Ambassador Ricciardone joins Muslim community in Eid al-Adha ceremony
Event date: January 20, 2005

Office on Muslim Affairs (OMA) Executive Director Zamzamin Ampatuan (right) shows U.S. Ambassador Francis Ricciardone (left) and Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Teresita Deles the ceremonial knife used during the Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) that Datu Ampatuan hosted at the OMA office in Quezon City on January 20. The Ambassador was among the foreign diplomats that Datu Ampatuan invited to join the Muslim community in the ceremony.

(Top photo, seated, from right:) Ambassador Ricciardone, U.S. Embassy Political Officers Tim Cipullo and Joe Saus, (left photo:) Secretary Deles and Datu Ampatuan watch a Muslim dance number that preceded the Qurban (sacrifice) ceremony.

Datu Ampatuan, Ambassador Ricciardone and Secretary Deles watch Muslim men prepare a cow that was sacrificed during the ceremony. Related links: President Bush’s Eid al-Adha message American Muslims perform Hajj, celebrate Eid al-Adha

(Above:) OMA Executive Director Datu Ampatuan (fourth, right) poses for a picture with some of his guests at the Eid al-Adha ceremony (from left:) U.S. Embassy Political Officer Joe Saus; OMA Assistant Secretary Ali Sangki; U.S. Embassy Political Officer Tim Cipullo; Singapore Embassy Counselor Paul Ko; Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Teresita “ging” Deles; U.S. Ambassador Francis Ricciardone; Iranian Ambassador Jalal Kalantari; Iranian Embassy Cultural Attaché Mehdi Rokny; and Tahir Lidasan Jr. of OMA. (Below:) At the visit to Datu Ampatuan’s office at the OMA building, Ambassador Ricciardon also met Dr. Arab Guam (second, left) of OMA and former administrator of the Golden Mosque in Quiapo, and Aleem Anwar Limbona (second, right).