Atlanta’s leaders came together over prayers and food Tuesday night when Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms hosted an iftar for the Muslim community.
About 250 people attended the dinner, which Muslims use to break their fast during the holy month of Ramadan.
The dinner, held at City Hall, was done in collaboration with the Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta. Speakers for the event included Rabbi Lydia Medwin of The Temple and Dr. Gerald Durley, pastor emeritus of Providence Missionary Baptist Church.
Atlanta City Councilmen Michael Julian Bond and Matt Westmoreland were in attendance, alongside representatives from Atlanta’s diplomatic community including Consul General of Japan, Takashi Shinozuka, and Consul General of France, Louis De Corail.
“More than 100,000 American Muslims live and work in metro Atlanta. There are more than 80 mosques in the state of Georgia,” Bottoms told the crowd. “Numbers like that speak to the fact that Muslims make an important contribution everyday in all walks of American life, especially in our city.”
She called on Atlantans of all religious backgrounds to get to know one another. The divisiveness that currently permeates the country requires people to understand each other’s faiths, Bottoms said.
Following her speech, Bottoms was recognized by the ISB for her work with the Muslim community in Atlanta.
Credit: ALAA ELASSAR / alaa.elassar@ajc.com
Credit: ALAA ELASSAR / alaa.elassar@ajc.com
“The diversity of Muslims in this evening is not just about ethnicity, age or gender, but it’s also the different school of thoughts that are here tonight all under one roof,” said Soumaya Khalifa, the executive director of the Islamic Speakers Bureau.
The night began with a recitation of a chapter from the Quran in Arabic, followed by an English translation. The dinner was introduced with the call to Maghrib, the Muslim prayer which is prayed at sunset.
Credit: ALAA ELASSAR / alaa.elassar@ajc.com
Credit: ALAA ELASSAR / alaa.elassar@ajc.com
The sunset and the prayer marked the end of the thirteenth day of Ramadan, as the month nears its halfway mark. Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset for 30 days during the holy month, practicing self restraint by abstaining from eating and drinking, along with cursing, fighting and other behavior.
“Today, a Muslim, a Jew and a Christian all broke bread together at my table and no [one] acted as if their faith was more superior,” said Shannaan Dawda, a Muslim author and speaker. “From this experience, I learned what religious maturity is: to be confident in your faith but be willing to appreciate the difference and learn about others.”
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