Ambassador Lenhardt's Eid el- Fitr Message

U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania , Alfonso E. Lenhardt

By Alfonso E. Lenhardt

The Holy Month of Ramadan is a time when Muslims around the world fast, pray, and do good deeds.  It is also a time for personal reflection and introspection, for charity, and for compassion. On behalf of the American People, I would like to wish all Muslims in Tanzania a happy Eid el-Fitr.  This celebration ends a month-long time of self-reflection and reminds us that the values of Islam – charity, community, cooperation, compassion – are values which we also hold dear as Americans and which have contributed so much to cultures around the world.

As President Barack Obama said during the White House Iftar dinner on August 11 of this year,  Islam has always been part of our American family, and millions of Muslim Americans have long contributed to the strength and character of our country, in all walks of life.  The first Muslim ambassador to the United States, from Tunisia, was hosted by President Thomas 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.  The Thomas Jefferson building at the U.S. Capitol has a mural titled "Human Understanding," where Islam is honored as one of the twelve greatest influences on American civilization, especially in the area of physics.

The United States and Tanzania share a rich religious and ethnic diversity.  I have been honored during my travels throughout this great nation of Tanzania to visit mosques, Muslim religious leaders, and communities to expand our friendship and cooperation.  As Ramadan draws to a close, let us hold on to that spirit of community, so that all our children, regardless of where they were born or how they worship, can have that opportunity to become all that they are meant to be in the name of the Almighty, and in the furtherance of our common humanity.

Eid Mubarak. 


    Ujumbe wa Eid el-Fitr kutoka kwa Balozi Lenhardt

Na Balozi Alfonso E. Lenhardt

Mwezi Mtukufu wa Ramadhani ni muda ambao Waislamu duniani kote wanafunga, wanaswali na kufanya matendo mema. Aidha, ni wakati wa kutafakari na kuimarisha imani zao, kutenda mema, kuwasaidia wenye shida na kuwa na huruma. 

Kwa niaba ya Watu wa Marekani, ninapenda kuwatakia Waislamu wote wa Tanzania Eid el-Fitr njema. Sherehe hizi zinahitimisha kipindi cha mwezi mzima wa kujitafakari na kutukumbusha kuwa maadili ya Uislamu - wema, kujali wengine, kuhudumia jamii, ushirikiano na huruma ni amali ambazo sisi kama Wamarekani tunazithamini sana na ambazo kwa hakika zimechangia sana katika tamaduni nyingi duniani kote.

Kama alivyosema Rais Barack Obama hapo tarehe 11 Agosti mwaka huu katika hafla ya Iftar iliyofanyika katika Ikulu ya Marekani, wakati wote Uislamu umekuwa sehemu ya familia ya Marekani na kwa muda mrefu mamilioni ya Wamarekani Waislamu wamekuwa wakichangia katika kuimarisha nchi yetu katika nyanja zote za maisha.  

Balozi wa kwanza Muislamu nchini Marekani ambaye alikuwa akitoka Tunisia alialikwa na Rais Thomas Jefferson, ambaye aliandaa chakula cha jioni kwa wageni wake wakati wa magharibi kwa sababu kipindi hicho kilikuwa ni cha Ramadhani - na kufanya tukio hilo kuwa Iftar ya kwanza kuandaliwa na Ikulu ya Marekani - hiyo ilikuwa zaidi ya miaka 200 iliyopita. Jengo la kumbukubu ya Rais Thomas Jefferson katika jengo la Bunge la Marekani kuna bango liitwalo “Maelewano ya Binadamu” ambalo linauenzi Uislamu kama mambo makuu yaliyowezesha ustaarabu wa Marekani, hususan katika nyanja ya fizikia.

Marekani na Tanzania zinachangia utajiri mkubwa wa kuwa na watu wa dini na makabila mbalimbali. Katika ziara zangu kutembelea maeneo mbalimbali ya nchi hii nzuri ya Tanzania nimepata heshima kubwa ya kutembelea Misikiti, kukutana na viongozi wa kidini na waumini wa Kiislamu ili kukuza urafiki na ushirikiano wetu. 

Wakati Ramadhani ikielekea ukingoni, tudumishe moyo huo wa kushirikiana na kusaidiana kama jamii moja ili watoto wetu, bila kujali wamezaliwa wapi na wanaabudu vipi waweze kupata fursa ya kuwa vile walivyopangiwa kuwa kwa jina la Mwenyezi Mungu, na katika kuimarisha utu wetu.

Eid Mubarak.