Washington, DC - Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken will host a reception in honor of Eid al-Fitr on Wednesday, in the Benjamin Franklin Room at the U.S. Department of State.

Eid al-Fitr celebrates the end of Ramadan, the month of the Islamic calendar during which Muslims fast from dawn to dusk.  At this event, Deputy Secretary Blinken will highlight the importance the Department of State places on engaging Muslim communities in the United States and across the world.  The theme of the reception is “The Power of Storytelling: Highlighting the Voices of Muslim Women.”  As such, the Deputy Secretary will also honor Muslim women who are using storytelling as powerful resources to engage with communities around the world to increase mutual understanding and ties across cultures.