Today is the first day of the Islamic month of Ramadan, a time of fasting, prayer, and charity in Muslim communities around the world. It brings with it a sense of new beginning, of promise and possibility, of re-examination and renewal. I have made many Muslim friends here in New Zealand, and I wish them all the best at this special time of year.

In central Los Angeles near my old office, one of the 1900 mosques in the US.

Secretary Clinton has remarked that “Ramadan is a time for self-reflection and sharing. American Muslims make valuable contributions to our country every day, and millions will honor this month with acts of service and giving back to their communities.” The same is true here in New Zealand. I know that service, sharing, and personal reflection will be the focus this month for the more than 40,000 Muslims who call Aotearoa home.

Each evening during Ramadan, families gather at sunset for a fast-breaking meal called the Iftar. In many places Iftars take the form of large banquets or festivals. A couple weeks from now I very much look forward to attending my first Iftar in New Zealand, hosted by The Pearl of the Islands Foundation.

For today, August 1, I am pleased to wish all my Muslim friends here and elsewhere Ramadan Kareem.

One of the best things about my current job is that I meet interesting and exciting new people on a regular basis. One such new friend is Farah Pandith.

Farah is sworn in by Secretary Clinton, with her family looking on.

I met Farah in one of those hop-skip-jump ways only possible in today’s world. About a month ago, I received a tweet about a couple of cyber-diplomats named Alec and Jared who are plowing new ground in the State Department. I Googled them and pulled off the net a New York Times Magazine piece that discussed their work. Intrigued, I emailed them. A Facebook-like maneuver ensued in which we compared notes about people we know who might be of interest to each other. The guys introduced me to Farah, and she and I are now working on dates when she can come to New Zealand.

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Back in April I had the great pleasure of meeting Dr. Anwar Ghani and Aliya Danzeisen while visiting Hamilton.  Dr. Ghani is the President of the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ), and Ms. Danzeisen is active in the Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand.  We share a variety of interests, and Aliya is originally from Brooklyn (New York, not Wellington).

With Ms. Danzeisen and Dr. Ghani in Hamilton.

I very much enjoyed that conversation and our subsequent interactions.  Earlier this month Dr. Ghani graciously agreed to be interviewed about the Muslim community in New Zealand for my blog, on the occasion of the start of Ramadan.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is a period of fasting, devotion, and reflection.  The month starts with the sighting of the new moon and concludes with the celebration of Eid ul-Fitr at the sighting of the next new moon.  This year Ramadan started on August 12th.

During Ramadan here in New Zealand, as in the U.S. and around the world, Muslims forgo food and drink from dawn until dusk and then break fast with nightly iftar dinners.  Iftar meals are a time of fellowship with friends and family, and in many places are conducted as large banquets or community festivals.

In the U.S., mosques and Islamic centers use the month of Ramadan to reach out to fellow Americans and to build bridges with the community at large.  Dozens of U.S. Embassies, the Secretary of State, and the President (starting in the mid 1990s) host iftar dinners for Muslims and non-Muslims in order to, as Secretary Clinton says, “join together and reflect on our common values, faith, and the gifts of the past year.” continue reading…