MUSLIMS IN HAWAII
Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2012 12:57 am
MUSLIMS IN HAWAII
BY ABU TARIQ HIJAZI
Hawaii is the dream land for holiday makers. Annually thousands of US tourist spend their winter in the comfortable climate of Hawaii which is like an earthen pot lying in the heart of Pacific Ocean. Hawaii is the sign of Almighty God’s authority over the land and the sea. Hawaii is 2300 miles from the US coast and 3400 miles from Asian coast of Japan. It may be 5000 miles from the North Pole and 9000 miles from the South Pole. Almighty God provides all facilities of life in this isolated and distant land on the Earth.
Hawaii It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia and ,comprises hundreds of islands spread over 1,500 miles (2,400 km). At the southeastern end of the archipelago, the eight "main islands" are (from the northwest to southeast) Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui, and Hawaiʻi. The last is by far the largest and is often called "The Big Island."Its total area is 10,931sq miles and as per 2011 estimate the population is 1,374,810 with 1.3% of military personnel. There are 24.7% Whites and 38.6% Asian Americans including Filipinos, Japanese and Chinese. US Hawaii State is demographically unique because it has the highest percentage of Asian Americans and the lowest percentage of White Americans.
The location of Hawaii in the heart of Pacific Ocean
The earliest habitation is believed as early as 300-500 CE, probably by Polynesian and Indonesian settlers with other waves of migration. The first recorded European contact with the islands was 200 years ago in 1778 by British explorer James Cook who named the Island as Sandwich Islands in honor of his sponsor.
In 1820 the first American missionaries came to preach Christianity and teach the Hawaiians Western ways. They succeeded converting many natives to Christianity. The migrants from China and Japan brought Buddhism to Hawaii. According to 2000AD report there are 28.9 % Christians, 9 % Buddhists, 10 % others and 51.1 % non-affiliated. There are few thousand Muslims living in Hawaii.
The Kingdom of Hawaii was sovereign from 1810 until 1893 when the monarchy was overthrown by resident American (and some European) businessmen. It was an independent republic from 1894 until 1898, when it was annexed by the United States as a territory, later becoming a US state in Aug 1959.
Hawaii boasts to have President of USA. Honolulu native, the 44th United States President Barack Obama,(son of Husain Obama) then serving as United States Senator from Illinois, was elected President of the United States on November 4, 2008 for a period of four years upto Nov. 2012.
PEARL HARBOR ATTACK
One of the most significant incidents in the history of Hawaii was the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in WWII. It was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941 (December 8 in Japan). The base was attacked by 353, Japanese fighters, bombers and torpedo planes in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers. All eight U.S. Navy battleships were damaged, with four being sunk. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship, and one minelayer. 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed; 2,402 Americans were killed and 1,282 wounded. Japanese losses were light: 29 aircraft and five midget submarines lost, and 65 servicemen killed or wounded. One Japanese sailor was captured alive.
The attack came as a profound shock to the American people and led directly to the American entry into World War II in both the Pacific and European theaters. The following day (December 8), the United States declared war on Japan. Subsequent operations by the U.S. prompted Germany and Italy to declare war on the U.S. on December 11, which was reciprocated by the U.S. the same day. This led President Franklin D. Roosevelt to proclaim December 7, 1941, "a date which will live in infamy".
ISLAMIC ACTIVITY IN HAWAII
Muslims in Hawaii are like a rainbow of Islam presenting various colors in one arc. Muslims from the Uighurs of China to the Touareq of Mauritania, to the Aloha people of Hawaii, all merge into one community. Islam does not know the superficial boundaries of nationality. This is indeed exhibited in the Hajj every year where the Indonesian Muslim prays next to the British, American, Spanish, Iranian, and South African Muslims. Further to the holiest site of Islam, the Holy Ka’aba, men and women of all backgrounds, races, and cultures pray next to each other in peace throughout the year.
