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Interfaith gathering commemorates 9/11

Speakers from the Christian, Muslim and Buddhist faiths will speak Friday at an Interfaith Weekend for World Peace marking the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack.

The program at 6 p.m. Friday will feature the Rev. Al Bloom, retired Honpa Hongwanji minister; Abdul-Karim Khan, Leeward Community College professor; and Sister Joan Chatfield of the Institute for Religion and Social Change.

It will be at the Seicho-No-Ie Hawaii Jisso Center, 47-451 Hui Aeko Place, Kaneohe. It is free and open to the public.

The weekend observance will continue at 6:30 p.m. Saturday with a special Meditation to Visualize World Peace.

At 9:30 a.m. Sept. 11, an Interfaith Prayer for World Peace will commemorate the fourth anniversary of the 2001 tragedy. A youth taiko drum concert and lunch will follow.

Noon Tuesday is the deadline for registration. Call 537-6965.

Service to remember victims of hurricane

A community prayer service for the victims of the Gulf Coast disaster will be held at noon Wednesday at St. Andrew's Cathedral in downtown Honolulu.

The simple service of hymns and prayers will remember those who have died in the hurricane and flooding in Mississippi and Louisiana, and people who are suffering in the continuing emergency in New Orleans, said the Rev. Ann McElligott, dean of the Episcopal cathedral. "We will also pray for the relief workers and for peace."

The cathedral is also planning a Sept. 16-17 fund-raiser, "A Night in New Orleans," with proceeds to benefit survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

Music, dance planned for Buddhist holiday

A cultural program of music and dance from Japan, Korea, Thailand and Hawaii will be presented Friday as island Buddhists celebrate one of the religion's holidays.

The annual Harvest Moon Dharmachakra Festival from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at McCoy Pavilion in Ala Moana Park is open to the public.

The program will open with a religious service marking the first public teaching by Shakyamuni Buddha 2,500 years ago. Bishop Akinori Imai of Higashi Hongwanji Temple will be the speaker, and Gregory Pai of Mu-Ryang Sa Temple will be master of ceremonies.

The service will also memorialize those who died in terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and others who have suffered because of terrorism and warfare.

Pacific Buddhist Academy students will perform a modern adaptation of a Japanese fishermen's folk dance. Also performing will be the Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin Choir, directed by Mitsuyo Saito; Surasak Chanaudompassorn in a Thai dance; Mu-Ryang Sa Temple members in Korean dance; and Moiliili Hongwanji Temple's Happy Strummers, a ukulele group directed by Yoshiaki Matsuoka.

The event is sponsored by the Hawaii Association of International Buddhists and co-hosted by Moiliili Hongwanji and Higashi Hongwanji. For information, call 949-1659.