During the holy month of Ramadan, countless member organizations of the the Turkic American Alliance hosted Ramadan dinners across the United States, from Queens, NYC to Buffalo, New York; Houston, Texas to Fairfax, Virginia; and Chicago, Illinois to Huntington Beach, California. We thank all those who attended these events during this special time of Ramadan, and we sincerely hope we were all able to grow together in dialogue, friendship and understanding. We treasure these opportunities to come together in faith, brotherhood and commonality during a time that needs them more than ever.
Queens, NYC
During the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, the Turkish Cultural Center in Queens, NY (TCCQ) held its 10th Annual Ramadan Tent gathering on Queens Boulevard in New York City. This year, TCCQ partnered with the North East Islamic Community Center to bring together the community and representatives from different faiths to mark the beginning of Ramadan. Religious leaders included Imam Orhan Cetin, Fr. Brian Dowd, and Rabbi Irvin Goldenberg. The leaders discussed the meaning and importance of fasting in their respective faiths, and also called for peace, tolerance and acceptance within society. A total of 1,700 free meals were served to guests and members of the public throughout the city of New york. TCCQ also hosted NYPD officers later in the month for a Ramadan dinner, including the assistant police chief of Queens, captains, sergeants and other officers.
[jwplayer mediaid=”8835″]Buffalo, New York
On July 9th, 2014, The Turkish Cultural Center in Buffalo, in collaboration with Peace Islands Institute, held its 4th Annual Ramadan Dinner at City Hall in Buffalo, New York. The dinner brought together leading political leaders, administrative and elected officials, including law enforcement officers and religious leaders of different faiths. Among the distinguished guests were Mayor Byron Brown, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, NY Senator Timothy Kennedy, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York William Hochul, Erie County Legislator Barbara Miller Williams, City of Buffalo Common Council Member Joseph Golombek, Niagara University Provost Timothy Downs, Confucius Institute Director Prof. Jiyuan Yu, and Chairman of the Western New York Imams Council Imam Yahye Omar.
Houston, Texas
The Raindrop Turkish House hosted a Ramadan dinner at their headquarters in Houston, Texas, which was attended by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and over 350 individuals, families and community members from diverse cultures, backgrounds and ethnicities. During the program, guests were entertained with an ebru (water marbling) art presentation and a traditional Turkish music performance.
Chicago, Illinois
On July 19th, the Niagara Foundation partnered with the Fourth Presbyterian Church to host a Ramadan experience with the aim of bringing together individuals from different religious and cultural backgrounds to learn and share in the significance of the Holy Month of Ramadan. The purpose of the event was to engage people from all faiths. In the same month, Niagara Foundation also collaborated with the Center for Jewish, Christian and Islamic Studies at the Chicago Theological Seminary to provide community members with an evening filled with learning and conversation.
Fairfax, Virginia
During July 17th-19th, the American Turkish Friendship Association (ATFA) held its annual Ramadan Tent across the Unity of Fairfax Church. This year the tent attracted 750 people during each of the three nights and brought together various community and religious leaders, families and community members from diverse backgrounds, including John Cook, Supervisor for the Braddock District and John Foust, Member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and currently running for U.S. Congress.
ATFA also collaborated with the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors by hosting its first public Ramadan dinner at the Fairfax County Government Center. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman, Sharon Bulova, was as the guest of honor. The dinner brought together over 100 individuals, including County Supervisors, Chiefs, Agencies as well as the Turkish-American and American community.
Huntington Beach, California
On July 25th, the West American Turkic Council (WATC) hosted a Ramadan Friendship Dinner at the Old World Village in California. Community members from the countries of Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Macedonia, Albania, Croatia, Uzbekistan and Turkey were all in attendance. A representative from each country gave brief remarks on the significance of the dinner as being a sign of growing friendship between their respective nations and the community at large.
