L'ASSOCIATION DES MUSULMANS PROGRESSITES DU CANADA
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EIGHT OTTAWA CITY HALL IFTAR DINNER - MAY 16, 2019 The 8th Iftar dinner was held on May 16, 2019 H.E. Fahad Saeed Al Raqabani, Ambassador for the United Arab Emirates, was the Keynote Speaker. Several elected representatives from all levels of government and from the Diplomatic Corps attended. The event was supported by His Worship Mayor Jim Watson, Mrs. Marjolaine Hudon, Regional President, Ontario North and East Region, RBC Royal Bank and TD Bank. Mayor Jim Watson was represented by Deputy Mayor Laura Dudas. Mrs. Marjolaine Hudon brought greetings from the Royal Bank of Canada and Ms. Fadia Mankal from the TD Bank Group. Hon. John McKay, PC, MP., host of AMPC's Eid dinners at Parliament Hill. Everyone spoke about the values of charity, sharing, tolerance, inclusion and diversity that are shared by all religions and are practiced in the month of Ramadan. Retired Chief Armand La Barge was the emcee for the evening. Mr. Craig Kennedy sang the National Anthem, H.E. Luigi Bonazzi said the Opening Prayers and Mr. Hamid Akbar recited the prayer for breaking the fast.
H.E. Fahad Saeed Al
Raqabani spoke about the spirit of Ramadan and iftars. He
said: " As
you may know, Ramadan is the Holy Month ~ the most sacred month during
the Islamic calendar, when Muslims fast during the daylight hours, which
includes not only fasting from food, but also abstaining from drinking
any liquids, praying to become closer to God, staying away from
pleasures, and giving to the poor or disadvantaged. However,
I would also like to emphasize that Ramadan is not only about
self-sacrifice and discipline, but it is also a joyous time for
families and friends to gather and celebrate each evening [when the sun
has gone down] – and also a time for us to bring joy to others around
us. It
could also be said that there is not only a joyous feeling associated
with Ramadan and iftars ~ but I could even go as far to say that there
is a special bond created between those who share in an
iftar – in breaking the fast together. For those of you who have so
graciously joined us here tonight, your attendance creates a special
connection between us all in sharing in this iftar together. During
this special month, it is also a time of personal reflection when
we are reminded of what is most important to us in life ~
to be mindful of our priorities ~ contemplate what
we could be doing differently - or perhaps better said,
what we could be doing better in our own lives, and for
those around us. This
same spirit resonates for me through the concept of tolerance. This
year, the UAE Government has designated 2019 as Year of Tolerance, where
we proudly renew and celebrate our country’s commitment to diversity. Our
UAE Minister of Tolerance, His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al
Nahayan has said that diversity is a key driver of prosperity and
comprehensive development across various social, economic, educational,
cultural and other fields. Said
in a slightly different way, but with the same sentiments, the UAE is
committed to the principal that diversity is a strength ~ through
tolerance and diversity we become a stronger nation ~ we
build a stronger society. We seek to build our success through
embracing different abilities, genders, cultures, ethnic backgrounds,
and faiths. During this Year of Tolerance, we were extremely privileged
to have the historic visit of His Holiness Pope Francis in February,
which marked the first time an esteemed Pope visited the Arabian
Peninsula. During
his visit, Pope Francis held a meeting with Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the
Grand Imam of the Al-Azhar Mosque, regarded as one of the foremost
institutes in the Muslim World for the studies of Islamic religion and
law, and His Holiness also held an open air mass, with more than 135,000
people attending. The
Pope graciously remarked that the UAE is “a land that seeks to be a
model of coexistence, human brotherhood, and an encounter between
different civilizations and cultures”. Sandulak's polar bear sculpture of a mother with cubs was presented to His Excellency Al Raqbani. Diplomatts who attended were: H. E. Kamal Bashah Ahmad, High Commissioner, Brunei Darussalam, H. E. Fahad Saeed Al Raqbani, Ambassador, United Arab Emirates, H. E. Luigi Bonazzi, Ambassador of Vatican, H. E. Kimihiro Ishikane, Ambassador of Japan and Mrs. Kaoru Ishikane, H. E. Raza Bashir Tarar, High Commissioner Pakistan and Mrs. Siddiqa Tarar, Mr. Richard Mills, Jr., Deputy Chief of Mission, US Embassy and his wife Mrs. Leigh Carter, Mr. Muhammad Saleem, Deputy High Commissioner Pakistan and his wife Mrs. Rehana Saleem, Mr. Mohamed Al Fandi Al Shamsi, Second Secretary, Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, Mrs. Chen Mingjian, Deputy Chief of Mission and Minister Counsellor -Chinese Embassy, Mr. Wan Peng, Chinese Embassy, Mr. Nadeem Kiani, Minister Press, Pakistan High Commission, Mr. Ali Setiawan, Minister Consul -Minister Embassy of Thailand, Mr. Veli Topcu, Senior Cultural Attache - Turkey. Some photos from the event.
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