Al Gore’s daughter fasted for the first time for Peace Islands Institute’s iftar dinner


Date posted: August 6, 2014

SEZAI KALAYCI

Iftar dinner (breaking of fast), which was held in Columbia University, brought together numerous prominent members of the community. The event, organized by Peace Islands Institute (PII), New York Interfaith Center and Columbia University Religious Studies Department, hosted former US Vice President Al Gore’s daughter Karenna Gore and one of the Indonesia’s prominent religious figures, Imam Shamsi Ali.

Sarah Sayeed, director of New York Interfaith Dialog Center, hosted the program that started with breaking the fast as adhan (call to prayer) was chanted. Dean of School of Engineering Dr. Mary Boyce, expressed that they are honored to be hosting the iftar, and said: “We have hosted many different events in this auditorium, but this event is very different from the others. We are very happy to host and know you.”

“FASTING TAUGHT ME A LOT”

Karenna Gore, one of the organizers of the Iftar dinner event, said that she fasted first time in her life. She also said that she wanted to share the feelings of Muslims who are fasting. She added, “The primary reason I fasted is to experience how it feels to fast and how Muslims manage fasting.”

Gore, the founder of the civil society organization “Union Forum” said she is not sure if she can succeed fasting. Gore told “Frankly I’m so hungry”, and mentioned that quit drinking my everyday coffee cause me headache. She further continued: “Throughout the day I figured, fasting taught me eating and drinking at anytime is so precious”

Fasting also showed me how much we waste. There is always more food than we can eat around us. This abundance and waste reminded me, throughout the day, those people who can not find anything to eat suffer from hunger. All these were very valuable for me to learn and feel. ”

Disclaimer: The original article is in Turkish. Slight deviations from the original meaning may have occurred due to the difficulties in translating phrases and idioms. PII volunteers translated the article.

Source: Zaman Amerika , July 18, 2014

Tags: | | |


Related News

Erdogan Delivers Ultimatum: Washington Has to Choose Between Gulen and Turkey

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the United States must make a choice between Ankara and a movement led by US-based dissident Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. Ankara has accused Gulen and his followers of playing a key role in the July 15 attempted coup, which claimed lives of over 240 people.

Fethullah Gulen — His Vision, Our Response

A Muslim religious leader, Fehullah Gulen, is daily in the news, as Turkish president Erdogan accuses him of plotting the recent coup, calling him a terrorist. We are so used to Muslim clerics being or being considered terrorists that we give the matter little thought.

‘The Gulen movement is one of the very few that has managed to live what it preaches.’

Hizmet Movement is, in my view, an Islamically-inspired, Islamically-grounded movement, or Islamically-rooted movement, founded on the universal and fundamental principle of peace and—the essential values of Islam—peace, mercy and compassion, as normative, moral objectives and which seeks to translate these principles into—through the dynamic of ta’aruf, the dynamic of coming to know one another, especially coming to know the other—into a reality, into a living sociological and anthropological reality.

Sophia Pandya on Hizmet Movement

Dr. Sophia Pandya specializes in women, religion, and globalization. She received her BA from UC Berkeley in Near Eastern Studies/Arabic, and her MA and PhD from UCSB in Religious Studies, with a focus on women and Islam. She co-edited the book titled The GulenHizmet Movement and its Transnational Activities: Case Studies of Altruistic Activism in Contemporary Islam.

From political Islam to Islamic terrorism: Is there a way out?

The declaration of the “Islamic state” and the “caliph” under the leadership of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), now called the IS, in the contagious parts of Iraq and Syria has brought the issue of Islamic militancy and terrorism to the center stage of Middle Eastern politics.

The Alliance for Shared Values Statement on Ankara Attacks

The Alliance for Shared Values deplores the bombing attacks perpetrated against peaceful protesters today in Ankara. We are deeply saddened by the increasing number of losses and injuries and offer our condolences to the families and friends of the victims. It is now more important than ever that we do not fall prey to the pernicious intentions behind these attacks.

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

Zaman Editor-in-Chief: Turkish government no longer democratic

Abduction of Kacmaz family – An act of high-handedness

Erdogan Moves to Shut Prep Schools in Blow to Gulen Followers

In redemption days hoping for better

Why on earth does a Hizmet follower flee Turkey?

From ‘parallel state’ to ‘terrorist organization’: Dissecting Erdoğan’s labeling of Gülen

Abrupt gov’t decision to revoke status of Kimse Yok Mu draws criticism

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News