Iftar Celebration By The State Is A Betrayal Of American Values

Western sources, always careful not to offend, describe Ramadan as “a month of intense spiritual renewal, focused on devotion,” while Islamic clerics offer a completely opposite directive.

Janet Levy | March 13, 2026

Western sources, always careful not to offend, describe Ramadan as “a month of intense spiritual renewal, focused on devotion.” In contrast, Islamic sources and clerics instruct devout Muslims to view it as a time for jihad, conquest, and martyrdom. This message is spread by madrasas (religious schools), school systems in Muslim countries, and mosques worldwide.

In fact, the common belief is that the call to wage jihad intensifies during Ramadan and that the divine reward for martyrdom during the daylight fasting month is greater. The Taliban’s main spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, whose surname means martyr and is derived from the word jihad, once said: “Our fight is jihad and an obligatory worship. And every obligatory act of worship has 70 times more reward during Ramadan.”

Therefore, it is troubling that government offices, military bases, public schools, and many corporate-run businesses across America celebrate Ramadan, and have been doing so for decades. This persists even though the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment prohibits favoring one religion over others. No other religious holiday receives such special treatment.

The history of Islam demonstrates that war during Ramadan has been a long-standing aspect of the faith, dating back to the times of Prophet Muhammad. The Battle of Badr (624 AD), led by the prophet himself during the second Ramadan, the conquest of Mecca (630 AD), the war for Al-Andalus (711 AD), the Battle of Hattin (1187 AD) to seize Jerusalem, Ain Jalut (1260 AD) against the Mongols, the Yom Kippur War (1973), and many more — Islam has directed the fervor that builds up during a month of devotion into warfare.

It is dangerous to believe that the ideas of jihad and their escalation during Ramadan are outdated medieval anomalies. The Religion of Peace website, which seeks to explain how Islam’s........

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