Assalamu 'Alaikum dear brothers and sisters,
 
It is with great pleasure that I am sending this invitation with the details of our first annual Islam Day Festival which is scheduled to take place on Thursday, September 24, 2009 at the McCoy Pavilion located at Ala Moana Beach Park starting from 3:00 PM until 8:00 PM.

Keeping with the purpose of Islam Day, we are highlighting our commonalities and want to celebrate and share the qualities and attributes of our faith with those of other faiths.  With this in mind, the theme of this year is giving Praise and Gratitude by fulfilling the covenant we have with God that to those that God gives much, much is expected so we are aiming to “Restock the Hawaii food bank”.  This theme is so appropriate because it corresponds with the end of Ramadan, the month of giving and caring for our community at large. 

Therefore, admittance to this great event will be in the form of canned food donations.  One hundred percent of the proceeds will go to the Hawaii food bank.  Some of the highlights of this event are as follows (download flyer and distribute):

 

WHAT:	ISLAM DAY FESTIVAL
THEME:	Restock the Hawaii Food Bank
WHEN:	Thursday, September 24th
TIME:	3:00 PM until 8:00 PM
WHERE:	McCOY PAVILION – ALA MOANA BEACH PARK

New designation created to counter fear, mistrust in U.S.

By Michele Ouansafi

 

I am a Muslim American born to Christian parents and my family has been in this country for more generations than I even know. This should not matter; I should not feel that I have to defend my Americanism simply because I adopted a different faith — but I do.

 

 

Here is the final vote counts for the Islam Day Poll done by Starbulletin.com:

The state Legislature passed a resolution that marks Sept. 24 as Islam Day to recognize the "rich religious, scientific, cultural and artistic contributions" of Islam and the Islamic world. Do you approve of this resolution?
A) Yes            10543        59.27%
B) No            7244        40.73%

Total votes: 17787

THE POLL IS NOW CLOSED.
FINAL RESULTS ARE ABOVE.
 

A resolution marking the religion also has Hawaii praised for its tolerant views

By Susan Essoyan

Hawaii already designates April 8 as Buddha Day and March 21 as Baha'i New Year's Day. Good Friday is even enshrined as an official state holiday, with public offices closed.

So state Rep. Lyla Berg thought that marking Sept. 24 as Islam Day would not be out of line in Hawaii, with its multicultural fabric. But her seemingly innocuous resolution has attracted worldwide attention -- and a flurry of phone calls and e-mails, including threats to boycott Hawaii.

Hawaii State Legislators are being criticized by the vocal minority for their courageous decision to pass a resolution declaring September 24th, 2009 as Islam Day.  This day is not an official holiday.  There are no expenditures of any kind.  It is just a day set aside to recognize the contributions of those who follow the faith of Islam.

In comparison, this May is National Jewish Heritage Month (http://www.jewishheritage.gov/).  This is fantastic because it serves to highlight the contributions of Jewish Americans.  What is so outstanding is that even a .gov domain was purchased for this occasion.  Trust me, I am not being sarcastic when I say that I applaud this effort.  There are a lot of people out there that hold harsh feelings against Jewish Americans and so Jewish Americans are working hard to show their contributions to America.

Muslim Americans are working hard to as well to show their contributions.  There are now several grave markers in Arlington National Cemetery bearing the Islamic Crescent indicating the death of service members who were adherents to the Islamic faith and serving their nation.  There are now several legislators at the local, state, and federal levels who are Muslim.  There are Muslim newscasters, athletes, professors, doctors, engineers, teachers, fbi agents, secret service agents, law enforcement agents, police officers, fire fighters, coaches, cubmasters and scoutmasters, and other servants of the community.  Muslims are more and more visible today in the United States and we want so desperately to distance ourselves from the image of terrorism.

