Islam Day at UH to feature panel talk

The University of Hawaii at Manoa Islamic Studies Program will celebrate Islam Day on Tuesday with free events, including a roundtable discussion about the most pressing questions facing Muslims today.

The roundtable discussion will be held from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. in Kuykendall Hall on the UH-Manoa campus. Participants include: Stephen O’Harrow (chair of Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures), Ibrahim Aoude (Department of Ethnic Studies), Nicole Grove (political science), Tamara Albertini (philosophy), Karim Khan (history, Leeward Community College); and Kapali Lyons (chair of the Department of Religion). Also taking part will be Asante Abdallah (English) and Esma Arslan (medicine). Various other events will get started at 8:45 a.m.

Albertini said in a news release: “Islam Day (Sept. 24) is a day of recognition for Islam and Muslims in Hawaii, established by a symbolic resolution by the State Legislature in 2009. It is not a holiday and no government funds were designated to it, so as to preserve the separation of church and state. Muslims and supporters have seen it as an opportunity to repair the image of Islam damaged by radical Islam.”

Since Islam Day falls on a Saturday this year, the celebration was moved to Tuesday.