President Donald Trump will be hosting his first iftar dinner Wednesday in observance of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the White House announced.

Trump did not host an iftar dinner last year, breaking a tradition started by the Clinton administration and maintained through the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations. During the 2016 campaign, Trump called for a complete ban on all Muslims entering the United States and has signed multiple executive orders restricting immigration from Muslim-majority countries. 

During Ramadan, observers abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset. The iftar dinner is traditionally held at sundown, breaking the fast.

The event will be held in the White House State Dining Room, where 30 to 40 guests are expected. The White House has not released a list of the attendees.

The event is typically attended by diplomats and leaders of the American Muslim community. Several American Muslim groups have announced they will boycott the event, with a protest of the dinner scheduled Wednesday night at Lafayette Square.

“I wouldn’t anticipate that any credible mainstream American Muslim organizations or leaders would be invited or agree to attend, given the administration’s Islamophobic and white supremacist positions and policies,” Ibrahim Hooper, Council on American Islamic Relations spokesman, told The Guardian.
…