Monday, September 14, 2009

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to Host Iftar Dinner to celebrate Ramadan

Tomorrow Tuesday, September 15th at 7:15p.m., Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will host an Iftar dinner to celebrate the Holy Month of Ramadan in the Benjamin Franklin Room at the U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C.

The press briefing sent out by the State Department goes on to explain the Holy Month of Ramadan proclaiming its as "a time devoted to worship, contemplation, charity, and fellowship, observed with a daily fast from sun up to sun down. At the end of each day, Muslims traditionally break the fast with a meal known as “Iftar.” Ramadan is the month Muslims believe the Qu’ran was revealed to the Prophet Mohamed; it is a month of reflection, generosity, and compassion for more than a billion Muslims worldwide."

I thought it was an interesting fact(anyone out there let me know if I am wrong) but I believe the tradition of hosting of Muslims in the White House was started by Hillary Clinton when she was First Lady. She hosted a White House reception for Muslims on Id al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan in 1996. It wasn't until 2001, under George W. Bush, that Muslims were invited to an Iftar meal in the White House that the president organized.

I also believe that the Iftar invitations began in the State Department during the Clinton Administration with Madeline Albright in 1999 and they continued under Colin Powell and obviously, again with Hillary Clinton. Interesting how it all circles back around to Hillary!

Check back for photos and videos of the dinner tomorrow!

No comments:

Post Your Comment Below:

Grab this Widget ~ Blogger Accessories