President Barack Obama delivered the annual American Ramadan message this past week.

Ramadan is the month in which Muslims believe the Koran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, beginning with a simple word – iqra. It is therefore a time when Muslims reflect upon the wisdom and guidance that comes with faith, and the responsibility that human beings have to one another, and to God.

In a message that sometimes seemed to lean a bit more on the political than the faithful, President Barack Obama lauded Islam’s

role in advancing justice, progress, tolerance, and the dignity of all human beings.

He mentioned the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Israel/Palestinian conflict, his Cairo speech, and reiterated his desire for a “new beginning” between America and Muslims before closing with the traditional Islamic “May God’s peace be upon you.”

Also noted at the Religion Clause.