Al-Habibiyah Foundation Hosts U.S. Embassy Community at Ramadan Event

 

U.S. Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Douglas Climan serving dinner during Iftar at the Al-Habibyah Foundation feeding program in Abuja. Embassy photo by Idika Onyukwu  

On July 25, 2013, members of the U.S. Embassy community in Abuja joined Muslim observers to participate in this year's annual Ramadan Iftar, organized by the Al-Habibiyah Islamic Society of Nigeria.

Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Douglas Climan led Embassy community members to the event hosted by Imam Fuad Adeyemi, community leader and head of the Al-Habibiyah Foundation.  In 2005, Imam Adeyemi
participated in a U.S. government sponsored exchange program where he became interested in the U.S. food banks and feeding programs.  The Foundation offers food throughout the year to the needy, in addition to dinners during Ramadan, in replication of what Imam Adeyemi learned while participating in the International Visitor's Program in the United States.

Quoting from President Barack Obama's speech, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, Douglas Climan, said the dinner was an opportunity to come together as people from diverse faiths to celebrate the principles that bind people of different faiths together, a commitment to peace, justice, religious tolerance, equality and compassion towards fellow human beings. 'These are strong bonds indeed," Douglas said.

 

Participants at the Al-Habibiyah Feeding program pose in a group photo. Embassy photo by Idika Onyukwu

More than 600 less privileged Muslims and the needy were feed during the Iftar, with volunteers from the U.S. Mission participating in serving the food at the breaking of the Fast.