Biden calls for Gaza ceasefire in Eidul Adha message

WASHINGTON: As Muslims across the United States celebrated Eid ul-Adha on Sunday, President Joe Biden acknowledged the grave situation of the Palestinians living under Israeli siege and unable to practice their religious obligations.

“This year, Eid al-Adha comes at a difficult time for many Muslims around the world. In Gaza, innocent civilians are suffering the horrors of the war between Hamas and Israel,” Biden said in a message released by the White House.

“Too many innocent people have been killed, including thousands of children. Families have fled their homes and seen their communities destroyed. Their pain is immense”, the US leader said.

Since Oct 7, Israeli bombardments and ground operations in Gaza have killed more than 36,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and many thousand wounded.

In his message, Biden said the US is doing “everything we can to bring an end to the war,” adding that this includes increasing humanitarian aid deliveries into the Gaza Strip, working toward an eventual two-state solution and freeing the Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

“I strongly believe that the three-phase ceasefire proposal Israel has made to Hamas and that the UN Security Council has endorsed is the best way to end the violence in Gaza and ultimately end the war,” he said.

According to political observers. President Biden’s statement is aimed at addressing the serious concerns the American Muslims have about US strong support to Israel in its aggression against Gaza and, worse, even allowing arms supplies o the Jewish state. Ahead of the November presidential elections, polls have suggested a sharp drop in American Muslims’ support to Biden, who is pitched against former President Donald Trump.

Biden, in his message, also addressed Muslim communities impacted by the conflict in Sudan, as well as the Rohingya in Myanmar, stressing that “they, like all people, deserve to live free from violence and fear.”

Not only that, Biden also pledged his administration’s commitment to “addressing the scourge of Islamophobia in the United States,” and said that “hate has no place in America, whether it is targeted at American Muslims, Arab Americans including Palestinians, or anyone else.”

“In the spirit of Eid al-Adha, let us all renew our commitment to values that unite us – compassion, empathy, and mutual respect – which are both American and Islamic,” he said.

“We look forward to welcoming home our American Muslim pilgrims who have earned the title ‘Al-Hajj.’ To them and all Muslims across the globe, we wish you a blessed and meaningful holiday. Eid Mubarak!”

On Sunday, even though overshadowed by the continuing tragedy in Gaza, big congregations were held in mosques, hotels and open spaces to mark the event.

According to reports, the prayer places were filled to the capacity, reflecting the growing Muslim population in the United States that has now started speaking up in an organized manner to assert their aspirations on issues that are close to their hearts.

In New York, the main congregation was held at the spacious Islamic Centre where diplomats accredited to the United Nations also participated.

In their sermons at mosques, Imams voiced their deep concerns over the grave humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and called for the international community to take urgent steps to alleviate their suffering.

Special prayers were offered for the liberation of Palestine and Kashmir as also for the urgent need for Muslim unity, especially amid growing Islamophobia, peace in the Islamic world as well as for inter-faith harmony.

In areas such as Brooklyn, a borough of New York City where Pakistanis are concentrated, prayers were also offered for the well-being and progress of Pakistan as their homeland confronts many challenges, while voicing their full support for the Palestinian and Kashmiri peoples.