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- Credit:
Prime Minister Mark Rutte / Wikipedia
Thursday, 18 June 2015 - 11:46
Prime Minister slammed for positive Ramadan message
Prime Minister Mark Rutte's good intentions backfired on him when hundreds of Dutch tweeters reacted negatively to his well wishes for Ramadan.
"I wish the million Muslims in the Netherlands a fine Ramadan. Ramadan kareem." Rutte tweeted on Thursday, the start of the 30 day Muslim fasting month. The reactions to this tweet were not exactly positive.
https://twitter.com/MinPres/status/611429151753523200
Negative replies included "Would you leave faith out of it? Separate church and state!", "What do you wish the about as many Dutch who would like to use cannabis?", "Will you do this for all other religious communities too?", "Dear Prime Minister Rutte, you never wish me as a Christian a good fasting time or a nice Easter. Why not?", "I hope they starve", "Slime ball" and "How do you spell traitor?????"
https://twitter.com/vocnederland/status/611429485389434881
https://twitter.com/DeAnalecto/status/611431099319853056
https://twitter.com/alexegberink/status/611461950673973248
https://twitter.com/janmaurik68/status/611458178367270913
The replies were not all negative at least. Many a tweeter thanked the Prime Minister for a beautiful gesture. "Beautiful gesture. This is how it should be."
https://twitter.com/LamyaeA/status/611455967125995520
https://twitter.com/ouafa070/status/611445517785112576
https://twitter.com/KhalilAitblal/status/611441643703652352
https://twitter.com/BurhaniShabir/status/611462128709595137
During Ramadan many Muslims fast for thirty days, they do not eat, drink or smoke between dawn and sunset, Z24 reports. For them Ramadan is a time for sacrifice, reflection and solidarity with the poor. Only pregnant women, the chronically ill and small children do not participate in the fast.