From Right Wing News:
Remember that iftar dinner the president sponsored? The dinner that got him in trouble because he came out in strong support of the mega-mosque at Ground Zero, support from which he backed away the very next day? Well, it turns out he delivered another blatant lie at that dinner, one that slipped under the radar because his support of the Ground Zero Mosque was so controversial.
In his remarks at the iftar observance, Obama claimed that the "first" iftar dinner in the White House was hosted by Thomas Jefferson.
In this way, Obama tried to make it seem as if the United States has respected Islam since the early Republic and has observed its celebrations for two hundred years. But this is a major stretching of the truth. Thomas Jefferson did not hold an "iftar" dinner, unless you might call the dinner Obama references "iftar by default."
Tonight, we are reminded that Ramadan is a celebration of a faith known for great diversity. And Ramadan is a reminder that Islam has always been part of America. The first Muslim ambassador to the United States, from Tunisia, was hosted by President Jefferson, who arranged a sunset dinner for his guest because it was Ramadan—making it the first known iftar at the White House, more than 200 years ago.
So what of this claim of Jefferson's iftar dinner? As Jihad Watch informs us, there never really was one. The truth is that in 1805 Jefferson invited to a dinner at the White House one Sidi Soliman Melli Melli, the diplomatic envoy that the Bey of Tunis sent to Washington. The time set for this dinner was 3:30 PM, the normal time that everyone then ate dinner in those days. Since it was Ramadan, however, the envoy informed Jefferson that he could not attend until the sun went down because he was observing his fasting ritual.
Jefferson then offered to push his dinner hour until the sun went down as a courtesy to his invited guest. It was as simple as that. There was no mention of any iftar anything. President Jefferson simply moved the hour of dinner to suit the envoy. There was no change to what was served in order to suit Muslim needs, there was no acknowledgement of the Muslim faith, and no observance of any "iftar" dinner. Jefferson was just being a nice guy.
And of this historical incident, Obama and his cohorts in the left-wing, Old Media have created a mythical “sporadic tradition.” But for Obama and the New York Times to mislead the American people into imagining that the White House has celebrated iftar all the way back to 1805 is simply a straight out lie.
8 comments:
especially since jefforson was the first to wage war against islam and is on the record with his distrust of islam.
obumble forgot that huh.
He refuses to remember, just like Muslims refuse to remember that Cordoba couldn't have been great, because Spaniards kicked all Muslims the fuck out of Spain FOR GOOD REASON.
Pastorius,
I wonder where Obama is getting all his information on all these "facts," just about no one else knows about.
The history of this event is captured in Dealings with Mellimelli, Colorful Envoy from Tunis.
Surprisingly, a folk song didn't surface as the story is rich with enough detail to gayly (the old fashioned term) turn a tune.
Mellimelli could be remembered as “smelli-smelli” since
” guards had to be posted outside his lodgings to turn away the curious” due to his “generous use of scented rose oil “ . . .an overtly apparent olfactory masque easing fulfillment of his “. . .request for “concubines” as a part of his accommodations . . .”
As for the sunset dinner with Jefferson . . .
Jefferson’s invitation to the President’s House on December 9 changed the time of dinner from the usual “half after three” to “precisely at sunset.”
More specifically, Northeast ‘Dec. 7th Earliest Sunset Of The Year’ puts the time of sunset, on December 9th, 1805 at 4:46pm, a whopping total of one hour sixteen minutes later than usual. Hardly a remarkable alteration considering the lack of technology (no microwaves for reheating) or motorized transport not to mention the time necessary for preparation and presentation for a state sponsored dinner.
Regardless, Jefferson eventually came to his senses and took care of business with America’s First War on Terror @ The Shores of Tripoli - which has quite the catchy tune capturing the dawn of counter-jihad sanity. Perhaps, some talented lyricist will compose a new verse to mock such nonsensical revisionism and add it to the treasured Marines' Hymn . . .it wouldn't be the first time verses were added to this hymn. OOOORAH!
Anonymous,
Great information about Jefferson!
Jefferson having merely moved a dinner time back an hour out of courtesy to a guest is about as politically useful to leftist buzzards like Obama as is the younger Jefferson brother, Randolph, having been the actual father of Sally Hemming's children.
Liars about history count on ignorance and laziness in order to misinform the uninformed.
Jefferson did host an iftar dinner, but it was shabbat, so they started late, and they served brisket and kasha varnishkes after chicken soup and gefilte.
Obama is such an ass. It's totally pathetically BORING.
Where is "O" vacationing this weekend? Oh wait, I know, he's raising money in Wisconsin, and Russ Feingold who is tied statistically with some unknown repub, is somehow, TOO SCHEDULED UP TO MEET WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE USA.
PATHETIC ALL AROUND.
Feingold PS, blamed his predicament on BUSH !!!! on the Ed Schultz show yesterday
IF OBAMA DIDN'T LIE, THEN HE'D BE SILENT
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