SILVER SPRING – U.S. Rep.-elect Chris Van Hollen, born in Karachi, Pakistan, was welcomed as a “hometown boy” at the Muslim Community Center here Thursday evening.
“Those of us who are from Karachi are very, very proud of our hometown boy,” said center president Sabir Rahman, congratulating Van Hollen, a Kensington Democrat, on his Nov. 5 victory in Maryland’s 8th Congressional District.
Van Hollen was one of a number of local officeholders invited to the center’s annual Ramadan dinner for public officials, a tradition begun six years ago in order to raise local awareness of the Muslim community and its beliefs.
One of the holiest months in the Islamic calendar, Ramadan, the month of fasting, brings community members together to break their daylong fasts at sunset. Ramadan began with the new moon Nov. 6 and is expected to end with the next new moon around Dec. 5.
The breaking of the fast provides an ideal opportunity for guests to learn a little about the faith, whose members are making more of an effort since Sept. 11, 2001, to reach out to their community, said Akhtar Khan, the center’s religious affairs director.
“We used to be very aloof, and that was bad,” Khan said. “It is a start – at least the officials are aware that the Muslims are there also.”
The evening’s chief guest speaker, Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose, echoed this sentiment during what was his third visit to the center.
“I hope that (this event) shows that officials in the county are aware that you’re here, respect your holiday, take your interactions and invitations very seriously,” he said. “I consider invitations here to be very special.”
Moose was honored by the Muslim community not only for his leadership during the recent sniper attacks, but also for his involvement after last year’s terrorist attacks in protecting them from a violent backlash against Muslims.
While in other parts of the Washington, D.C., metro area, some mosques and community centers were vandalized and many Muslims were personally harassed or attacked, “due to (Moose’s) proactive and progressive efforts . . . the same is not true of our community,” said member Farook Sait, a lawyer with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “For that leadership we commend you.”
On behalf of the community, Sait presented the chief with a gift – an inlaid rosewood woodcut of Jesus’ Last Supper from Pakistan. Community members and their children stood in line to shake hands with the chief after dinner.
Speaker Eric Vickers, executive director of the District-based American Muslim Council, said he was impressed by how comfortable the chief seemed to be with the Muslim community.
“I think (his presence) is a powerful antidote to one of the alleged snipers being named Muhammad,” Vickers said, addressing a concern many Muslims feel about their religion being perceived as violent.
Vickers, whose organization works to promote American Muslim political involvement, said that the Muslim community’s outreach efforts had “quadrupled since 9/11.”
Other guests that evening included Montgomery County Councilman George Leventhal, and Montgomery County Delegates Susan Lee and Henry Heller and Delegate-elect Kathleen Dumais, as well as several local religious community leaders.
Although the Muslim Community Center has been conducting such outreach activities for several years, the center’s spokesman said, “We believe it is more important now to reach out to community . . . to contribute to society.” The public relations Chairman Khalid Masood also said, “To build a strong country, leaders and community have to . . . build bridges, develop a relationship and work together.” – 30 – CNS-11-22-02