Obama fails to invite Azeri envoy to Ramadan dinner
Yashar Aliyev, the Azerbaijani ambassador to the
United States, was not invited to a dinner to celebrate the Islamic
holy month of Ramadan held at the White House last Wednesday.
The Washington Post published a list of 23 diplomats invited to the iftar, the dinner that breaks the holiday`s daily fast. It includes the ambassadors of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Morocco, Kenya, Jibuti, Indonesia, Egypt, Iraq, Turkey, Malaysia, Brunei, Nigeria, and other countries.
According to the US president`s press-service, the envoys of countries with predominantly Muslim population are invited to iftar ceremonies. However, for some reason, the ambassador of Azerbaijan, 90 percent of whose citizens are Muslims, was not included on the list.
Of note, the ambassadors of such Christian countries as Germany, Britain and France were among the invitees.
Elkhan Polukhov, the spokesman for the Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry, confirmed that Amb. Aliyev had not been invited to the Ramadan dinner, but declined further comment, saying the US embassy in Baku should speak about the matter, instead. He also pointed out that, though Aliyev did not attend the White House function, he has been invited to an iftar to be hosted by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on September 14.
The US embassy has not commented on the development and merely suggested that the White House be contacted for an explanation.
In a nutshell, there has been no clear-cut comment on the issue, which actually appears to be a petty affair but apparently stems from Washington`s geo-political views.
``Many in the U.S. do not know Azerbaijan is a Muslim country,`` Vafa Guluzada, former state adviser and political analyst, commented. ``They suppose that since our country is located close to Christian Russia, we are a Christian state, too. I, myself, repeatedly came across such cases when I was in America.``
Ramadan, a month-long period of prayer, reflection and sunrise-to-sunset fasts, began August 22 throughout most of the Islamic world. It is believed that God began revealing the Quran to Muhammad during Ramadan, and the faithful are supposed to spend the month in religious reflection, prayer and remembrance of the poor.
The Washington Post published a list of 23 diplomats invited to the iftar, the dinner that breaks the holiday`s daily fast. It includes the ambassadors of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Morocco, Kenya, Jibuti, Indonesia, Egypt, Iraq, Turkey, Malaysia, Brunei, Nigeria, and other countries.
According to the US president`s press-service, the envoys of countries with predominantly Muslim population are invited to iftar ceremonies. However, for some reason, the ambassador of Azerbaijan, 90 percent of whose citizens are Muslims, was not included on the list.
Of note, the ambassadors of such Christian countries as Germany, Britain and France were among the invitees.
Elkhan Polukhov, the spokesman for the Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry, confirmed that Amb. Aliyev had not been invited to the Ramadan dinner, but declined further comment, saying the US embassy in Baku should speak about the matter, instead. He also pointed out that, though Aliyev did not attend the White House function, he has been invited to an iftar to be hosted by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on September 14.
The US embassy has not commented on the development and merely suggested that the White House be contacted for an explanation.
In a nutshell, there has been no clear-cut comment on the issue, which actually appears to be a petty affair but apparently stems from Washington`s geo-political views.
``Many in the U.S. do not know Azerbaijan is a Muslim country,`` Vafa Guluzada, former state adviser and political analyst, commented. ``They suppose that since our country is located close to Christian Russia, we are a Christian state, too. I, myself, repeatedly came across such cases when I was in America.``
Ramadan, a month-long period of prayer, reflection and sunrise-to-sunset fasts, began August 22 throughout most of the Islamic world. It is believed that God began revealing the Quran to Muhammad during Ramadan, and the faithful are supposed to spend the month in religious reflection, prayer and remembrance of the poor.
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