Washington, August 22: Reaching out to Muslims across the globe, US President Barack Obama has pledged “concrete actions” to build a world that is more peaceful and secure, in his Ramadan message sent out in about a dozen languages including Hindi, Urdu, Bengali and Punjabi.
In a video address, Obama greeted 1.5 billion Muslims across the world getting ready for the holy month of Ramadan, a month-long period of prayer, reflection and sunrise-to-sunset fasts, which began today in Middle East and in most of the Islamic world.
Obama said the rituals of Ramadan are a reminder of the principles Muslims and Christians have in common. He said those principles include advancing justice, progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.
US embassies in the Muslim world had held consultations with governments and citizens and he was now “focused on pursuing concrete actions”, Obama said in the message which was translated in about a dozen languages, including Hindi, Urdu, Bengali and Punjabi.
“We have listened. We have heard you. And like you, we are focused on pursuing concrete actions that will make a difference over time?both in terms of the political and security issues that I have discussed, and in the areas that you have told us will make the most difference in peoples’ lives,” he said. .
—PTI