In what has quickly become a highly sought seasonal event in the Houston area, the 2013 annual Iftar Dinner was a complete success following another annual night of friendship, dinner and faith.

Iftar is one of the group observances conducted during Ramadan where communities gather together to break the daily fast, and  on Saturday, July 27^th, 2013, members of all faiths and denominations joined together for this prestigious yearly dinner at the Bayou City Events Center.  Although planned for 1500 guests, almost 2000 people attended the dinner organized by the Baku, Abu Dhabi, Istanbul and Karachi Sister City Associations and hosted by collaborating organizations such as The Azerbaijan Center, Bilateral US Arab Chamber of Commerce, Council on American Islamic Relations of Houston (CAIR), Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston, Muslim Council of USA, Raindrop Turkish Center, South Asian Chamber of Commerce, the Hashoo Foundation (www.hashoofoundation.org) and many others.

The Mayor of Houston and other Congressional, County, City, business and civic leaders also attended to show their support and solidarity during this multi-cultural event.  After being introduced by Midland Energy President and CEO Javaid Anwar, Mayor Annise Parker addressed the importance of community and faith while addressing the full banquet hall.  The Mayor and First Lady of Houston were joined by Houston City Comptroller Ronald Green, Councilman Larry Green and Harris Country Sheriff Adrian Garcia.   Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and Congressman Al Green, both Congressional representatives whose districts are located in Houston, also greeted the audience and presented proclamations to the organizers of the dinner for their hard work towards creating a more diverse society.

Ramadan is a time for giving and coming together as people through fasting, patience and sacrifice.  Through suppressing our selfishness, we open ourselves to explore the emotions brought on by the less fortunate.

The Azerbaijani community together with the Pakistani, Arab, and American communities were proud to be a part of this wonderful event and we look forward to it again next year.

To view more pictures of the Mayor’s Annual Iftar Dinner, please click here.