Dearborn Mayor Hosts Ramadan Unity Dinner With Community Leaders

Hundreds of Dearborn community leaders gathered together Wednesday to break bread and give thanks for the city's diverse cultural and religious tolerance.

The dinner took place at Byblos Banquet Hall, 7258 Chase Road, and included representatives from Dearborn Public Schools, the city of Dearborn, local churches, Arab-American businesses, the 19th District Court, state and local elected officials, and friends of Mayor John B. O'Reilly, Jr.

O'Reilly spoke about the rich heritage of the Dearborn area.

"We often forget where we come from. Quite literally we come from one creator. It isn't about which faith we profess and follow, it's the fact that we have one Father," O'Reilly said. "We spend too much of our time dividing ourselves. We spend too much time focusing on differences.

"I think we have to recognize that we all come from the same place in Africa. We can trace our ancestry and our DNA code to the same place. We are all related. It is part of science now that we should begin to identify how much we are similar and how much we share. We truly are one family."

19th District Court Chief Judge Sam Salamey echoed O'Reilly's comments.

"This annual celebration has become a proud Dearborn tradition," he said. "We must continue to build the bridges of friendship and brotherhood. It takes all of us to create a place we're proud to call home and embrace the diversity we have built here."

Ramadan occurs during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and is a time for prayer, fasting, and self-reflection. According to Islamic tradition, Ramadan is when Allah (God) revealed the first verses of the Qu’ran,the holy book, to the prophet Muhammed.