A group of scholars and leaders from Islamic and other faiths whom IIIT officials had interacted or worked with during the past year got together at the Friends of IIIT iftar/dinner on October 3, 2007 at the IIIT headquarters. The group of some 80 persons included distinguished scholars, researchers, activists, government officials, and administrators as well as IIIT officials and staff.

Dr. Tracy Fitzsimmons, president-elect of Shenandoah University, Dr. Douglass Johnston, president of International Center for Religion and Diplomacy (ICRD), Dr. Essam Omeish, president of Muslim American Society, Nihad Awad, executive director of Council on American-Islamic Relations, Dr. Sayyid Syeed, National Director of Islamic Society of North America, Pete Martin, General Manager of Mar-Jac Poultry, and David Guertin, director of community relations at the Federal Bureau of Investigations, spoke at the dinner, sharing their experiences with IIIT and their thoughts on working to expand boundaries of faith and community to bring harmony and mutual success in all endeavors. ICRD board member John Sandoz led an opening prayer and Imam Johari Abdul Malik, board member of Coordinating Council of Muslim Organizations in Washington Area led the concluding prayer. Virginia State Assembly Delegate Tom Rust stopped by but could not stay due to a schedule conflict.

Earlier Dr. Hisham Altalib and Dr. Jamal Barzinji expounded on what IIIT does and why, sketching the growth of IIIT's work over the years and pointing to the way ahead in working together with scholars and leaders in areas of mutual interest.