Why Biden’s Ramadan Dinner Failed to Win Over Arab and Muslim Voters

As a decades-long tradition, the White House hosts an annual Ramadan celebration to honor the Muslim holy month and reach out to the Arab and Muslim American communities. However, President Joe Biden’s Ramadan dinner this year fell somewhat flat, failing to win over many Arab and Muslim voters disenchanted with his policies.

Biden’s Ramadan soirée last week aimed to bring together prominent Muslim American officials, activists, and clergy for an evening of spiritual fellowship. In his remarks, the President affirmed, “Muslim Americans breathe new life into our most cherished ideas and uphold the nation’s sacred founding promise.”

Yet for many attendees and community members, Biden’s Ramadan dinner rang somewhat hollow in light of his administration’s actions (or lack thereof) on issues deeply concerning Arab and Muslim voters.

Biden’s Ramadan Dinner Impact

Broken Promises on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

One major sticking point overshadowing Biden’s Ramadan dinner was his campaign promise to take a more balanced approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict compared to predecessors viewed as heavily favoring Israel.

On the campaign trail, Biden vowed to re-open the Palestinian diplomatic mission in Washington D.C. and restore U.S. aid to Palestinians, both of which were eliminated under Trump. He also criticized Israeli settlement expansion and advocated for a “two-state solution.”

However, over three years into Biden’s term, those pledges remain unfulfilled. He’s kept the Palestinian diplomatic office closed, avoided directly criticizing Israel’s settlement policies, and largely maintained Trump’s pro-Israel status quo.

For many Muslim and Arab Americans longing for a more even-handed approach to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, Biden’s Ramadan dinner appeared to be an empty gesture masking his administration’s lack of substantive action.

Failure to Reverse Trump’s Muslim Ban

Another issue compounding frustration was Biden’s Ramadan dinner occurring while his administration left key parts of the previous “Muslim ban” policies intact. As a candidate, Biden vehemently condemned Trump’s travel restrictions on several Muslim-majority nations as discriminatory and unconstitutional.

Yet while fulfilling a campaign promise to rescind the Muslim ban on his first day in office, Biden simultaneously issued his own limits on immigrant visas for citizens of those same countries. Critics argue the new rules amounted to a “Muslim ban 2.0” under a different name.

For Arab and Muslim voters who expected Biden to fully dismantle the ban and reset America’s posture toward Muslim nations, extending parts of the policy—even if rebranded—left a sour taste.

Growing Anti-Muslim Rhetoric and Violence

A third issue hanging over Biden’s Ramadan dinner was the disturbing rise of anti-Muslim hate crimes, discrimination, and divisive right-wing rhetoric toward Muslim communities in recent years.

Critics argue the Biden administration hasn’t done nearly enough to rein in Islamophobic extremism and make Muslim Americans feel safer. Affluent attendees at the White House’s high-profile Ramadan dinner are far removed from the often marginalized Muslim communities facing hostility on a daily basis.

Some were quick to call out what they perceived as hypocrisy in Biden hosting a symbolic dinner while taking limited concrete actions to protect and empower Muslim Americans battling pervasive bigotry.

Simmering Tensions Over U.S. Foreign Policy Moves

Tensions also remain over the Biden administration’s foreign policy positions impacting Muslim-majority nations, further fueling skepticism about the motives behind the Ramadan dinner.

This includes the U.S.’s continued military support for Saudi Arabia’s intervention in Yemen’s brutal civil war. It also involves America’s growing military alliance with India’s Hindu nationalist Modi government, which human rights groups accuse of persecuting Muslims and eroding India’s secularism.

Muslim American leaders contend that, despite its conciliatory Ramadan messaging, the Biden administration’s actions too often betray an unsavory willingness to cozy up to Muslim-minority governments or factions implicated in human rights abuses.

For these constituents, Biden’s Ramadan dinner felt like hollow pageantry that failed to confront more urgent, substantive issues plaguing Muslim communities globally.

The Disconnect Between Symbolism and Substance

Ultimately, the lukewarm reception to Biden’s Ramadan dinner highlights the growing disconnect between symbolic political gestures toward Muslim Americans, and an appetite for real, substantive policy changes addressing community concerns.

Hosting an iftar dinner at the White House pays lip service to Muslims’ inclusion in America’s pluralistic fabric. But it risks ringing hollow if not coupled with tangible actions dismantling discriminatory policies, securing civil rights, advancing social equity, and resetting America’s global engagement in Muslim lands.

While the Biden administration was undoubtedly well-intentioned in organizing its Ramadan celebration, it underscored how symbolic traditions can fall flat without enough corresponding follow-through.

Many Muslim and Arab American attendees did appreciate Biden’s Ramadan overture as better than nothing. Rep. Ilhan Omar saw it as a welcome return to traditions upended under Trump’s overtly anti-Muslim presidency.

However, a growing contingent also believes the White House Ramadan dinner amounts to little more than virtue signaling if it isn’t backed by concrete policy shifts heeding Muslim communities’ substantive calls for progressive domestic change and a long-overdue reset of America’s approach to Muslim-majority nations.

Looking Ahead to Repair the Disconnect

For many skeptical Muslim and Arab American voters, Biden’s Ramadan dinner represented a missed opportunity to match optics with action by unveiling key policy initiatives aligning with community interests.

Failing that, the event may have inadvertently highlighted the yawning gap between lofty White House rhetoric embracing pluralism and diversity versus the lack of tangible measures making Muslim Americans feel truly heard, protected and prioritized.

As Biden’s re-election campaign kicks into higher gear, his team faces an uphill battle convincing disenchanted Muslim and Arab voters that his commitment extends beyond empty symbolic gestures and photo opportunities like the Ramadan dinner.

Restoring trust and enthusiasm will require finally making good on stalled pledges like a balanced Israeli-Palestinian policy and unwinding the previous Muslim ban—not to mention aggressively combating anti-Muslim hatred and elevating Muslim American voices in key policy decisions.