WASHINGTON: This Ramadan in Washington is being publicly marked by the Obama Administration and throughout the US where Muslims are working to help the less fortunate.

President Barack Obama on Tuesday invited scores of Muslims for iftar, and used the occasion to highlight contributions made by Muslims to American culture.

Describing the event as a "celebration of Ramadan,” the president praised the contributions of the American Muslim community which, he said, was "one of extraordinary dynamism and diversity" and of "countless races and ethnicities, and with roots in every corner of the world.”

“Islam, as we know, is part of America,” Obama said at a White House dinner celebrating the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. “Together we have a responsibility to foster engagement grounded in mutual interest and mutual respect.”

The dinner, held in the State Dining Room, brought together members of Congress, Cabinet members, diplomatic officials and community leaders from a spectrum of countries and religions.

Representatives of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, France, Germany and the Palestine Liberation Organization dined on dates, a traditional feature at the Iftar dinner, as well as salad with spiced almonds and organic chicken, a potato and leek puree and late summer peas, followed by sorbet and cookies.

‘I am sure it will be good,” Obama assured his guests as they broke their fasts.

Honoring Ramadan, which began Aug. 22, is the latest part of Obama’s sustained outreach efforts to the Muslim world. The president pledged during a June 4 speech in Cairo, Egypt to “seek a new beginning” between the US and Islam.

President George W. Bush, Obama’s predecessor, also hosted dinners at the White House marking Ramadan.

Invited guests include three Cabinet secretaries, numerous diplomats, five members of Congress including Congress' first two Muslim members: Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minnesota., and Andre Carson, D-Indiana.

The Obama guests also included members of his cabinet, including Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr., and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

President Obama, in his Ramadan message to Muslims worldwide, recognized Muslim-American organizations engaged in volunteering and community service works. “This summer, people across America have served in their communities, educating children, caring for the sick, and extending a hand to those who have fallen on hard times.

Faith-based organizations, including many Islamic organizations, have been at the forefront in participating in this summer of service. And in these challenging times, this is a spirit of responsibility that we must sustain in the months and years to come,” Obama said.

Without garnering the attention attracted by a White House dinner, Muslim Americans throughout the US are showing their support for Obama’s community service appeal by launching the Muslim Americans ‘Answer the Call’ campaign.

The campaign is a national grass-roots effort to mobilize every Muslim American to take part in the president’s initiative. The effort is led by Dalia Mogahed, executive director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies and a member of the president’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

The campaign aims to expand the effectiveness of existing organizations by engaging new volunteers in their work, as well as encouraging volunteers to develop their own projects with friends, family and neighbors. She will be the keynote speaker at the Pentagon’s iftar on Thrusday.

The campaign also seeks to serve as an example of how Muslims Americans live their faith and their citizenship by serving their communities.

Mogahed also launched www.muslimSERVE.org, a Web site that identifies a national goal of 1,000 service projects for Muslim Americans. It provides ongoing information about different projects and a mechanism for recording Muslim-American contributions to this effort. The projects will be recorded in a final report for the president and the public.

Other organizations are engaging their membership in the call to service. The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) recently co-sponsored a program at a northern Virginia mosque to feed the homeless.

“Many Muslims are already volunteering in their communities. These valuable efforts need to be expanded and made known to the larger society. This is a unique opportunity for American Muslims to tell their story through service to others,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad.