as former presidents have done), but in September, he did invite Muslim leaders to the White House for a special Muslim Ramadan celebration to commemorate Allah delivering the Koran to his prophet Mohammad.
Heartened by this new encouragement, Muslim leaders have called 50,000 observant Muslims to come to the Capitol that Friday, September 25, for a day of Jummah (Friday congregational prayer).
The Whitehouse promised that from 4AM to 7PM, “the Athan [the call given five times each day for Muslims to participate in mandatory prayer] will be chanted on Capitol Hill, echoing off of the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and other great edifices that surround Capitol Hill.” The goal of this event is that “the peace, beauty and solidarity of Islam will shine through America’s capitol.”
–In 1952 President Truman established one day a year as a National Day of Prayer.
-In 1988, President Reagan designated the first Thursday in May of each year as the National Day of Prayer.
-This year, 2009, President Obama, decided to cancel the ceremony for the National Day of Prayer at the White House. The reason… not wanting to offend anyone.
-On September 25, 2009 from 4am until 7pm, a National Day of Prayer for only the Muslim religion will be held on Capitol Hill, beside the White House.
