The AFL-CIO, which represents 12.5 million working people in 60 affiliated national and international unions, sends greetings to our Muslim union members, their families and the Muslim community as Muslims begin their holy month of Ramadan.
Ramadan Mubarak…Blessed Ramadan
Muslims will observe Ramadan beginning Sunday, March 10, at sunset and ending Tuesday, April 9, at sunset. During this time, Muslims all over the world who are able to fast will abstain from eating and drinking…not even a sip of water…from sunset to sunup. This month of fasting ends with the joyous celebration of Eid.
Muslims believe that through fasting during Ramadan they can gain insights and strength by separating themselves from the material in order to focus on the spiritual in their lives. We recognize that the fast can be especially challenging for our members at work, and we honor their devotion to practicing the teachings of their faith. It is our hope that Ramadan will be a time of spiritual blessing for them, their family and their community.
During Ramadan, Muslims pray and offer support for the most vulnerable members of our society, the unemployed and those facing job loss, and those suffering the impacts of income inequality, wage theft and discrimination in their workplaces.
The AFL-CIO stands in strong support of our Muslim union members, their families and the Muslim community in the practice of their faith, free from prejudice or discrimination, and reaffirms our unwavering commitment as a labor movement to freedom of religion as a basic human right to be strengthened and preserved.