Another notable Ramadan dinner this year hosted by Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday evening. It was held at the Afghan Restaurant called Bamian and welcomed around 80 guests. Secretary Janet Napolitano attended the event and personally greeted everybody.
Among the participants there were Deputy Assistant Director of the Homeland Security at the White House Heidi Avery, State Depatment’s Muslim Representative Farah Pandith, ISNA President Imam Mohamed Magid, Ambassador of Qatar Muhammed Abdulla Al-Rumaihi, TAA President Faruk Taban, members of the FBI, the Department of Justice, State Department, US Senate, diplomats from various embassies, religious leaders and scholars; and other notable individuals.
After call to prayer performed by one of DHS employees, guests started the dinner with soup. Then, there was a break for magrib prayer.
The first speaker after the break was Imam Majid. He said that ‘It is quite often that we see Muslim women who wear the headscarf working for TSA at the security checkpoints’. He was followed by Heidi E. Avery. Finally, Janet Napolitano, who is the third and current United States Secretary of Homeland Security Department, gave the last speech and pointed out that there are many Muslim employees in the Homeland Security right now, and it is a great fact for us, because discrimination against the Muslim employees in high public offices has no place in our society. This is true face of America that we want to see, where everyone is welcome and accepted for who they are, and that makes our country great!
Finally, guests enjoyed the full course of Afghani Cuisine at the dinner.
