by Mark Silva and updated at 9:40 pm EDT
President Barack Obama's White House seder was a small affair for family and friends. Tonight's Ramadan dinner was a big one:
Cabinet members -- Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Attorney General Eric Holder and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius -- attended the dinner celebrating the month-long Muslim period of daytime fasting in the State Dining Room.
Several members of Congress, including the Muslim Reps. Keith Ellison from Minnesota and Andre Carson of Indiana, were there, along with Reps. John Conyers of Michigan and Rush Holt of New Jersey and Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana.
"Tonight's iftar is a ritual that is also being carried out this Ramadan at kitchen tables and mosques in all 50 states,'' the president told his guests. "Islam, as we know, is part of America. And like the broader American citizenry, the American Muslim community is one of extraordinary dynamism and diversity -- with families that stretch back generations and more recent immigrants; with Muslims of countless races and ethnicities, and with roots in every corner of the world.
"Indeed, the contribution 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,'' Obama told the dinner audience. "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.''
The White House, which filled a long table for the private Passover dinner that the president held in April, eleased a guest list showing that it took more than a few tables to accommodate an event starting after sundown, at 8 pm EDT that included, in addition to the Cabinet members and congressmen (see the list below the fold):
(President Barack Obama hosting a dinner recognizing the religious observance of Ramadan in the State Dining Room of the White House tonight, photo by Gary Fabiano / pool /Getty Images)
FROM THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS:
Ambassador Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al Hussein, Jordan
Ambassador Adel A.M. Al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabia
Ambassador Husain Haqqani, Pakistan
Ambassador Erlan A. Idrissov, Kazakhstan
Ambassador His Excellency Said Tayeb Jawad, Afghanistan
Ambassador Aziz Mekouar, Morocco
Ambassador Peter N.R.O. Ogego, Kenya
Ambassador Roble Olhaye, D'jibouti
Ambassador Michael Oren, Israel
Ambassador Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat, Indonesia
Ambassador Klaus Scharioth, Germany
Ambassador Meera Shankar, India
Ambassador Nabi Sensoy, Turkey
Ambassador Sir Nigel Elton Sheinwald, United Kingdom
Ambassador Sameh Hassan Shoukry, Egypt
Ambassador Samir Shakir Mahmood Sumaida'ie, Iraq
Ambassador Pierre Nicolas Vimont, France
Chargé d'Affaires Sheikh Mohammed Belal, Bangladesh
Chargé d'Affaires Ilango Karuppanan, Malaysia
Chargé d'Affaires Mohamed O Maiga,
Chargé d'Affaires Angela Oi Foong Shim, Brunei
Chargé d'Affaires Baba Gana Wakil, Nigeria
Mr. Maen Areikat, Chief of Mission, PLO
COMMUNITY MEMBERS:
Ms. Bilquis Abdul-Qaadir, University of Memphis
Professor Azizah Al-Hibri, University of Richmond School of Law
Ms. Reema Ali, Karamah: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights
Mr. Hasan Chandoo, Oppenheimer & Co.
Rabbi Nathan Diament, Director, Institute for Public Affairs, Orthodox Union*
Imam Plemon El-Amin, Atlanta Masjid al-Islam
Mr. Wahid Hamid, PepsiCo
Ms. Dina Hammad
Mr. Lutfi Hassan
Ms. Nashala Hearn
Ms. Rosalind Hearn
Imam Yahya Hendi, Chaplain, Georgetown University
Pastor Joel Hunter, Northland Church*
Mr. Nooman Husain
Mr. Imad Hussain
Mr. Sanford Ibrahim, CEO, Radian Group
Mr. Jameel Jaffer, Staff Attorney, ACLU
Mrs. Elsheba Khan
Dr. Mansur Khan, UMMA Community Clinic
Ms. Farhana Khera, Muslim Advocates
Lt. Commander Abuhena Saifulislam, U.S. Marine Corps
Mr. Kareem Salama
Imam Yusuf Saleem, Masjid Muhammad
Dr. Ingrid Mattson, President, Islamic Society of North America
Mr. Farooq Mitha
Ms. Dalia Mogahed, Director, Gallup Center for Muslim Studies*
Ms. Hutham Olayan, Olayan America Corp.
Mr. Eboo Patel, Interfaith Youth Corps*
Imam Yusuf Saleem, Masjid Muhammad
Rabbi David Saperstein, Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism*
Ms. Mina Trudeau, Executive Director, El Fatiha Foundation
Mr. J. Saleh Williams, Congressional Muslim Staffers Association
Mr. Mohamed Zakariya, Zakariya Calligraphy
*Members of the President's Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships
Comments
Oh boy I cant wait to see the bigot wingnut baggers replies to this one. Cant wait!
Posted by: Scot S. Blakeley | September 1, 2009 8:01 PM
Twelve guests at Obama's seder dinner for Jews; 57 for his Muslim dinner. Draw your own conclusions. It's pretty obvious to me.
