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HONOLULU -- Hawaii's state Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill Wednesday to celebrate "Islam Day" -- over the objections of a few lawmakers who said they didn't want to honor a religion connected to Sept. 11, 2001. The Senate's two Republicans argued that a minority of Islamic extremists have killed many innocents in terrorist attacks. "I recall radical Islamists around the world cheering the horrors of 9/11. That is the day all civilized people of all religions should remember," said Republican Sen. Fred Hemmings to the applause of more than 100 people gathered in the Senate to oppose a separate issue...

The national furor over the proposed mosque at Ground Zero in New York has caused local Muslim leaders to delay their annual Ramadan celebration to avoid holding it on Sept. 11, the anniversary of the terrorist attacks in 2001. "We wanted to be sensitive to the feelings over that horrible, evil act," said Hakim Ouansafi, president and chairman of the Hawaii Muslim Association. He said the Eid al Fitr ("the breaking of the fast") festival -- celebrating the end of the month long Ramadan -- would normally fall on Sept. 11, but it will be pushed back to Sept. 24,...

RECOGNITION 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?

Recently the Hawaii State Legislature recognized September 24th as "Islam Day" through the passage of House Concurrent Resolution 100 and House Resolution 79. It has been argued that it was necessary to recognize Islam in order to promote religious tolerance, but if that is true, why did the Legislature fail to even give a hearing to House Bill 1282 and Senate Bill 136 which would have established "Religious Freedom Day" in Hawaii for the celebration of not one, but all faiths and religions in Hawaii? The decision to pick a day to honor a single religion versus a day that...

Hawaii's state Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill Wednesday to celebrate "Islam Day" -- over the objections of a few lawmakers who said they didn't want to honor a religion connected to Sept. 11, 2001: HONOLULU -- Hawaii's state Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill Wednesday to celebrate "Islam Day" -- over the objections of a few lawmakers who said they didn't want to honor a religion connected to Sept. 11, 2001. The Senate's two Republicans argued that a minority of Islamic extremists have killed many innocents in terrorist attacks. "I recall radical Islamists around the world cheering the horrors of 9/11....

Hawaii Lawmakers Pass Bill to Create 'Islam Day' Hawaii's state Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill Wednesday to celebrate "Islam Day" -- over the objections of a few lawmakers who said they didn't want to honor a religion connected to Sept. 11, 2001. Wednesday, May 06, 2009 HONOLULU -- Hawaii's state Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill Wednesday to celebrate "Islam Day" -- over the objections of a few lawmakers who said they didn't want to honor a religion connected to Sept. 11, 2001. The Senate's two Republicans argued that a minority of Islamic extremists have killed many innocents in terrorist attacks....

Hawaii's state Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill Wednesday to celebrate "Islam Day" — over the objections of a few lawmakers who said they didn't want to honor a religion connected to Sept. 11, 2001. The Senate's two Republicans argued that a minority of Islamic extremists have killed many innocents in terrorist attacks. "I recall radical Islamists around the world cheering the horrors of 9/11. That is the day all civilized people of all religions should remember," said Republican Sen. Fred Hemmings to the applause of more than 100 people gathered in the Senate to oppose a separate issue — same-sex...

HONOLULU – Hawaii's state Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill Wednesday to celebrate "Islam Day" — over the objections of a few lawmakers who said they didn't want to honor a religion connected to Sept. 11, 2001. The Senate's two Republicans argued that a minority of Islamic extremists have killed many innocents in terrorist attacks. ... The resolution to proclaim Sept. 24, 2009, as Islam Day passed the Senate on a 22-3 vote. It had previously passed the House and now goes to Republican Gov. Linda Lingle.