30 November 2001

Defense Department Hosts Iftar Dinner for Muslims in U.S. Forces

Washington -- Muslims serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces joined with others of various faiths November 30 for a ceremonial Iftar dinner hosted by the Defense Department. The event follows other Iftar dinners at the White House and State Department as the Bush administration reaches out to the nation's Muslim community.

The Iftar ceremony, a traditional breaking of the fast after sundown during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, was held at the Pentagon in Washington. About 100 guests, including service men and women as well as civilians, Muslims as well as non-Muslims, gathered to partake in the evening of interfaith prayer, food and discussion.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz delivered welcoming remarks, saying he was gratified to share the evening with Muslim Americans in the U.S. military who contributed, "not just to the military might of this country but also to its meaning its conscience and its soul."

"The terrorists who hijacked airplanes on September 11 hijacked a country that is now being liberated and attempted to hijack a great religion. Each time faithful Muslims gather in prayer and peace, you reclaim your faith and reaffirm the great gifts that Islam has been to humanity through the centuries," said Wolfowitz.

More than 4,000 Muslims serve in the U.S. Armed Forces, according to Defense Department estimates. While this year's event marked the fifth annual Iftar observed at the Defense Department, the organizers considered canceling it after a hijacked plane hit the building on September 11. Qaseem Uqdah, Executive Director of American Muslim Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Council, explained that popular sentiment overruled that option.

"Initially we weren't going to have it because of September 11, but our Christian and Muslim brothers and sisters said, no, if there is anytime we're going to have this event, we will have it this time. It's just indicative of the unity of the members of the armed forces and how we come together as a family," said Uqdah.

Among the participants was Yusuf Abdullah, on active duty with the U.S. Navy, who remarked that many of his fellow servicemen were now asking him questions about Islam. He felt that the interfaith service at the Pentagon helped to bring American Muslims and non-Muslims together. "It shows pride in their religion and their country," he said.

The Bush administration has made a vigorous effort to reach out to the U.S. Muslim community in the months following the September 11 terrorist attacks in order to reassure them that U.S. military and law enforcement activities aimed at terrorists are not directed against Islam or its adherents.

On November 19, President Bush hosted an Iftar dinner in the White House State Dining Room for diplomats from Muslim nations and senior U.S. officials. In the president's welcoming remarks, he said the United States is "made better by millions of Muslim citizens."

"Ramadan and the upcoming holiday season are a good time for people of different faiths to learn more about each other. And the more we learn, the more we find that many commitments are broadly shared," said Bush on that occasion.

Secretary of State Colin Powell echoed those sentiments at a State Department Iftar dinner November 29 honoring prominent American Muslim leaders.

"America is a nation of nations, made up of people from every land, of every race and practicing every faith. Our diversity is not a source of weakness; it is a source of strength, it is a source of our success," said Powell.