isna

ISNA Participates in Diwali Celebration at the White House

On Tuesday, November 13, ISNA National Director of the Office for Interfaith and Outreach, Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed joined Vice President Joe Biden and numerous Hindu American leaders for a Diwali celebration at the White House.  Dr. Syeed was invited to address the Hindu American community and give his Diwali greetings: “On behalf of the Islamic Society of North America, I would like to convey our Diwali Greetings to our Hindu brothers and sisters in America. We are delighted to work together on many issues in the United States for the betterment of our American society and around the world. Diwali, the festival of light, has a special significance in our world. Light and darkness are often used in the Holy Qur’an to demonstrate contrasts between diametrically opposed, yet intimately interconnected, value systems and ways of life. Darkness represents oppression, political and economic injustice, and the negation of spiritual values and human dignity. Light represents knowledge, justice, equity, peace and harmony. It gives us a sense of pride to join with the faithful from all traditions to celebrate those positive values. We must all work together to jointly fight against darkness and bring about more light, encouraging a universal commitment to world peace within every individual, community, society, and region. When our Hindu brothers and sisters kindle more candles this year to eradicate the darkness, we want to assure them of our support in this mission.  We look forward to working with you for more collaboration for the common good, and wish you a happy Diwali.”