On Thursday, September 17, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., joined by hundreds of residents and community leaders, celebrated the borough’s first Iftar Dinner “Break the Fast”, in honor of the blessed month of Ramadan.

During the event, Borough President Diaz recognized the importance of the growing Muslim community in The Bronx, and awarded with a citation of merit to the Muslim Women Institute for Research and Development, Mussa Drammeh, Bakhari Kamrecha and Inaya I. Shekh.“I am pleased to celebrate with the Muslim community for the first time in The Bronx County Courthouse,” says President Diaz, “With hundreds of thousands of Muslims that live in our borough, it brings me great joy to have them officially recognized in our office by community leaders and Bronx residents.”

The event was co-sponsored by African People’s Alliance, American Muslim Law Enforcement Officers Association, Council of People’s Organization, Latin American Muslim Women’s Association, Madni Jasjid of the Bronx New York Council of Malians, Niger Muslim Association, Muslim American Society and Togo Association.

Ramadan is observed by more than one billion Muslims around the world. The end of the month of Ramadan is marked with the joyous festival of Eid al-Fitr, which literally means the “Festival of Breaking the Fast.”