Controversy continues to swirl regarding Rep Pine's support for Islam Day.

Hawaii Legislature Shouldn't Create an Islam Day
By Pam Smith
Hawaii Rep. Kymberly Pine, R-Ewa, is way off base in chastising Sen. Sam Slom, R-Hawaii Kai, for his comments regarding the proposed Islam Day.

To honor a person or generic group of people like kupuna or Tartans is one thing – honoring a religion like Islam, as the House and Senate did in HCR 100, is totally inappropriate.

See the full text here: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2009/lists/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HCR&billnumber=100

It was insensitive of the Hawaii State Legislature (including Reps. Lyla Berg, Della Au Belatti and Faye Hanohano who introduced the measure) to even propose such a day.

I would think that Ms. Pine would understand that there are many people who equate Islam with terrorism and the deaths of many of our citizens on September 11, 2001.

What other modern day religion is regularly linked with death and destruction?

And honoring this religion just 13 days after our 9-11 remembrance is appalling.

Why doesn’t the Hawaii legislature quit wasting time on these ridiculous resolutions and spend their time resolving to spend less money?

Now that is a resolution I could get behind.

Pam Smith, a resident of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, can be reached at pamleesmith@gmail.com

Controversy Over Legislature Declaring Islam Day in Hawaii Legislature Should Have Passed HB1282, Not HCR100
By Daniel de Gracia, II
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 would have honored all religions seems less like tolerance and more like the Legislature's annoying habit of picking winners and losers when it comes to our state.

Daniel de Gracia, II, a resident of Hawaii, can be reached at daniel.degracia@gmail.com

Posted on www.HawaiiReporter.com