Diwali is a significant holiday in religious traditions of Hinduism,Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, and U.S. President Obama used theoccasion to continue his personal engagement in U.S. public diplomacy, which hasbeen marked by a number of foreign speeches, as well as several similarvideo messages.
Diwali is "a time when members of some of the world's great faithscelebrate the triumph of good over evil," Obama said. He also said itis a time "when we remember those who are less fortunate. Those who maynot be eating as heartily or celebrating as festively; those who don'tenjoy the same rights to speak and worship freely, or make of theirlives what they wish."