Bloomberg Hosts a Ramadan Iftar at Gracie Mansion
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As the sun went down last night and the frigid air moved in, about 30 Muslim leaders from various corners of the city filled the parlor at Gracie Mansion for a Ramadan Iftar, or dinner to break the daily fast, for which Mayor Bloomberg was host.
The crowd, which included a mix of Muslims of primarily Asian and Middle Eastern descent, was served dinner prepared by a Muslim Turkish restaurant, Sahara. With only four days of the Islamic holy month Ramadan remaining, many of the guests seemed pleased with the mayor’s reaching out to their community, something he vowed to do last month.
At the beginning of the holiday, Mr. Bloomberg, who is Jewish, said the Police Department would beef up security around city mosques and increase communication with the Muslim community. Both the mayor and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said that while they had not received any specific threats, some in the Muslim community feared they would be targeted with violence and harassment, partly because of the American-led invasion in Iraq.
“With the holy month of Ramadan upon us, we are committed that you can observe it peacefully,” Mr. Bloomberg said. “As long as I am mayor, we will have absolutely no tolerance for intolerance.”
At the time, Mr. Kelly said the department would increase foot patrols outside mosques, deploy plainclothes officers, and increase outreach. There were no major incidents reported. Indeed, most recent bias crimes have been against Jews or gays.
As last night’s guests left the dinner, they said the mayor did not address fears of Islamic fundamentalism or global relations between Arab Muslims and Americans. They characterized the evening more as a chance to socialize, and they commended Mr. Bloomberg, who stayed only to deliver his remarks shortly after 5 p.m., for reaching across religious divides and assuring them the city respected their beliefs and culture.
“He talked about Ramadan and fasting and some of his experiences as a young man,” the city’s Police Department chaplain and the leader of a mosque in Manhattan, Imam Pasha, said. “His comments were basically reassuring us, as he has done for all people of this city, that religious life is respected by him and by his administration.”
The principal of the Al-Iman School in Jamaica, Queens, Reza Naqzi, said he thought the event was the first Ramadan gathering Mr. Bloomberg had held. “I hope it will become tradition,” he said. “And we hope that we will reciprocate in our community.”
“We have a very good impression, you know, that the mayor is making friends within our community.”
Most of those in attendance were from mosques in the city, and from various cultural and civil Muslim groups. The mayor’s office refused to provide a full guest list.