Islam Day was a day of recognition for Islam

Islam

Islam . The most common are and .   : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

 and Muslims in Hawaii

Hawaii

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...

 on September 24, 2009 designated by a sympolic resolution of the State Legislature. September 24, 2009 corresponds with September 11, 2009 in the Julian calendar.

Establishment

Hawaii House Concurrent Resolution 100 to establish the day was proposed by Lyla Berg

Lyla Berg

Lyla Berg is a Hawaiian Democratic politician. She was first elected to the Hawaii House of Representatives in 2004 representing the Kāhala area of Honolulu on Oahu...

 and passed unanimously on May 6, 2009.
The Hawaii Senate

Hawaii Senate

The Hawaii State Senate is the upper chamber of the Hawaii State Legislature. The senate consists of twenty-five members elected from an equal number of constituent districts across the islands. The senate is led by the President of the Senate, elected from the membership of the body, currently...

 passed the resolution 22 to 3 to recognize "the rich religious, scientific, cultural and artistic contributions of the Islamic world". It was set for November 21 the founding of Islam, but moved to September 24 on the day Mohammad arrived in Medina

Medina

Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...

 in 644

644

Year 644 was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 644 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* The Tang dynasty of China begins the invasion...

, because it conflicted with Aloha (Makahiki) Festivals

Aloha Festivals

The Aloha Festivals are an annual series of free cultural celebrations observed in the state of Hawaii in the United States. It is the only statewide cultural festival in the nation. It features concerts, parades, street parties called ho‘olaule‘a as well as various other special events planned...

. It is a state-designated day of recognition and not a holiday and no government funds were designated to it, to preserve the "separation of church and state

Separation of church and state

The concept of the separation of church and state refers to the distance in the relationship between organized religion and the nation state....

". Muslims and supporters have seen it as an opportunity to repair the image of Islam, damaged by radical Islam. The public in Hawaii had a largely indifferent reaction to the news of the new day.

First Celebration

On September 24, 2009 Hawaii celebrated its first Islam Day with events held at the University of Hawaii

University of Hawaii

The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...

 and around the islands. At Ala Moana Beach Park

Ala Moana Beach Park

Ala Moana Beach Park is a free public park on the island of Oahu, U.S. state of Hawaii, located between Waikiki and downtown Honolulu. This park has a wide gold-sand beach that is over a half-mile long. It's man-made and was created by the owner of the Dillingham Dredging Company, who was...

 a festival was held by the Muslim Association of Hawaii with more than 1000 people attending. "We expected 200 to 300, so we're very pleased with the turnout." Twelve police and guards were present but no protest or disturbance took place.

See also

• Islam Awareness Week
  Islam Awareness Week
  The Islamic Society of Britain initiated Islam Awareness Week in 1994, to raise awareness and remove misconceptions surrounding Islam. In 1997 the Commission on British Muslims and Islamophobia by the Runnymede Trust confirmed the existence of widespread prejudice and discrimination against Muslims...
  
  
• Hijra
  Hijra (Islam)
  The Hijra is the migration or journey of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. Alternate spellings of this Arabic word are Hijrah, Hijrat or Hegira, the latter following the spelling rules of Latin.- Hijra of Muhammad :In September 622, warned of a plot to...
  
  
• World Islam Day
  World Islam Day
  World Islam Day is an international celebration of Islam, an outreach to Muslims and non-Muslims alike, emphasising the message of peace to all mankind...
  
   (23 February, Anniversary of Messenger Muhammad's The Farewell Sermon
  The Farewell Sermon
  The Farewell Sermon , also known as Muhammad's Final Sermon or The Last Sermon, was delivered by Muhammad on the 9th Dhu al-Hijjah, 10 AH in the Uranah valley of Mount Arafat The Farewell Sermon , also known as Muhammad's Final Sermon or The Last Sermon, was delivered by Muhammad on the 9th...
  
  )