Several Indian Americans as well as India's ambassador to the United States, Meera Shankar, were guests at President Obama's Sept. 1 aftar dinner, where he praised Islam and the contributions of American Muslims.
Also present were several members of Congress from both parties, including Sen. Richard Lugar, ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee; Rep.
John Conyers, chairman of the Judiciary Committee; Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Attorney General Eric Holder; and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Pakistani Ambassador Husain Haqqani was also among the invitees, as were several ambassadors from Muslim countries.
Eboo Patel, founder of the Chicago based Interfaith Youth Corps and a member of the President's Council on Faithbased and Neighborhood Partnerships was there. So were old friends and roommates of the President from his school days, Hasan Chandoo of Oppenheimer and Wahid Hamid of PepsiCo, originally from Pakistan.
The president is reported to have stayed at Chandoo's home when he visited Pakistan in 1981.
Lutfi Hassan, founder of the Apex Group of Companies, from Texas, a longtime Democratic Party activist was also there.
Jameel Jaffer, staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, was also invited. Jaffer and colleague Amrit Singh, the daughter of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, brought out a scathing report this year about the alleged CIA torture of detainees.
Dr. Mansur Khan, director of the Los Angeles based UMMA Community Clinic that provides health care to those unable to afford it, was also a guest, as was Farhana Khera of Muslim Advocates, a nonprofit advocacy organization.
Obama's predecessor, President George W. Bush, hosted an iftar dinner annually during his eight years in the White House.
"Tonight's iftar is a ritual that is also being carried out this Ramadan at kitchen tables and mosques in all 50 states. Islam, as we know, is part of America,"
Obama said in his speech, noting Muslims in this country came for numerous races and ethnicities. Indeed, the contributions of Muslims to the United States are too long to catalog because Muslims are so interwoven into the fabric of our communities and our country,"
he said. "American Muslims are successful in business and entertainment; in the arts and athletics; in science and in medicine.
Above all, they are successful parents, good neighbors and active citizens."
Quoting from boxer Muhammad Ali that all religions contain truths, the president said., "And that is why I am so pleased that we are joined tonight not only by so many outstanding Muslim Americans and representatives of the diplomatic corps, but people of many faiths Christians, Jews and Hindus along with so many prominent Muslims. Together, we have a responsibility to foster engagement grounded in mutual interest and mutual respect."
Several Indian Americans as well as India's ambassador to the United States, Meera Shankar, were guests at President Obama's Sept. 1 aftar dinner, where he praised Islam and the contributions of American Muslims.
Also present were several members of Congress from both parties, including Sen. Richard Lugar, ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee; Rep.
John Conyers, chairman of the Judiciary Committee; Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Attorney General Eric Holder; and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Pakistani Ambassador Husain Haqqani was also among the invitees, as were several ambassadors from Muslim countries.
Eboo Patel, founder of the Chicago based Interfaith Youth Corps and a member of the President's Council on Faithbased and Neighborhood Partnerships was there. So were old friends and roommates of the President from his school days, Hasan Chandoo of Oppenheimer and Wahid Hamid of PepsiCo, originally from Pakistan.
The president is reported to have stayed at Chandoo's home when he visited Pakistan in 1981.
Lutfi Hassan, founder of the Apex Group of Companies, from Texas, a longtime Democratic Party activist was also there.
Jameel Jaffer, staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, was also invited. Jaffer and colleague Amrit Singh, the daughter of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, brought out a scathing report this year about the alleged CIA torture of detainees.
Dr. Mansur Khan, director of the Los Angeles based UMMA Community Clinic that provides health care to those unable to afford it, was also a guest, as was Farhana Khera of Muslim Advocates, a nonprofit advocacy organization.
Obama's predecessor, President George W. Bush, hosted an iftar dinner annually during his eight years in the White House.
"Tonight's iftar is a ritual that is also being carried out this Ramadan at kitchen tables and mosques in all 50 states. Islam, as we know, is part of America,"
Obama said in his speech, noting Muslims in this country came for numerous races and ethnicities. Indeed, the contributions of Muslims to the United States are too long to catalog because Muslims are so interwoven into the fabric of our communities and our country,"
he said. "American Muslims are successful in business and entertainment; in the arts and athletics; in science and in medicine.
Above all, they are successful parents, good neighbors and active citizens."
Quoting from boxer Muhammad Ali that all religions contain truths, the president said., "And that is why I am so pleased that we are joined tonight not only by so many outstanding Muslim Americans and representatives of the diplomatic corps, but people of many faiths Christians, Jews and Hindus along with so many prominent Muslims. Together, we have a responsibility to foster engagement grounded in mutual interest and mutual respect."