A group of non Muslim visitors recorded their observation on a Friday visit to the Hawaii Mosque. ‘The mood was light as men and women gathered outside, lining the edges of a rug to hear a Moroccan immigrant and his Oahu-born wife, Janine, repeat vows of Nikah. "Islamic marriage is to be a comfort for the couple. ... You should be the source of mercy for each other," the imam told them.
The small crowd that day was a sample of the multinational Muslim community in Hawaii, from Pakistani and Arab professionals to American-born converts to recent immigrants from Palestine and Iraq, the mosque serves as a social center. About 200 men attend the midday Friday Prayers. There were nearly 700 people at the Eid holiday ending the month long Ramadan fast. Total membership is about 2,000.
Muslims of Hawaii have vibrant Mosque which arranges various program for Muslims and awareness programs for non-Muslims as follows:
1. Imam holds classes for twice a week between Maghrib and Isha in the Mosque.
2. On Saturday nights after the Isha prayer, Imam Ismail gives lectures about the lives of different prophets of Christianity and Islam.
3. Women's classes are held on Monday and Wednesday nights.
4. They are also planning a Welcome house at the Masjid that will be open to the public and will distribute Islamic books and DVDs free to the visitors Muslim & non-Muslims.
5. Facilities for memorization of Holy Quran.
6. Next Friday Khutba & Prayer; Apr 27.2012 and May 04.2012 and so on.
THE MUSLIM ASSOCIATION OF HAWAII (MAH)
The association supervises and integrates Muslim activities in Hawaii. The current President of MAH Br. Hakim Ouansafi born in Morocco, was 21,when he came to America to attend college in Rhode Island, where he met and married his wife, a Vermonter,( later converted ) and proudly become an American citizen. Then, nine years ago, he came to Hawaii. Now 42, he is the President and CEO of Diamond Hotels and Resorts. He also works as the President of Muslim Association of Hawaii.(Address MAH 1935 Aleo Place Honolulu, Hawaii 96822. e-mail mah@iio.org
NEW CONVERTS TO ISLAM
Less than three weeks from 911 Heather Ramaha a navy petty Officer stood among a group of women at the mosque in Manoa Hawaii and recited the Islamic Shahada in Arabic, and entered the fold of Islam. Hakim Ouansafi, the President of the Muslim Association of Hawai'i, said that prior to Sept. 11, there had been an average of three converts per month. In the two months since then, there have been 23.
Heather Ramaha, a Navy officer, is among
those in Hawaii who have converted to Islam.
Most Mainland converts are African-Americans, who make up about a third of U.S. Muslims, some of whom found the guidance while they were in jail or in recovery from drug or alcohol addiction. On the West Coast, the men are mainly military, said Ouansafi, and most of the O'ahu converts are former Christians. One's even a single cosmetics saleswoman."We believe, as Muslims, once a person reverts to Muslim, all his past sins are forgiven by God," Ouansafi said. " ( He or she) Starts just like a baby that was born."
Now, Ramaha is incorporating her Islamic faith into her life as a Navy officer stationed at Pearl Harbor since July. Ramaha said she struggled with the Christian view of the Holy Trinity. In March, she took an online world religions class through a California university."I'd been a Christian for 18 years." As a follow-up, she took an introductory class on Islam in Hawai'i. She started reading the Quran, and "something clicked." She converted soon after."I've always felt drawn to something out there, (otherwise, there's) an emptiness," she said."The only way I feel complete is when I have a religion, a God to pray to.”
HAWAII MARKS ‘ISLAM DAY’
Hawaii's state Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill in May 2009 to celebrate "Islam Day on Sept. 24 every year" The bill seeks to recognize "the rich religious, scientific, cultural and artistic contributions" that Islam and the Islamic world have made. The date of 24th Sept ember was selected as the Prophet Mohammad’s (s.a.w.) arrival at Madina Munawwarah in the first year of Hijrah.
