DOVER, Del. – Governor John Carney hosted 30 guests on Wednesday night at a Ramadan Iftar dinner at Woodburn, including members of Delaware’s Muslim community and statewide elected officials.
The Iftar is the evening meal after sunset that concludes the daily fasting during the month of Ramadan, which ends the evening of June 14 this year. For observers, the Iftar dinner and Ramadan are a time to reflect on humanity and to reaffirm commitments to helping the less fortunate.
“Ramadan heightens our compassion and commitment to care for the most vulnerable among us, in addition to the spiritual practice of fasting that underlies the holy month,” said Governor Carney. “I will always stand as a friend of Delaware’s strong and vibrant Muslim community, which has given so much to our state and strengthened it in many ways.”
Wednesday’s event was the second Iftar dinner hosted by Governor Carney, and the fourth Iftar dinner hosted by a governor of Delaware. In attendance were representatives from six Delaware mosques, as well as First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney, Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall Long, and Dover Mayor Robin Christiansen.
“We welcome Governor Carney’s celebration of friendship by hosting his second Iftar dinner and welcoming us to Woodburn,” said Muhammed A. Niaz, chairman of the Islamic Academy of Delaware. “This historic home to Delaware’s governors is a fitting setting for reflection, conversation, and recommitting ourselves to helping others.”
“The Governor’s support for Delaware’s Muslim community during Ramadan is greatly appreciated,” said Usman Sandhu, president of the Islamic Society of Central Delaware. “We are pleased by our elected officials’ devotion to equality and diversity in our great state.”
Click here for photos from the dinner.
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