AS PREPARED
Remarks by Ambassador Candace Bond
Iftar, Masjid Al Tawbah, Tobago
Friday, April 7, 2023
6:00 p.m.
Assalamu alaikum.
It is my pleasure to be here in Tobago for this Iftar. This is my second Iftar for Ramadan this year.
I would like to wish all the Muslims of Trinidad and Tobago and the more than two billion Muslims around the world Ramadan Kareem.
During this month of Ramadan, I join President Biden, Vice President Harris, U.S. Secretary of State Blinken, and ambassadors around the world in breaking bread together and celebrating Ramadan.
President Biden reminded us in his Ramadan greetings this year that Ramadan is a time of fasting, renewal, charity, worship, and growth.
During this sacred time of reflection, the United States also reaffirms our support to Muslim communities suffering hardships and devastation.
We will continue to stand with the people of Türkiye and Syria—who have lost many loved ones during the recent devastating earthquakes—and with the people of Pakistan, who are rebuilding their lives following last summer’s floods.
Today, we remember the universal human right to practice, pray, and preach our faiths peacefully and openly. And together with our partners, the United States stands in solidarity with Muslims who continue to face oppression—including the Uyghurs in the People’s Republic of China, the Rohingya in Burma, and other Muslim communities facing persecution around the world.
We applaud Trinidad and Tobago for its religious freedom as one of the most religiously diverse and tolerant countries in the world. This is a place where religious organizations work and collaborate in harmony to resolve many of the most pressing problems in society.
With our other embassies and consulates around the world, the United States is committed to strong relationships and partnerships with Muslim leaders and communities. That is why we are so grateful to be here tonight.
I look forward to another year of warm relations dedicated to peace and mutual understanding.
May God bless you all. Have a wonderful Ramadan.
Eid Mubarak!