Downtown

12th annual Borough Hall Iftar brings message on the need to show love

4 Honored for Their Community Service

June 15, 2017 By Francesca Norsen Tate, Religion Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams speaks about the power of compassionate words, both in science and in everyday life. Eagle photos by Francesca N. Tate
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Borough Hall’s 12th annual Iftar brought the songs of children, a slate of honorees and a message underscoring the need for each person to become a crystal healer.

And of course, there was the meal — starting with water, mango juice and baklava for the fast-breaking. It is traditional that the first food eaten after fasting be sweet.

Borough President Marty Markowitz established the tradition during his administration. Current Borough President Eric Adams has continued the Iftar, saying it’s one of his favorite events each year.

Speakers effectively united the themes of genesis, water as life and healing. Imam Ibrahim Fakir read and translated a recitation from the Quran dealing with God the Creator who commands the water to nourish the streams, and the life that flows forth from the water.

Fakir, in his keynote address, said that the real challenge of Ramadan is abstention from harsh and hostile thoughts and actions, the importance of developing a relationship with God. “If anyone picks a fight with you, say that you are fasting. It is dishonorable to insult a fasting person.” He said that how we treat each other is a key part of being Muslim.

Adams told a packed ceremonial courtroom that the words that we speak carry a direct positive or detrimental impact on that person and that each one needs to be a crystal healer. He talked about famed scientist’s Masaru Emoto’s experiments with water crystals, in which he spoke calmly and lovingly to a petri dish of water and the water crystals grew. Adams pointed out that 90 percent of the human body contains water crystals, and that being treated with love and peace can be healing to someone. “What you say and do is about the healing crystals” in the people one meets every day, he said.

Adams then named each honoree, referring to the two women and two men being saluted as “crystal healers.” These special citations for community service were presented to: Naima Baroudi, Mina Asserrare, Imran Khalid Khan and NYPD Detective Mohamed Amen.

Baroudi works in education, developing and teaching bilingual Arabic/English language programs in New York. Asserrare works with the Moroccan community. An immigrant from Morocco, she came to Brooklyn and teaches the Arabic language to children ages 5-18.

Khan is involved in community work. Amen works with NYPD as a community liaison and is involved in many of interfaith events around the city. He has given presentations on careers in law enforcement.

Children from the Moroccan American Council to Empower Women’s Sunday School sang a Nasheed (song) about love, and later another song about Ramadan.

 

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