Sen. Will Espero, a Democrat. Said, It does not call for any spending or organized celebration of Islam Day."We are a state of tolerance. We understand that people have different beliefs," "We may not all agree on every single item and issue out there, but to say and highlight the negativity of the Islamic people is an insult to the majority" of believers "who are good law-abiding citizens of the world."
SHANGRI LA : A CENTER FOR ISLAMIC ART & CULTURE.
Shangri La stands for a beautiful and rich collection of Islamic Art from the Muslim world. Its founder Madam Doris Duke was one of the richest ladies of the world. She was born in 1912 to Mr. Duke a baron of tobacco business. On her honeymoon in 1935 she visited many Muslim countries in the Middles East and later stayed at her seasonal home in Hawaii for long. She was much impressed and captivated by the Islamic art. She collected thousands of artifacts and designed her Hawaii home in a museum form.
Architectural design was influenced by the objects collected, and the objects to be collected were assessed for their potential place within the built environment. From her first foray into collecting while traveling in the Islamic world until her death in 1993, Duke’s pattern of collecting for design remained remarkably consistent, yet it also matured.
For nearly 60 years, Doris Duke commissioned and collected artifacts for Shangri La, ultimately forming a collection of about 3,500 objects, the majority of which were made in the Islamic world. Massive painted ceilings, elaborately carved doorways, intricate mosaic tile panels, colorful textiles, and numerous other art forms enliven the interiors and create an environment rich in texture and pattern.
Today, Shangri La serves as a center for Islamic arts and cultures. It is owned and supported by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art (DDFIA), which Doris Duke created in her will to promote the study, understanding, and preservation of Islamic art and culture. The name Shangri La has been selected from an imaginary Paradise on the Earth where people enjoy the extreme bliss and never face a death.
PRAYING TOWARDS THE NORTH.
The direction of Qibla in Hawaii lies in the north through North Pole. The writer visited Hawaii twice. Once in Ramadhan, he was invited by an Afghan family for Iftaar. Where ever Muslims live, they have strong bond of brother hood. There is no inhabited land on the earth, where the Message of Allaho Akbar is not declared from the minarets of a mosque.
Article completed July 23.2012
BY ABU TARIQ HIJAZI
Hawaii is the dream land for holiday makers. Annually thousands of US tourist spend their winter in the comfortable climate of Hawaii which is like an earthen pot lying in the heart of Pacific Ocean. Hawaii is the sign of Almighty God’s authority over the land and the sea. Hawaii is 2300 miles from the US coast and 3400 miles from Asian coast of Japan. It may be 5000 miles from the North Pole and 9000 miles from the South Pole. Almighty God provides all facilities of life in this isolated and distant land on the Earth.
Hawaii It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia and ,comprises hundreds of islands spread over 1,500 miles (2,400 km). At the southeastern end of the archipelago, the eight "main islands" are (from the northwest to southeast) Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui, and Hawaiʻi. The last is by far the largest and is often called "The Big Island."Its total area is 10,931sq miles and as per 2011 estimate the population is 1,374,810 with 1.3% of military personnel. There are 24.7% Whites and 38.6% Asian Americans including Filipinos, Japanese and Chinese. US Hawaii State is demographically unique because it has the highest percentage of Asian Americans and the lowest percentage of White Americans.
The location of Hawaii in the heart of Pacific Ocean
The earliest habitation is believed as early as 300-500 CE, probably by Polynesian and Indonesian settlers with other waves of migration. The first recorded European contact with the islands was 200 years ago in 1778 by British explorer James Cook who named the Island as Sandwich Islands in honor of his sponsor.
In 1820 the first American missionaries came to preach Christianity and teach the Hawaiians Western ways. They succeeded converting many natives to Christianity. The migrants from China and Japan brought Buddhism to Hawaii. According to 2000AD report there are 28.9 % Christians, 9 % Buddhists, 10 % others and 51.1 % non-affiliated. There are few thousand Muslims living in Hawaii.
The Kingdom of Hawaii was sovereign from 1810 until 1893 when the monarchy was overthrown by resident American (and some European) businessmen. It was an independent republic from 1894 until 1898, when it was annexed by the United States as a territory, later becoming a US state in Aug 1959.
