In the Name of God, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful

 AMC Update
 December 22, 1999

 Secretary Albright Hosts First Ramadan Iftar with American Muslims

 (Washington, DC, December 22) - About sixty American Muslim leaders attended
 the first iftar (Ramadan fast-breaking) at the State Department yesterday
 evening hosted by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

 Secretary Albright told the gathering that it invited members of the
 American Muslim community because "U.S. foreign policy is conducted in your
 name.  And like other citizens, you may not agree with everything we do, but
 you should at least feel a connection to it, and know that your views are
 being heard."

 She spoke on the need for international tolerance across religious and
 cultural lines, and noted that the Russian strategy in Chechnya is
 "fundamentally misguided" because "killing the innocent does not defeat
 terror; it feeds terror."  She also addressed stereotyping Muslims have
 faced in America, and encouraged community leaders to help recruit American
 Muslims to the U.S. Foreign Service.

 The iftar dinner continued a tradition established several years ago by the
 American Muslim Council.  AMC co-hosted the first iftar events on Capitol
 Hill (1996) and at the Pentagon (1998).  In 1996, AMC initiated the first
 Eid-al-Fitr holiday celebration at the White House with First Lady Hillary
 Clinton.  Since last year, AMC had encouraged the State Department to host a
 Ramadan iftar with American Muslims.

 AMC executive director Aly R. Abuzaakouk, during the dinner, spoke with
 Secretary Albright on Muslim concerns regarding sanctions in Iraq, the
 assault on Chechnya, Kashmir, and the underrepresentation of Muslims in the
 State Department.

 Mr. Abuzaakouk said, "The dinner was an opportunity to bring to light the
 foreign policy concerns of American Muslims, whether it's Chechnya or
 sanctions on Iraq.  It's a civil and moral obligation for American Muslims
 to engage our government.  And it's an obligation of our government to
 respond to the concerns of all Americans.  This dialogue is critical."

 The dinner was attended by leaders of Muslim organizations, the imams and
 leaders of Washington metropolitan area mosques, and Muslim staff working in
 Congress and the State Department.  Harold H. Koh, Assistant Secretary of
 State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor; Skip Gnehm, head of the U.S.
 Foreign Service; and Robert Seiple, Ambassador-at-Large for Religious
 Freedom, also participated in the dinner.

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