On Thursday, July 25, 2013, President Barack Obama hosted his fifth annual Iftar at the White House. Turkish Ambassador Namik Tan was in attendance, in addition to Burak Yeneroğlu, President of Bayrock Natural Stone, LLC, based in New Jersey. Other invited guests included elected officials, religious officials, religious and grassroots leaders in the Muslim American community, and leaders of diverse faiths and members of the diplomatic corps.
Just before dinner was served, President Obama delivered a heartwarming speech that celebrated the countless achievements by Muslims Americans in their respective fields. The President also said, “Throughout our history, Islam has contributed to the character of our country, and Muslim Americans, and their good works, have helped to build our nation—and we’ve seen the results.”
President Obama even shared a verse from the Holy Qur’an—“whoever does an atom’s weight of good, will see its results” (99:7). Good deeds are especially easy to come by during this Blessed Month of Ramadan, which the President described as a “time of reflection, a change to demonstrate one’s devotion to God through prayer and fasting,” as well as “a time for family and friends to come together—as we do tonight—in spirit of love and respect, to renew our obligations to one another, as well as to renew our commitment to our neighbors and helping the most needy among us.”
Prior to the Iftar, Dr. Taban, Dr. Bilgin, and Mr. Akkus of TAA attended the White House briefing to Muslim community leaders organized by Office of Public Engagement Director Paul Monterio on International Relations, Science and Technology, and Entrepreneurship. The briefing was held in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
The Turkic American Alliance looks forward to the White House’s upcoming annual entrepreneurship summit that seeks to spur innovation and business growth in Muslim communities.