H.C.R 100 Does Not Honor Extreme Terrorists
 
Republican State Rep. Kymberly Pine says State Senator Sam Slom's statements on Islam Day are insensitive and wrong.  Rep. Pine said, "Slom equated the Legislature's passage of H.C.R. 100, entitled "House Resolution Proclaiming September 24, 2009, As Islam Day." to the honoring of extreme terrorists.  Slom's statements marginalize significant and peaceful Hawaii citizens.  Our Hawaii and U.S. Constitutions recognize liberties and rights not favoring one personal faith over another.  Recognition through a House Resolution of one faith group's contribution to our multi-faith Hawaii has been common practice.  Groups have been recognized through House Resolutions including the fourth Saturday of July as an annual Kupuna Recognition Day, April 6 as Tartan (Scottish heritage) Day and Sept. 28, 2007 as Confucius Day in Hawaii.  As leaders we must be very clear that not all Muslims are terrorists.  Terrorists have very different backgrounds and beliefs than Hawaii Muslims."
 
 

Assalamu 'Alaikum dear brothers and sisters,
 
We had a total of three teams in Honolulu, one in Kauai and one in the Big Island attempting to sight the crescent moon.

 

There was no confirmed sighting from any of the five teams as it was mostly cloudy. Therefore, tomorrow will Insha'Allah be the last day of Sh'aban. The first day of Ramadan will Insha'Allah be on Monday September 1, 2008. Ramadan Mubarack.
 
Taraweeh prayers for tomorrow Sunday August 31st will Insha'Allah start immediately after Isha Prayer.

Assalamu 'Alaikum dear brother and sisters
 
As you know, either Sunday August 31st or Monday September 1st. we will Insha'Allah meet a glorious and very blessed month. As soon as we confirm the start date, we will Insha'Allah send you an email update and change our voice mail (808) 947-6263. I want to remind you and myself of what our beloved Prophet saws said:

 

Ibn Khuzaima reported on the authority of Salman al-Farisi that the Prophet (saaw) delivered a Khutbah on the last day of Sh'aban saying: "O people: You are about to enter the shadow of a great blessed month. A night therein is better than a thousand months. Allah (swt) made fasting during this month an obligation and encouraged people to perform extra prayers during its nights. Seeking nearness to Allah (swt) through a good deed would be considered like performing an obligatory act of worship. In turn, performance of an obligatory act of worship during this month would be rewarded seventy times more than during any other month. It is the month of patience, and the reward for patience is Jannah. It is the month of comforting others, and the month during which believers would enjoy plentifulness. The Prophet (saaw) went on to say:" Make sure you frequently do four things, two of which would please your Lord and the other two are indispensable for your salvation in the Hereafter. As for the two things that would please your Lord, they are: testifying to the oneness of Allah (swt) and seeking repentance. And the other two are: asking Allah the favor of entering Jannah and seeking refuge in Him from the Hell Fire."

As Salaam Wa Alaikum, Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakatuhu. Indeed All praise is due to Allah (SWAWJ). We thank Him and in Him we seek His forgiveness. We seek the refuge with Allah, the creator of the Heavens and the earth, from the mischiefness of our souls and wrong doings of all of our actions and deeds. Whomever Allah (TA) guides no one can lead him astray. And whomever Allah (TA) leaves to be left astray no one can guide him except by the will and permission of Allah. I publicly bare witness without any compulsion or cohersion what so ever that, there is nothing worthy of worship as a except Allah, He is alone, and He has no partners. And I publicly bear witness that Muhammad Ibin Abdullah, (sullallahu alayhi wa Allah allahee wa sullem) is His Rahsool, His Abd, and His Nabiy (his messenger, His slave and the Seal of the Prophets. As to what follows…truly the best speech is the book of Allah, Al-Qur’an, Al-Majeed (the Majestic Qur’an). And the best of guidance is the Sunnah of Muhammad (saw). And the worst of all things in this life, in this Dunya as related to our Deen are newly invented matters. For every newly invented matter as related to our Deen is an occursed and wretched innovation, and every innovation is an astray and every astray is in the hellfire. After thanking and praising Allah and sending Salatul Salaams on His Prophet Muhammad (saw). I ask of Allah to forgive us of our sins and grant us good in this Dunya and the ahkyrah (the hereafter) ….ameen

Hakim Ouansafi grew up in a Morocco, an open and easy society where children of various races played and attended school together with little thought of their differences, even Arabs and Jews. When he was 21, fate brought him to America to attend college in Rhode Island, meet and marry his wife, a Vermonter, and proudly become an American citizen. Then, nine years ago, he came to Hawaii.