WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is expected to highlight the contributions of Muslim Americans to U.S. society at the annual White House Iftar on Monday evening, a tradition dating back to 1996 in which Muslims break their fasts during the holy month of Ramadan in the company of administration officials.
But this year, growing frustration with the administration’s policies on surveillance, Guantanamo Bay and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has prompted a viral campaign to boycott the event. More than 200 people have also signed up for a protest on the South Lawn that will occur during the dinner.
The movement to boycott the White House Iftar isn’t new — last year, a similar effort was launched, and focused in particular on the administration’s failure to close Guantanamo Bay and the force-feeding of detainees on hunger strike there. While the concerns over the detention center remain part of this year’s campaign, at its forefront is the growing Palestinian death toll after nearly a week of Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza strip.
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