March 24, 2026
Topic Usa Topic Ramadan Topic Cspii-monitor
“The First Lady and I send our best wishes to every American celebrating Eid al-Fitr. Eid al-Fitr, also known as the Festival of Breaking the Fast, unites Muslim families, friends, and communities in honor of their spiritual devotion at the conclusion of Ramadan. It also serves as a reminder of the foundational American principle of religious liberty, which my Administration is fighting for every day. We offer our warmest greetings for a blessed Eid al-Fitr to all who celebrate.”
The President’s message can be understood as part of a wider communication strategy aimed at the Islamic society within the USA. It subtly connects Ramadan with religious liberty, while it is a known fact that Islamic doctrine does not endorse religious liberty or coexistence at all. It goes even further, Islamic doctrine prescribes the capital punishment for leaving Islam. (Hadith Bukhari 6922, Mohammed: “Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him.”). The President’s message serves as a skillful and gentle reminder to Islamic organizations as well as communities in the USA of what is expected from them—respecting the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution regarding religious freedom, which is in complete contradiction to the Islamic scriptures they adhere to. This seems like a very likely explanation, especially in the context of other actions conducted by the current US President and Government to strengthen national security and protect sovereignty.
In this article we would like to add an additional context in regard to Ramadan for non-Islamic audience which was probably not the target group of the above-mentioned message. Also, most similar messages from many other non-Islamic officials are presented as uninformed inclusive gestures aimed at the whole of society. They exemplify a broader pattern in which non-Islamic governments publicly and non-critically celebrate Islamic events without acknowledging the political, legal, military, and civilizational doctrines embedded in the Islamic doctrine and tradition. Therefore, this article focuses on all messaging of public officials in regard to Islamic celebrations with special focus on the end of Ramadan.
Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, a month whose significance in the Islamic primary doctrine extends beyond personal spirituality. Ramadan commemorates the revelations of the Koran to Mohammed. 6.7% of the Koran’s content is anti-Jewish (in comparison to Mein Kampf with its 7%) and 8.7% is dedicated to jihad. Mohammed himself led multiple military expeditions during the month of Ramadan which marked his success, like the famous Battle of Badr. Therefore, Ramadan is also a celebration and glorification of jihad. Not only violent jihad, but also non-violent jihad. Muslims are strongly encouraged, by the Islamic doctrine as well as by the whole Islamic community, to pay their obligatory Islamic tax, so called “zakat” (sometimes incorrectly translated as “charity”), during the month of Ramadan. One of the eight categories zakat can be used for is jihad (Koran 9:60). This is an indisputable fact.
Former US President Obama stated the following on the topic of zakat:
“... in the United States, rules on charitable giving have made it harder for Muslims to fulfill their religious obligation. That's why I'm committed to working with American Muslims to ensure that they can fulfill zakat ...”
Based on the factual evidence, everyone who supports zakat collections, directly or indirectly, knowingly or not, creates the space for the financing of jihad. The goal of jihad is creation of the global Islamic dominion by using violent as well as non-violent means.
Official messaging from many non-Islamic leaders consistently frames Islamic celebrations solely in terms of private spirituality, family unity, and pluralism, without mentioning the doctrine-centered context that shapes Islamic practice worldwide.
The topic of “religious liberty” is particularly important in this context. In many Islamic countries governed in whole or in part by Sharia-based legal systems, religious freedom for non-Muslims and for Muslims who do not adhere strictly to the doctrine is sharply limited or nonexistent. Public apostasy, blasphemy, or proselytization by non-Muslims can carry severe legal or social penalties. By celebrating Islamic holidays without acknowledging these realities, non-Islamic leaders often reinforce an asymmetrical model of tolerance: full accommodation of Islam in non-Islamic countries alongside systemic restrictions on (not only) religious minorities across much of the Islamic world.
What must be always stressed is that Islam is a comprehensive civilizational system with a political system—Political Islam. Islamic doctrine and law (fiqh) regulate not only worship but governance, criminal justice, warfare, and relations with non-Muslims. Contemporary Islamic movements and imams explicitly draw on these same sources. Yet official statements typically treat Islam as a private religion, without mentioning the ideological foundations that are the bedrock of groups seeking political power in the name of Islam.
Such omissions matter because government messaging shapes public understanding. When leaders present Islamic celebrations exclusively as benign expressions of diversity, they foreclose informed discussion about the doctrine, legal traditions, and political movements that operate under the same ideological framework.
Expressions of goodwill toward citizens are a normal function of non-Islamic leadership. However, a balanced approach would also acknowledge the full spectrum of realities associated with the tradition being celebrated—especially when those realities bear directly on human rights, governance, and global security. Without that context, official statements risk functioning less as neutral greetings and more as narrative reinforcement that discourages critical examination of Political Islam and its doctrinal roots.