Suffolk County PD's First Muslim Chaplain To Open Congressional Prayer

Suffolk County's first Muslim police chaplain has been chosen to open tomorrow's congressional session of the House of Representatives with the opening prayer, a tradition carried on in Congress since the 1700's.

Chaplain Nayyar Imam was sworn in to the Suffolk Police Department in 2009. A Mount-Sinai resident, Imam is the chairman of the Brookhaven Town Anti-Bias Task Force, and is affiliated with the Selden Islamic Center. Tomorrow, Imam will be a guest of Congressman Tim Bishop, and will open the session with the traditional prayer at 9 a.m.                                       

As chaplain, Imam's duties include spiritual counseling of police and acting as a liason between law enforcment and Muslims in the community. 

“It is an honor to be asked to give this opening prayer,” Imam said in a statement. “I have dedicated many years to spreading messages of understanding and diversity. I am humbled to be included in this traditional prayer.”

According to a representative at C-Span, viewers can watch Imam's opening prayer live on C-Span tomorrow morning.