For the second year in a row, ambassadors from across the world and members of Congress took part in Wednesday's National Interfaith Iftar event, the breaking of the daily Ramadan fast, calling for communities to build bridges of friendship, join together and defeat antisemitism, Islamophobia, other forms of hatred and intolerance.
The event was organized by the Combat Anti-Semitism Movement (CAM) and American Muslim & Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council (AMWEC), also featured many religious leaders such as imams, rabbis, priests and other religious leaders from the Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Zoroastrian and Christian communities.
Together, they celebrated their diverse faith traditions, pledge to improve interfaith cooperation and work together in the struggle against antisemitism, islamophobia, and other forms of intolerance.
“This event brings together people of all faiths and nationalities. Such events bring us closer to God and to one another,” former-Albanian government minister and CAM Advisory Board member, Valentina Leskaj said.
“Unfortunately, today we see more hate around the world. We must look at the roots of the problem - Ignorance and a lack of education," she said, adding that "We need to invest more in education, towards tolerance and respect. This is for the future of our children and for everybody, whether they are Muslim, Jewish or Christian.”
“Last year a dark cloud hovered above us. We were cut off from our communities," added Anila Ali, co-Founder and President of AMWEC. "From this adversity came an opportunity for all of us… the pandemic compelled us to reflect on our lives, to be a lot more compassionate. Coming together as one is necessary.”
She continued, saying that Ramadan is a reminder that the differences between [us] are actually quite small and that "the things that we can accomplish together are great.”
Emphasizing the importance of gender equality, Stavros Lambrianidis, Ambassador of the European Union to the United States, said that “Empowered women build empowered societies, closing up the black holes where extremists spread fear, hatred and division.”
United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Ahmed Shaheed noted that “The Holocaust did not begin with the gas chambers, it began with hate speech and prejudice” adding that “Interfaith engagement helps to learn about each other and build friendship. Such activities are so important in a world of rising intolerance”
US Congressman Ted Deutch also emphasized the importance for everyone “to fight back against all forms of bigotry and to create awareness and acceptance that provides Americans of all faiths the freedom and safety to celebrate their heritage and culture openly.”
“This iftar serves as a fantastic reminder of the similarities we hold dear. This iftar comes at an important time – As we recover from this past year and look forward to life returning to normal," US Congressman Lee Zeldin said. "But there is a lot more work to do. Ethnic hatred and xenophobia are on the rise."
“We must show how hatred can be defeated through interfaith cooperation and bridging cultural divides,” he said, adding that the recent Abraham Accords between Israel and a number of Muslim countries is “an inspiring example of this.”