Sacramento Mayor Holds Third Annual Muslim Dinner
By Ras H. Siddiqui
The Mayor of Sacramento, California the Honorable Darrell Steinberg held a “Third Annual Sacramento Muslim-American Dinner” at the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services facility on Thursday, June 27, 2019, to recognize the contributions of the followers of the Islamic faith in California’s capital city. The Mayor is Jewish so this annual event incorporated a great deal of Sacramento’s interfaith community’s continued unifying significance. The Mayor has many Muslim friends in the Sacramento area and some of these friendships have survived national and international events over many years.
The emcee for the evening was Zachary Yeates from the Mayor’s office. A fine Mediterranean dinner was served first giving everyone an opportunity to break bread together and exchange views. The proceedings began with a fine recitation from the Holy Qur’an by Imam MumtazQasmi from the Downtown Sacramento “V” Street Mosque, the oldest formal and continuous Muslim place of worship in the western United States. The English translation of the verses was presented by Br. Rashid Ahmad.
Mayor Steinberg in his address spoke of the bonds of friendship developed between Muslim and Jewish Americans in the Sacramento area starting with the women and the men as well. He said that the friendship has very little to do with him but a great deal with people who love our Sacramento, who take pride in who they are. Those who realize that if we are ever going to heal this broken world, it has to start with us here in the community, he added. He said that he was happy to play a part in where we all are going together.
The Mayor recognized a number of public officials or members of their staff present and thanked members of his own staff for making this event possible. He said that we do not need a theme for this evening because our theme is (basically) friendship and community. We don’t need an excuse to get together just like the Sisterhood of Salam Shalom. It becomes a part of who we are. He also thanked the Sacramento Food Bank for hosting the gathering.
As the Mayor reminded us we still live in troubled times. It was noted that this was a very difficult day for the City of Sacramento which lost a young police officer recently (the first casualty in law enforcement in almost 20 years). A funeral was held in the morning and afternoon hours for Officer Tara O’Sullivan which was attended by thousands of people in the region. The Mayor added that before that it was the 20th anniversary of the Synagogue fire bombings and the murder of two gay men by white supremacists from the Redding area. Our challenges remain enormous. The hate lies just below the surface, said the Mayor. But then there is the other side. When Jews were being targeted, the leadership of the Muslim-American community of Sacramento stood with them. There are and will continue to be hopeful signs. We condemn any attempt to divide us. As long as I am Mayor of this city, I will continue this tradition (Muslim Dinner event), said Steinberg.
Next, the Mayor officially recognized three Muslim organizations that have assisted those in need regardless of their faith. First recognized was the ArRazzaq Food Bank (http://ar-razzaqfoodbank.org/) which has been helping to feed people in the area since 2009. Accepting on behalf of the organization were two of its pillars (Soul) Sisters Suzana Malik and Durriya Syed. Next it was ICNA Relief (https://www.icnarelief.org/california/) which distributes food and supplies to the homeless at 2nd & B street downtown Sacramento near Loaves and Fishes. ICNA was represented at the dinner by Shaikh Mohamed Mohamed. And last but not least the final recognition was for the Refugee Enrichment and Development Association or REDA which was represented by its President, Usama Khalil. All three of these organizations deserved to be recognized and their contributions to the Sacramento region need to be applauded.
In conclusion, our thanks to Mayor Steinberg and his office staff for continuing this event. This tradition that has been established will InshaAllah (God Willing) continue into the future.
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