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Capitol Hill
Washington, D.C., USA, 2012
The first Muslim Congressman, Keith Ellison meeting Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih V
Brad Sherman (Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives) presenting American flag to Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih V
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul-Masih V delivers his keynote address at U.S. Capitol Hill
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul-Masih V leading silent prayer at U.S. Capitol Hill
Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih V during his official tour of U.S. Capitol Hill
Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih V in U.S. Capitol Hill after his historic address to the US Statesmen and Bureaucrats
On June 27, 2012, a historic event took place at Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih V(aba), Fifth Successor to the Promised Messiah (as) and Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, addressed leading congressmen, senators, ambassadors, White House and State Department Staff, NGO leaders, religious leaders, professors, policy advisors, bureaucrats, members of the Diplomatic Corps, representatives of think-tanks and the Pentagon and journalists from the media. The meeting, the first of its kind, gave the opportunity to some of the most influential leaders in the United States, including Honourable Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Leader in the House of Representatives, to hear first-hand Islam’s message on world peace. Following the event, His Holiness was given a tour of the Capitol Hill building, before being escorted to the House of Representatives where a Resolution was introduced in honour of his visit to the United States.
The introductory paragraph of the Resolution stated:
Welcoming His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the worldwide spiritual and administrative head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, to Washington, DC, and recognizing his commitment to world peace, justice, nonviolence, human rights, religious freedom and democracy...
The full list of attendees at the Capitol Hill event reads as follows:
U.S. Senator Robert Casey, Sr. (Democrat Pennsylvania)
U.S. Senator John Cornyn (Republican Texas)
Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (Democrat California)
U.S. Congressman Keith Ellison (Democrat Minnesota)
U.S. Congressman Bradley Sherman (Democrat California)
U.S. Congressman Frank Wolf (Republican Virginia)
U.S. Congressman Michael Honda (Democrat California)
U.S. Congressman Timothy Murphy (Republican Pennsylvania)
U.S. Congresswoman Jeannette Schmidt (Republican Ohio)
U.S. Congresswoman Janice Hahn (Democrat California)
U.S. Congresswoman Janice Schakowsky (Democrat Illinois)
U.S. Congresswoman Jackie Speier (Democrat California)
U.S. Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (Democrat California)
U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat Texas)
U.S. Congressman Gary Peters (Democrat Michigan)
U.S. Congressman Thomas Petri (Republican Wisconsin)
U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff (Democrat California)
U.S. Congressman Michael Capuano (Democrat Massachusetts)
U.S. Congressman Howard Berman (Democrat California)
U.S. Congresswoman Judy Chu (Democrat California)
U.S. Congressman André Carson (Democrat Indiana)
U.S. Congresswoman Laura Richardson (Democrat California
U.S. Congressman Lloyd Poe (Republican Texas)
U.S. Congressman Barney Frank (Democrat Massachusetts)
U.S. Congressman. Bruce Braley (Democrat Iowa)
U.S. Congressman Dennis Kucinich (Democrat Ohio)
U.S. Congressman Trent Franks (Republican Arizona)
U.S. Congressman Chris Murphy (Democrat Connecticut)
U.S. Congressman Hank Johnson (Democrat Georgia)
U.S. Congressman James Clyburn (Democrat South Carolina)
His Excellency Bockari Kortu Stevens, Ambassador of Sierra Leone to the United States
Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, Chairwoman, United States Commission on Inteternational Religious Freedom
Hon. Tim Kaine, Former Governor of Virginia
Amb. Susan Burk, Special Representative of President Barack Obama for Nuclear Nonproliferation
Amb. Suzan Johnson Cook, U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom
Hon. Khaled Aljalahma, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United States
Rev. Monsignor Jean-Francois Lantheaume, First Counselor (Deputy Chief of Mission), The Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See to the United States
Ms. Sara Al-Ojaili, Public Affairs/Liaison Officer, Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman to the United States
Mr. Salim Al Kindie, First Secretary, Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman to the United States
Ms. Fozia Fayyaz, Embassy of Pakistan to the United States
Hon. Saida Zaid, Counselor, Embassy of Morocco to the United States
Hon. Nabeel Munir, Minister-IV (Security Council), Pakistan Permanent Mission to the United Nations
Hon. Josef Renggli, Minister-Counselor, Embassy of Switzerland to the United States
Hon. Alyssa Ayres, Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia, U.S. Department of State
Amb. Karl Inderfurth, Senior Adviser and Wadhwani Chair in U.S.-India Policy Studies, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Hon. Donald A. Camp, Senior Associate, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Amb. Jackie Wolcott, Executive Director, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
Dr. Azizah al-Hibri, Commissioner, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
Mr. Isaiah Leggett, County Executive, Montgomery Count, Maryland
Ms. Victoria Alvarado, Director, Office of International Religious Freedom, U.S. Department of State
Dr. Imad Dean Ahmad, Director, Minaret of Freedom Institute
Dr. Zainab Alwani, Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies, Howard University School of Divinity
Ms. Deborah L. Benedict, Associate Counsel, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security
Ms. Lora Berg, Senior Adviser to Special Representative to Muslim Communities, U.S. Department of State
Dr. Charles Butterworth, Professor (Emeritus) of Government and Politics, University of Maryland, College Park
Father John Crossin, Executive Director for Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Major (Ret.) Franz Gayl, Senior Science Adviser, U.S. Marine Corps.
