Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Dwight Williams (212) 788-2972
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today addressed congregants at Jumah prayer services at the Masjid Malcolm Shabazz, the historic Harlem mosque, located at 102 West 116th Street, at Lenox Avenue.
This was Mayor Giuliani's second visit to the mosque. Last year, the Mayor was invited by Imam Izak-El M. Pasha, religious leader of the congregation, to speak and share his views on City issues, becoming the first sitting Mayor of New York City to visit the mosque. The mosque is named after El-Hajj Malik Shabazz, (Malcolm X), the founder of the congregation.
"One of the truly wonderful aspects of living in New York City is having the opportunity to learn about and to share the customs and traditions of people from every ethnic heritage, every religion and every cultural background in the world," Mayor Giuliani said. "The more you are here and the more you learn, the more you understand that the differences of race, religion, or language -- that at first seem so important -- are really very insignificant when compared to the vast similarities of our shared humanity and values."
The Mayor continued, "The tradition of Ramadan is an important part of Muslim communities throughout New York. The principles of cleansing, of atonement, of rebirth and of a new start, are concepts that every person of every background can understand and celebrate. These are ideas that tie into our morality, our families and our communities. These are powerful ideas that help people constantly improve and live more important lives.""The influence of the Muslim faith in our City is a very positive one. You honor the values of fairness, of family and of faith. You teach your children the principles that will allow them to grow into strong and productive members of society. Whether a person is Catholic, a Jew, a Muslim, or a Hindu the principles of sacrifice and of aspiring to be a better person in the eyes of God improve us all, and help us build a better, more decent and more just society," the Mayor concluded.