WASHINGTON (Army News Service, July 2, 2015) -- At sundown July 1, Muslims at an Iftar observance at the Pentagon here broke their Ramadan fast.
The theme of the 2015 Ramadan Iftar was "Serving Proudly - Diversity is our Strength."
Iftar is a community event, where the faithful come together to celebrate an important event in the life of a Muslim, said Lt. Col. Dawud Agbere, a Muslim chaplain at the Pentagon.
Muslims serve the nation honorably, he said, including some who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
"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," Agbere said.
IFTAR CELEBRATION
Uniformed personnel, civilian Department of Defense employees and their Families were among the nearly 150 people, who attended the 17th annual Iftar celebration at the Pentagon.
The meaning of the word Ramadan is rooted in that which is intensely heated by the sun, Pentagon Chaplain Col. Kenneth Williams said.
"Just as heat purifies, so during the month of Ramadan, Muslims purify themselves by abstaining from that which is common, focusing attention on righteousness, engaging in deeds of goodness and kindness toward others," he said.
The Pentagon is a building of importance and having the Iftar observance here is significant, said Gerald B. O'Keefe, the administrative assistant to the Army secretary.
The location of the event speaks "volumes about our inclusiveness and the importance of the inclusiveness that we take as an institution," he said.
Diversity has made the Department of Defense stronger. There are many Muslims in uniform and in civilian jobs throughout the DOD, O'Keefe said.
"This celebration this evening acknowledges their service and their commitment and their sacrifice again to this great institution that is the Department of Defense," he said.
ULTIMATE SACRIFICE
Guests at the event included Elsheba Khan, whose son, Cpl. Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, was killed in an improvised explosive device attack in Iraq, Aug. 6, 2007.
Khan said she was happy to be at the Pentagon celebration. Talking about her son and having others remember him, she said, keeps his name going. "To me, it's keeping him alive."
He loved the United States and wanted to help others, she said.
"That's why he went into the Army, to show that he's a Muslim and he will fight for his country," Khan said.
Just as his name Kareem means, he was a kind, loving and generous person, she said.
"He would literally give you his shirt off his back if you need it," she said. "Everybody in the Army, his friends, everybody would always say 'Kareem would always put everybody first."
SERVING PROUDLY, DIVERSITY IS STRENGTH
Dr. John Esposito, professor of religion and international affairs and Islamic studies at Georgetown University, was the guest speaker at the event.
"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.
"They are placed in our society and this symbolizes the fact of where they are, but it also symbolizes that we have to be concerned about their tomorrow," Esposito said.
Other special guests included government officials, foreign dignitaries, and Korean War Air Force veteran Imam Ghayth Nur Kashif, who said he was happy to be at the event with his family.
"It's a great honor," Kashif said.
Wadi Adam Lahrim attended the event with his wife and three children.
"It's really very special to me because it really made me feel like I really am part of this new fabric of America, which includes us," he said.
"It makes me happy that I can be who I am and be a U.S. citizen at the same time," said Lahrim, an Army contractor, who immigrated from Morocco nearly three decades ago.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, one of four holy months of the year. Ramadan is marked by fasting from dawn to dusk, extra prayers, and self-reflection.
Social Sharing