Posted by: Goldman | September 1, 2009 8:45 PM
yes Goldman
We are at war in the Muslim world
Are you aware the Israeli ambassador and a few rabbis are on the guest list?
It's pretty obvious to this Jew that Obama is doing the right thing
Posted by: alison | September 1, 2009 10:18 PM
Obama says "the contribution of Muslims to the United States are too long to catalog... "
I remember one "contribution" in particular, made on Sept. 11, 2001.
The question is, does Obama remember--or want to remember--or dare mention--that "contribution"?
Posted by: Rushdie | September 1, 2009 10:28 PM
Gibson,
Did they cancel your GOPer KKK meeting today or something?
Posted by: not bruce | September 1, 2009 10:35 PM
this is not a blow to zionist. relax guys.
be proud, you've been killing women and children for 60 years, and stealing their land.
informed canadian.
Posted by: joe blow | September 2, 2009 3:19 AM
Twelve guests at Obama's seder dinner for Jews; 57 for his Muslim dinner. Draw your own conclusions. It's pretty obvious to me.
Posted by: Goldman | September 1, 2009 8:45 PM
Makes you wonder who Obam's favorites are?
Posted by: Inky | September 2, 2009 6:55 AM
I'm waiting for the Quaker dinner, where everyone keeps their mouths shut unless they have something really, really important they want to say.
Posted by: ornery | September 2, 2009 7:38 AM
Ambassadorship starts at home, so yes, this sort of thing is always a good decision.
I wonder if the chicken on the menu was halal though...
Posted by: Joe | September 2, 2009 7:40 AM
Also, Goldman, ole girl, there are 1.5 Billion with a B moslems in this World.
How many Jews?
Posted by: ornery | September 2, 2009 7:47 AM
For "Not Bruce," the Ku Klux Klan was an organization exclusively of Democrats. Its chief hatred targets were Republicans, Blacks, Jews and Catholics. (Source: "The Fiery Cross.")
Posted by: Diamond | September 2, 2009 7:56 AM
OMG, not enough Shintos on the list. What message is he sending?!!!!
Calm down and get a life, posters.....
Posted by: Kenny Bunkport | September 2, 2009 8:53 AM
Scot S. Blakeley:
Here is a "wingnut" comment for you. This is interesting considering he has gone out of the way to trot around the world to assert that "the United States is not a Christian country". He could have easily said, "it is country with a diversity of religions and beliefs". In doing so, he would have made the same point. Why the stress on NOT a Christian country? Why all the sucking up to Muslims? My guess is that we have an ass in the White House. Was that wing nutty enough for you?
Posted by: scola91660 | September 2, 2009 10:09 AM
Why all the sucking up to Muslims? My guess is that we have an ass in the White House. Was that wing nutty enough for you?
Posted by: scola91660 | September 2, 2009 10:09 AM
Yep...pretty darn wingnutty!
Posted by: bill r. | September 2, 2009 10:44 AM
Did I miss the Easter dinner with the Obama's?
Rick
Posted by: Rick Caird | September 2, 2009 11:11 AM
Rushdie -- so we should never reach out the the Japanese either, in your view? Yes, let's condemn the entire lot for the actions of a few. Perfect.
Posted by: SouthSideD | September 2, 2009 2:50 PM
It is not so much that he had a Ramadan dinner, but that he has distanced himself specifically from Christian activities. No National Day of Prayer recognition, no Easter celebration.
Many of us felt that he may have just used the "I am a Christian" declaration to get ahead politically, because he didn't seem to have a special feeling for the faith or Christians. Being in Reverend Wright's church was obviously political, because the sermons were, at least some of the time, political. To him, it was just one of many faiths, and he just happened to choose it. He could have proven us wrong, but he hasn't. Every action has served to distance himself from Christianity.
Being a Christian is more than just declaring it. Christians don't celebrate Ramadan. For Christians, Easter is THE major holiday. There is no way I could go light on Easter and then celebrate Ramadan as a big deal. Not even for political purposes.
The man cannot be trusted. He says one thing and does another.
Posted by: Debra | September 3, 2009 11:09 AM
Not to worry, Deb.
When Christmas rolls around, I bet Michelle will have that White House looking like a Currier & Ives print.
But that wouldn't satisfy the haters, I'm sure.
Posted by: ornery | September 3, 2009 4:37 PM
There are those who will not see, and those who will not hear. Why did our President ignore National Prayer Day and Easter?
Posted by: sharon | September 23, 2009 9:25 AM
Don't dispair fellow Christians. Their turn is coming. Our celebration trumps thiers every time.
Posted by: metsnoopy | October 5, 2009 11:52 PM
Listen ornery ! the only haters i see
are the are worthless, un-godly muslims that blew up the world trade center & killed 3000
beautiful souls
Posted by: pinkpearl@mail2world.com | August 16, 2010 6:30 PM
Listen ornery ! the only haters i see
are the are worthless, un-godly muslims that blew up the world trade center & killed 3000
beautiful souls
Posted by: pinkpearl@mail2world.com | August 16, 2010 6:33 PM