Dr. Sue Gurawadena-Vaughn, Director of International Religious Freedom and South East Asia Programs, Freedom House
Mr. Frank Jannuzi, Head of Washington Office, Amnesty International USA
Mr. T. Kumar, International Advocacy Director, Amnesty International USA
George Leventhal, Member of the Montgomery County Council
Mr. Amer Latif, Visiting Fellow, Wadhwani Chair in U.S.-India Policy Studies, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Mr. Tim Lenderking, Director of Pakistan Desk Office, U.S. State Department
Mr. Jalal Malik, International Affairs Officer, U.S. Army National Guard
Mr. Naveed Malik, Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Department of State
Ms. Dalia Mogahed, Senior Analyst and Executive Director, Gallup Center for Muslim Studies
Mr. Paul Monteiro, Associate Director, White House Office of Public Engagement
Major General David Quantock, United States Army Provost General
Ms. Tina Ramirez, Director of International and Government Relations, The Becket Fund
Rabbi David Saperstein, Director and Counsel, Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism
Chaplain, Brigadier General Alphonse Stephenson, Director of the National Guard Bureau Office of the Chaplain
Mr. Knox Thames, Director of Policy and Research, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
Mr. Eric Treene, Special Counsel for Religious Discrimination, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice
Dr. Hassan Abbas, Professor, Regional and Analytical Studies Department, National Defense University
Mr. Malik Siraj Akbar, Reagan-Fascell Fellow, National Endowment of Democracy
Mr. Matthew K. Asada, Congressional Fellow to Rep. Gary Peters
Ms. Stacy Burdett, Director of Government and National Affairs, Anti-Defamation League
Ms. Elizabeth Cassidy, Deputy Director for Policy and Research, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
Ms. Aimee Chiu, Director of Media, Communication, and Public Relations, American Islamic Congress
Mr. Cornelius Cremin, Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Acting Deputy Director and Foreign Affairs Officer for Pakistan
Mr. Sadanand Dhume, Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
Dr. Richard Gathro, Dean of Nyack College, Washington D.C.
Mr. Joe Grieboski, Chairman, The Institute on Religion and Public Policy
Ms. Sarah Grieboski, The Institute on Religion and Public Policy
Dr. Max Gross, Adjunct Professor, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University
Dr. Riaz Haider, Clinical Professor of Medicine, George Washington University
Ms. Huma Haque, Assistant Director, South Asia Center, Atlantic Council
Mr. Jay Kansara, Associate Director, Hindu American Foundation
Mr. Hamid Khan, Senior Program Officer, Rule of Law Center, U.S. Institute for Peace
Ms. Valerie Kirkpatrick, Associate for Refugees and U.S. Advocacy, Human Rights Watch
Mr. Alex Kronemer, Unity Productions
Mr. Paul Liben, Executive Writer, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
Ms. Amy Lillis, Foreign Affairs Officer, U.S. Department of State
Mr. Graham Mason, Legislative Assistant to Rep. Allyson Schwartz
Ms. Lauren Markoe, Religion News Service
Mr. Dan Merica, CNN.com
Mr. Joseph V. Montville, Senior Associate, Merrimack College Center for the Study of Jewish-Christian-Muslim Relations
Mr. Aaron Myers, Program Officer, Freedom House
Ms. Attia Nasar, Regional Coordinating Officer, U.S. Department of State
Ms. Melanie Nezer, Senior Director, US Policy and Advocacy, HIAS
Dr. Elliott Parris, Bowie State University
Mr. John Pinna, Director of Government and International Relations, American Islamic Congress
Mr. Arif Rafiq, Adjunct Scholar, Middle East Institute
Ms. Maya Rajaratnam, Amnesty International
Ms. Rachel Sauer, Foreign Affairs Officer, U.S. Department of State
Dr. Jerome Schiele, Dean of College of Professional Studies, Bowie State University
Ms. Samantha Schnitzer, Staff, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
Dr. Mary Hope Schwoebel, Senior Program Officer, Academy for International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding, U.S. Institute for Peace
Ms. Sarah Schlesinger, International and Government Relations Associate, The Becket Fund
Dr. Frank Sellin, Kyrgystan Desk Officer, U.S. Department of State
Ms. Anna-Lee Stangl, Christian Solidarity Worldwide
Ms. Kalinda Stephenson, Professional Staff, Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission
Mr. Jordan Tama, Lead Democratic Staffer, Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission
Mr. Shaun Tandon, AFP
Dr. Wilhelmus Valkenberg, Professor of Religion and Culture, The Catholic University of America
Mr. Anthony Vance, Director of External Affairs, Baha’is of the United States
Mr. Jihad Saleh Williams, Government Affairs Representative, Islamic Relief USA
Ms. Amelia Wang, Chief of Staff to Congresswoman Judy Chu
Ms. Moh Sharma, Legislative Fellow to Congresswoman Judy Chu