U.S. Embassy Hosts Iftar Dinner in Harrar
 
On August 26, 2009, the Embassy of the United States of America, hosted an Iftar dinner in Harrar for the Muslim community of Harar.  The attendance included Harari Regional State Officials, religious leaders, elders of the community, leaders of the Region’s Islamic Affairs Council, and members of the Harari Women and Youth Association.  Over 400 people attended the dinner, including U.S. Embassy officials and those in need from the local population.   The dinner celebrated the longstanding friendship between the people of Harrar and of the United States.

The U.S. Embassy delegation to Harrar included Public Affairs Officer Alyson L. Grunder, Defense Attaché Col. Bradley Anderson, and two representatives of the U.S. military’s chaplain corps, Imam Walid Habash and Reverend William Hood.  Imam Habash and Reverend Hood are responsible for the spiritual well-being of soldiers in the U.S. armed forces.  They represent the diversity of religious practice in the U.S., including in the U.S. military, which includes adherents to the faiths of Islam, Christianity, Judaism as well as other religions. 

Imam Habash was invited to deliver remarks in Arabic at the evening prayers at the Grand Mosque. His comments included quotes from the Qur’an and the Hadith about the rewards of the holy month of Ramadan. 

The United States Government has provided funds to the Harari Regional State to support its efforts in restoring the Teferi Mekonnen Palace and preserving Islamic manuscripts through the U.S. Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation.  The U.S. Embassy plans to continue supporting the Harari community through educational, economic and cultural programs.  In particular, a very successful English-teaching initiative – the Access Micro-scholarship program -- began three years ago.  This program provided supplemental English Language training to over 150 Harrar high school students.