July 1, 2015, Washington D.C.– The Pentagon hosted its 17th Annual Ramadan Iftar with many honorable guests. Uniformed personnel, civilian Department of Defense employees and their families were among the nearly 150 people who broke their fast that night, along with the president of the Turkic American Alliance, Dr. Faruk Taban.
The theme of the 2015 Pentagon Iftar was “Serving Proudly – Diversity is our Strength.” The Iftar commenced with the recitation of the Holy Qur’an and the National Anthem, followed by Chaplain Colonel Kenneth William with the welcoming remarks. “It’s important for those of us in uniform to come together and show our belongingness to this institution called the military to show that we also exist here and we are serving the country loyally and faithfully,” quoted Lt. Col. Dawud Agbere, a Muslim chaplain at the Pentagon.
The Iftar progressed with the opening remarks by Mr. Gerald B. O’Keefe, the Administrative Assistant to the Army Secretary, and the recognition of honored guests such as Elshaba Khan, the mother of Chaplain Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan who was killed in an improvised explosive device attack in Iraq, Aug. 6, 2007. Mr. Gerald B. O’Keefe quoted, “the Pentagon is a building of importance and having the Iftar observance here is significant” and added that “diversity has made the Department of Defense stronger. There are many Muslims in uniform and in civilian jobs throughout the DOD,” O’Keefe said.
The celebration concluded with a speech by Dr. John L. Esposito, whom is a Professor of Religion and International Affairs and of Islamic Studies at Georgetown University. He is also the Founding Director of the Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding in the Walsh School of Foreign Service. He has served in positions including consultant to the U.S. Department of State, European and Asian government corporations, universities, and worldwide media. “This is a time to celebrate the fact that with a group that was unknown 40 or 50 years ago, whoever that group could be, whether it was Muslim or Buddhist, they are part of the mosaic of America,” he said.
The fast was finally broken after Salat-ul-Maghrib; the joy of fasting and self-reflection was shared with all the compassionate and understanding guests.