Hawaii boasts to have President of USA. Honolulu native, the 44th United States President Barack Obama,(son of Husain Obama) then serving as United States Senator from Illinois, was elected President of the United States on November 4, 2008 for a period of four years upto Nov. 2012.
PEARL HARBOR ATTACK
One of the most significant incidents in the history of Hawaii was the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in WWII. It was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941 (December 8 in Japan). The base was attacked by 353, Japanese fighters, bombers and torpedo planes in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers. All eight U.S. Navy battleships were damaged, with four being sunk. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship, and one minelayer. 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed; 2,402 Americans were killed and 1,282 wounded. Japanese losses were light: 29 aircraft and five midget submarines lost, and 65 servicemen killed or wounded. One Japanese sailor was captured alive.
The attack came as a profound shock to the American people and led directly to the American entry into World War II in both the Pacific and European theaters. The following day (December 8), the United States declared war on Japan. Subsequent operations by the U.S. prompted Germany and Italy to declare war on the U.S. on December 11, which was reciprocated by the U.S. the same day. This led President Franklin D. Roosevelt to proclaim December 7, 1941, "a date which will live in infamy".
ISLAMIC ACTIVITY IN HAWAII
Muslims in Hawaii are like a rainbow of Islam presenting various colors in one arc. Muslims from the Uighurs of China to the Touareq of Mauritania, to the Aloha people of Hawaii, all merge into one community. Islam does not know the superficial boundaries of nationality. This is indeed exhibited in the Hajj every year where the Indonesian Muslim prays next to the British, American, Spanish, Iranian, and South African Muslims. Further to the holiest site of Islam, the Holy Ka’aba, men and women of all backgrounds, races, and cultures pray next to each other in peace throughout the year.
A group of non Muslim visitors recorded their observation on a Friday visit to the Hawaii Mosque. ‘The mood was light as men and women gathered outside, lining the edges of a rug to hear a Moroccan immigrant and his Oahu-born wife, Janine, repeat vows of Nikah. "Islamic marriage is to be a comfort for the couple. ... You should be the source of mercy for each other," the imam told them.
The small crowd that day was a sample of the multinational Muslim community in Hawaii, from Pakistani and Arab professionals to American-born converts to recent immigrants from Palestine and Iraq, the mosque serves as a social center. About 200 men attend the midday Friday Prayers. There were nearly 700 people at the Eid holiday ending the month long Ramadan fast. Total membership is about 2,000.
Muslims of Hawaii have vibrant Mosque which arranges various program for Muslims and awareness programs for non-Muslims as follows:
1. Imam holds classes for twice a week between Maghrib and Isha in the Mosque.
2. On Saturday nights after the Isha prayer, Imam Ismail gives lectures about the lives of different prophets of Christianity and Islam.
3. Women's classes are held on Monday and Wednesday nights.
4. They are also planning a Welcome house at the Masjid that will be open to the public and will distribute Islamic books and DVDs free to the visitors Muslim & non-Muslims.
5. Facilities for memorization of Holy Quran.
6. Next Friday Khutba & Prayer; Apr 27.2012 and May 04.2012 and so on.
THE MUSLIM ASSOCIATION OF HAWAII (MAH)
The association supervises and integrates Muslim activities in Hawaii. The current President of MAH Br. Hakim Ouansafi born in Morocco, was 21,when he came to America to attend college in Rhode Island, where he met and married his wife, a Vermonter,( later converted ) and proudly become an American citizen. Then, nine years ago, he came to Hawaii. Now 42, he is the President and CEO of Diamond Hotels and Resorts. He also works as the President of Muslim Association of Hawaii.(Address MAH 1935 Aleo Place Honolulu, Hawaii 96822. e-mail mah@iio.org
NEW CONVERTS TO ISLAM
Less than three weeks from 911 Heather Ramaha a navy petty Officer stood among a group of women at the mosque in Manoa Hawaii and recited the Islamic Shahada in Arabic, and entered the fold of Islam. Hakim Ouansafi, the President of the Muslim Association of Hawai'i, said that prior to Sept. 11, there had been an average of three converts per month. In the two months since then, there have been 23.
