WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden used his Eid message on Monday to renew the commitment to respecting all faiths and beliefs.

The US leader also underlined the need to help those “millions of displaced persons and refugees around the globe who are spending this sacred holiday separated from their families and unsure of their future”.

Mr Biden pledged to resume the tradition of celebrating Eid at the White House this year to “honor the inspiring Muslim Americans who are leading efforts to build greater understanding and unity across our nation”.

The tradition was discontinued by the Trump administration, apparently because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Pakistan’s US Ambassador Masood Khan also noted in his Eid message that President Biden would hold a special Eid event at the White House during the Eid holidays.

Mr Biden’s first two points — respecting all faiths and helping refugees and displaced persons — are also key points of his administration’s foreign policy. In March, the United States endorsed a UN resolution that declared March 15 as the anti-Islamophobia Day. It was on this day in 2019 that a right-wing extremist murdered over 50 Muslims in a terror attack on two mosques in New Zealand.

Pakistan had moved the resolution which was cosponsored by 55 — mainly Muslim — countries.

Mr Biden noted in his message that Eid marks the completion of a holy month dedicated to devotion and reflection, when families and communities come together to celebrate their blessings.

“And Eid is also an occasion for Muslims to remember all those who are struggling or impacted by poverty, hunger, conflict, and disease, and to recommit to building a better future for all,” he said

As Muslims across the United States celebrate Eid, “let us renew our dedication to our foundational commitment to respecting all faiths and beliefs”.

President Biden noted that the Holy Quran urges people to stand firmly for justice and “reminds us that we were created as nations and tribes so that we may get to know one another”.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2022