January 23, 2013

Earlier this week, MPAC staff in Washington, DC, attended events commemorating the 57^th Inauguration of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. The festivities began on Monday with the public ceremony that included musical performances, the inaugural address and the ceremonial swearing in of the president and vice president by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.

SEE: Photo Album of the 57th Presidential Inauguration (Facebook)

Though the weather was frigid, the MPAC staff joined a diverse crowd of more than 800,000 people who attended the ceremony and intently listened to President lay out his most ambitious plan yet for the next upcoming four years. 

The next morning, MPAC staff attended the 57^th Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral. Hundreds of interfaith leaders and community members gathered at the National Cathedral taking part in an interfaith tradition of blessing our nation and her leaders. The services included prayers from the Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh traditions.

“Being part of such historic events as American Muslims really encapsulates our identity as a civic-minded and politically engaged community,” said Hoda Elshishtawy, MPAC’s Legislative and Policy Analyst. “Our nation is comprised of diverse threads that create a strong fabric of Americans, and the inclusion of diversity in the inaugural festivities showed just that.”