Heather Ramaha, a Navy officer, is among
those in Hawaii who have converted to Islam.
Most Mainland converts are African-Americans, who make up about a third of U.S. Muslims, some of whom found the guidance while they were in jail or in recovery from drug or alcohol addiction. On the West Coast, the men are mainly military, said Ouansafi, and most of the O'ahu converts are former Christians. One's even a single cosmetics saleswoman."We believe, as Muslims, once a person reverts to Muslim, all his past sins are forgiven by God," Ouansafi said. " ( He or she) Starts just like a baby that was born."
Now, Ramaha is incorporating her Islamic faith into her life as a Navy officer stationed at Pearl Harbor since July. Ramaha said she struggled with the Christian view of the Holy Trinity. In March, she took an online world religions class through a California university."I'd been a Christian for 18 years." As a follow-up, she took an introductory class on Islam in Hawai'i. She started reading the Quran, and "something clicked." She converted soon after."I've always felt drawn to something out there, (otherwise, there's) an emptiness," she said."The only way I feel complete is when I have a religion, a God to pray to.”
HAWAII MARKS ‘ISLAM DAY’
Hawaii's state Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill in May 2009 to celebrate "Islam Day on Sept. 24 every year" The bill seeks to recognize "the rich religious, scientific, cultural and artistic contributions" that Islam and the Islamic world have made. The date of 24th Sept ember was selected as the Prophet Mohammad’s (s.a.w.) arrival at Madina Munawwarah in the first year of Hijrah.
Sen. Will Espero, a Democrat. Said, It does not call for any spending or organized celebration of Islam Day."We are a state of tolerance. We understand that people have different beliefs," "We may not all agree on every single item and issue out there, but to say and highlight the negativity of the Islamic people is an insult to the majority" of believers "who are good law-abiding citizens of the world."
SHANGRI LA : A CENTER FOR ISLAMIC ART & CULTURE.
Shangri La stands for a beautiful and rich collection of Islamic Art from the Muslim world. Its founder Madam Doris Duke was one of the richest ladies of the world. She was born in 1912 to Mr. Duke a baron of tobacco business. On her honeymoon in 1935 she visited many Muslim countries in the Middles East and later stayed at her seasonal home in Hawaii for long. She was much impressed and captivated by the Islamic art. She collected thousands of artifacts and designed her Hawaii home in a museum form.
Architectural design was influenced by the objects collected, and the objects to be collected were assessed for their potential place within the built environment. From her first foray into collecting while traveling in the Islamic world until her death in 1993, Duke’s pattern of collecting for design remained remarkably consistent, yet it also matured.
For nearly 60 years, Doris Duke commissioned and collected artifacts for Shangri La, ultimately forming a collection of about 3,500 objects, the majority of which were made in the Islamic world. Massive painted ceilings, elaborately carved doorways, intricate mosaic tile panels, colorful textiles, and numerous other art forms enliven the interiors and create an environment rich in texture and pattern.
Today, Shangri La serves as a center for Islamic arts and cultures. It is owned and supported by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art (DDFIA), which Doris Duke created in her will to promote the study, understanding, and preservation of Islamic art and culture. The name Shangri La has been selected from an imaginary Paradise on the Earth where people enjoy the extreme bliss and never face a death.
PRAYING TOWARDS THE NORTH.
The direction of Qibla in Hawaii lies in the north through North Pole. The writer visited Hawaii twice. Once in Ramadhan, he was invited by an Afghan family for Iftaar. Where ever Muslims live, they have strong bond of brother hood. There is no inhabited land on the earth, where the Message of Allaho Akbar is not declared from the minarets of a mosque.
Article completed July 23.2012