The first officially iftar dinner in the U.S. was in 1805, when Thomas Jefferson hosted a Tunisian envoy celebrating Ramadan for a dinner at the White House. Tuesday’s event followed in that tradition, said Faizan Syed, executive director of of the Missouri chapter of the council.
“It’s an opportunity for people of all faiths and backgrounds to come together,” Syed said.
Mayor Lyda Krewson, Board of Alderman President Lewis Reed and Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner also attended the dinner. They and other guests who spoke publicly often greeted the crowd with the Arabic phrase, “Ramadan Mubarak,” which translates roughly to “blessed Ramadan.”
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