[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 12902-12903]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  IN RECOGNITION OF THE COUNCIL ON AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS' EIGHTH 
             ANNUAL SHARING RAMADAN INTERFAITH IFTAR DINNER

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 5, 2011

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Eighth 
Annual Sharing Ramadan Interfaith Iftar Dinner hosted by the Council on 
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Ohio's Cleveland Chapter. This event 
creates good will and understanding among members of the Muslim and 
interfaith communities while providing a traditional Middle Eastern 
dinner.
  During Ramadan, Muslims fast each day from dawn to sunset. Iftar is 
the meal eaten after sunset to break the fast. This event allows 
members of the Muslim and interfaith communities of Cleveland to share 
in the Ramadan tradition of Iftar together.
  By sharing Ramadan with the community, the Cleveland Chapter of CAIR-
Ohio believes it can allay stereotypes about Islam, build friendships 
among members of the Muslim and interfaith communities, and prevent the 
spread of Islamophobia.
  The keynote speaker at this event will be Muneer O. Awad, who is 
Executive Director of

[[Page 12903]]

the Oklahoma Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. 
After just two short weeks on the job, Mr. Awad made great strides in 
the fight for civil rights for Muslims when he filed a federal lawsuit 
to stop Oklahoma from amending its Constitution to ban consideration of 
Islamic principles in court. He is also a recipient of the 2011 Tulsa 
Metropolitan Ministries Russell Bennett recognition, which is awarded 
to people who demonstrate courage in social justice leadership in 
Oklahoma.
  Mr. Speaker and colleagues, I invite you to join me in recognition of 
CAIR's eighth annual Sharing Ramadan Interfaith Iftar Dinner, which 
brings together people of diverse backgrounds for a night of 
celebration, friendship, and mutual understanding.

                          ____________________