RELIGION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump decided against celebrating Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan, at the White House this year, the first time in two decades that the White House did not commemorate the Islamic holy month of fasting with an iftar dinner.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also broke with tradition and declined a request from the State Department’s Office of Religion and Global Affairs to host a reception for the holiday.
So where does this leave the intersection of religion and politics under the Trump administration? Is it perhaps a new step in the direction of separation of church and state, or does it signify something more concerning: a departure in the White House tradition of accepting all faiths?
Deputy White House press secretary Lindsay Walters said neither is the case, pointing to actions that she said show equal respect for all faiths.
‘The White House hosted a Passover dinner and put out a Ramadan statement in support of it,’ Walters said. ‘The President has been a strong advocate and supporter of religious liberty for all religions and all Americans.’
But religious scholars question the precedent the decision could set and wonder how it will be received by the Muslim community.”
-Liz Stark, “What the White House’s decision to forgo Ramadan event means for religion and politics under Trump,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, June 27, 2017 09:59am