WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Oct. 22, 2014) -- Spirited music and high-energy dancing filled the Pentagon auditorium today as the Department of Defense celebrated Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.
Diwali reminds the world that good can triumph over evil, and knowledge can overcome ignorance, according to Jason Forrester, deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs (Manpower and Personnel).
"Diwali is a time filled with light and love, dancing and good food, and it's a time when people all over the world rejoice," he said. "It is the darkest night of the darkest period, yet it's the celebration of light."
Forrester recalled his time at home and abroad filled with many fond memories of Diwali celebrations. He underscored the importance of embracing all cultures, religions, and ethnicities.
Diversity and inclusion are "strategic imperatives that are critical to mission readiness," he said.
"Diverse backgrounds and experiences bring together different outlooks and ways of thinking, a key element of an innovative organization, a dramatic force multiplier," he said.
The event at the Pentagon shows the importance of freedom of religion and expression, which allows people of all faiths and backgrounds to come together and share and exchange ideas, said Lt. Col. Claude Brittian, the deputy Pentagon chaplain.
"We must continue to endeavor to challenge, to encourage each other, to disagree with each other, but to be able to come together," Brittian said.
The annual event has grown significantly since it was first held in the Pentagon, in 2012, he said. He complimented the organizer, Defense Information Systems Agency employee Hidul Thaker, who serves as a Pentagon chapel Hindu lay leader, and thanked him for sharing his culture and faith, and for the inclusion of dances and traditions from throughout India.
"It has truly been a privilege to be a part of this, and to know that you've allowed us to take a window inside of your community and be able to share it with the world," Brittian said.
The performers, dressed in bold colors with ornate decorations, executed precise movements as they moved to the beat. The Pentagon auditorium was filled with uniformed personnel and civilians.
The ancient tradition of Diwali includes the lighting of candles, setting off fireworks, and exchanging gifts and sweets. It celebrates the light of knowledge and truth overcoming the darkness of ignorance.
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