President Hosts White House Iftar Dinner

The White House reports that last night President Obama hosted his 4th annual Iftar dinner-- the evening meal that breaks the Ramadan fast for Muslims. Among those attending the dinner, held in the State Dining Room at the White House, were members of Congress and of the diplomatic corps.  In his remarks (full text), the President said in part:

... Thomas Jefferson once held a sunset dinner here with an envoy from Tunisia -- perhaps the first Iftar at the White House, more than 200 years ago.  And some of you, as you arrived tonight, may have seen our special display, ... the Koran that belonged to Thomas Jefferson.  And that's a reminder, along with the generations of patriotic Muslims in America, that Islam -- like so many faiths -- is part of our national story....

In his remarks, the President emphasized important accomplishments of Muslim women, a number of whom were in attendance, including Huma Abedin (top aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton).