WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Wednesday hosted his first White House iftar dinner, an overture that has surprised many people in the Muslim community after he skipped hosting such a meal last year.

The dinner comes as the Supreme Court considers legal challenges to Trump’s travel ban, which critics say unfairly targets some Muslim-majority countries. A ruling is expected as early as this month.

Several Muslim civil rights groups pushed back, organising a “NOT Trump’s Iftar” protest on Wednesday evening at a park across from the White House. The groups say Trump’s heated rhetoric has contributed to an increase in bullying and discrimination against Muslim Americans.

Iftar dinners have been held regularly at the White House since the Clinton administration as a form of outreach to the Muslim world.

Last year, Trump broke tradition. Instead of hosting a dinner, the White House issued a statement on Ramazan that focused heavily on the threat of terrorism, noting that recent attacks “steel our resolve to defeat the terrorists and their perverted ideology”.

The White House struck a considerably warmer tone last month, when it released a statement from the president declaring “Ramadan Mubarak” . The statement praised the Constitution for ensuring Muslims can observe the holiday “unimpeded by government” and did not mention terrorism.

“Ramadan reminds us of the richness Muslims add to the religious tapestry of American life,” the statement said.

Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2018