Stamping Grounds

Claim:   A U.S. postage stamp commemorates the Islamic holidays of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

Status:   True.     Example:   [Collected via e-mail, 2002]

How ironic is this??!! They don't even believe in Christ and they're getting their own Christmas stamp, but don't dream of posting the ten commandments on federal property? USPS New Stamp This one is impossible to believe. Scroll down for the text. If there is only one thing you forward today.....let it be this! Dear Fellow Patriotic Americans, REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of PanAm Flight 103, REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993, REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the Marine Barracks in Lebanon, REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the military Barracks in Saudi Arabia, REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the American Embassies in Africa, REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the USS COLE. REMEMBER the MUSLIM attack on the World Trade Center on 9/11/01. REMEMBER all the AMERICAN lives that were lost in those vicious MUSLIM attacks. Now the United States Postal Service REMEMBERS and HONORS the EID MUSLIM holiday season with a commemorative first class holiday postage stamp. I strongly urge you to REMEMBER to adamantly and vocally BOYCOTT this stamp when purchasing your holiday stamps at the post office. To use this stamp would be a slap in the face to all those AMERICANS who died at the hands of those whom this stamp honors. I also strongly urge you to pass this along to every Patriotic AMERICAN you know, whether by email or otherwise.

Origins:   The EID postage stamp described above was introduced by the United States Postal Service (at the then-current 34-cent rate) as part of their Holiday Celebrations Series on 1 September 2001, just ten days beforethe September 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. The EID stamp was reissued by the USPS in October 2002 at the new 37-cent rate. The EID stamp is often mischaracterized as a "Christmas stamp" even though it has nothing to do with Christmas other than that it is part of a series of U.S. postage stamps commemorating several diverse celebrations (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Thanksgiving) which sometimes occur at roughly the same time of year. (The Holiday Celebrations Series of stamps also commemorates celebrations occurring at distinctly different times of the year, such as Cinco de Mayo.) The statement "[Muslims] don't even believe in Christ and they're getting their own Christmas stamp!" is nonsensical, akin to protesting Hanukkah stamps because "Jews don't even believe in Christ but they have their own Christmas stamp." As the USPS describes the EID stamp: The Eid stamp commemorates the two most important festivals — or eids — in the Islamic calendar: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. On these days, Muslims wish each other "Eid mubarak," the phrase featured in Islamic calligraphy on the stamp. "Eid mubarak" translates literally as "blessed festival," and can be paraphrased as "May your religious holiday be blessed." This phrase can be applied to both Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. The word "eid" is roughly equivalent to the English word "celebration" or "festival." The three-day Eid al-Fitr celebrates the end of the month-long fasting of Ramadan; the three-day Eid al-Adha commemorates the willingness of the Prophet Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael in response to God's command*, and it marks the end of Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca. Should Americans boycott a stamp commemorating Islamic holidays? That's a personal decision, but the following facts may prove informative: The EID stamp is an ordinary first-class postage stamp; all proceeds from its sale go to the USPS, not to any Muslim-related groups or organizations. Boycotting the EID stamp is a purely symbolic act with no financial impact on anyone. The United States is home to an estimated 6 million Muslims, and according to the U.S. State Department, by the year 2010 the Muslim population of the United States is expected to surpass the Jewish population, making Islam the country's second-largest faith. The USPS already issues stamps commemorating the Christian holiday of Christmas (with both religious and festive themes) and the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah as well as Kwanzaa. The American greeting card manufacturer Hallmark produces cards celebrating Eid al-Fitr. The President of the United States, George W. Bush, has extended official greetings, issued messages, and participated in commemorations of both Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha (even after the September 11 attacks), and the White House web site promotes the EID stamp as well. (*This is the reverse of Judeo-Christian tradition, which holds that Abraham was commanded by God to sacrifice not Ishmael but his other son, Isaac.) Last updated: 20 September 2005 The URL for this page is: http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/eidstamp.asp