Tillerson Declines to Host Ramadan Event at State Department, Sources Say
Reuters’ Yeganeh Torbati reports, “U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has declined a request to host an event to mark Islam’s holy month of Ramadan, two U.S. officials said, apparently breaking with a bipartisan tradition in place with few exceptions for nearly 20 years.” A spokesperson for the State Department said, “We are still exploring possible options for observance of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the month of Ramadan.” Farah Pandith, a former U.S diplomat, said that if Tillerson refuses to host an event it could signal “that it is not as important to this administration to engage with Muslims.”