ATLANTA – Atlanta’s leaders came together over prayers and food Tuesday night May 29 when Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms hosted an iftar for the Muslim community. Ajc Reported.
“More than 100,000 American Muslims live and work in metro Atlanta. There are more than 80 mosques in the state of Georgia,” Bottoms told the crowd.
“Numbers like that speak to the fact that Muslims make an important contribution every day in all walks of American life, especially in our city,” she stressed.
About 250 people attended the dinner which was held in collaboration with the Islamic Speakers Bureau (ISB) of Atlanta.
Following her speech, Bottoms was recognized by ISB for her work with the Muslim community in Atlanta.
The night began with a recitation of a chapter from the Qur’an in Arabic, followed by the English translation.
The iftar was introduced with the call to Maghrib, the Muslim prayer which is prayed at sunset. Speakers for the event included Rabbi Lydia Medwin of The Temple and Dr. Gerald Durley, pastor emeritus of Providence Missionary Baptist Church.
Atlanta City Councilmen Michael Julian Bond and Matt Westmoreland were in attendance, alongside representatives from Atlanta’s diplomatic community including Consul General of Japan, Takashi Shinozuka, and Consul General of France, Louis De Corail.
“Today, a Muslim, a Jew and a Christian all broke bread together at my table and no [one] acted as if their faith was more superior,” said Shannaan Dawda, a Muslim author and speaker.
“From this experience, I learned what religious maturity is: to be confident in your faith but be willing to appreciate the difference and learn about others.”
Muslims constitute 1.3% percent of Atlanta’s population, giving the city the 6th largest Muslim proportion in the US.