The September 11th attack
Muslims in Hawai'i spared wave of hate

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

More than 350 incidents of threats and violence against Muslims have been reported on the Mainland in the week since the terrorist attacks on New York and the Pentagon, Islamic groups have reported.

The incidents include three fatal shootings — in Arizona, Texas and California — part of an anti-Muslim backlash following last week's attacks.

But the head of the local Muslim community said there have been no cases of harassment that he is aware of in Hawai'i. In fact, Hakim Ouansafi, president of the Muslim Association of Hawai'i, said his group has received more than 1,500 messages of support.

"Zero," Ouansafi said of the number of negative calls since last week. "I think Hawai'i will not tolerate that kind of terrorism."

Ouansafi spoke to about 75 members of the Japanese American Citizens League last night at the Honolulu chapter's annual meeting. He spoke of the suffering of nearly 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry who were rounded up, mostly on the West Coast, and placed into U.S. internment camps during World War II.

Hawai'i residents were among those sent to internment camps, so Ouansafi believes such unjust treatment that has caused people here to be more tolerant of each other.

"Through that tragedy we are joined today," Ouansafi said. "Even though it happened 60 years ago, you can feel that these people are still grieving. Anyone that has wounds still fresh would not let it happen to somebody else."

Ouansafi last night praised the JACL for passing a resolution that denounced hate attacks and harassment, particularly hostility being directed at Arabs, Arab Americans and Muslims.

"(The resolution) tells the public, 'We went through it. We know how difficult it is. Please don't even think about something like that.'" Ouansafi said. "For us, it opens our eyes to be involved in something like that because you don't know when it will affect somebody."