remarks by the ambassador

Remarks by Ambassador Callahan during Iftar dinner at his residence

September 10, 2009

Good evening.  My wife Debbie and I want to welcome all of you to this Iftar, the meal that breaks the fast during the Moslem holy month of Ramadan.

We have gathered tonight – Moslems, Jews, and Christians from several denominations – to acknowledge our common heritage as Abrahamic faiths and to celebrate those principles and doctrines that unite us.

It is important that we pause to reflect on those passages in our holy books, so similar in so many ways, that urge tolerance and demand charity. 

It is imperative, in a world often characterized by deep suspicions and violent actions, that we, on the most personal level, make every effort to understand and appreciate one another and one another’s cultures and religions.

It is essential, tonight, tomorrow, every day, that we seek to honor that one word in each other’s language that we all tend to know:  salam, shalom, peace.

Now, I would like to ask Mr. Fahmi Hassan, president of the Nicaraguan Islamic Cultural Association, to say a few words about Islam and Ramadan.

Thank you.