Marines Give Muslims Room for Celebration

By H.G. REZA

Jan. 23, 1998 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

TUSTIN — The Marine Corps has agreed to open a vacant blimp hangar at the Tustin Marine base to 7,000 Muslims next week so they can observe the end of Ramadan, the holiest of Islam’s religious holidays.

After the unusual agreement was announced Thursday, military officials and leaders of Orange County’s Islamic community expressed hope that it will lead to better understanding between Muslims and the U.S. military.

The seeming unlikelihood of having 7,000 Muslims at a military base was not lost on Haitham A. Bundakji, chairman of the Islamic Society of Orange County.

“Honestly, I never believed that the Marines would let us do this,” Bundakji said. “But as an Arab American who loves his country very much, I am so proud that my countrymen are so open-minded. God bless America.”

Navy Capt. Tom Atkins, a Protestant chaplain involved in the negotiations, said the effort required cooperation from people of several faiths. Final approval was made by Marine Brig. Gen. Robert Magnus, who is Jewish, and commands all Marine air bases on the West Coast.

But Atkins credited Tom Thorkelson, a local Mormon bishop, with first recommending that the vacant hangar be used for the Islamic worship services.

“That was the only available place in Orange County big enough to hold that many people at a prayer service,” said Thorkelson. “Mr. Bundakji told me about the problem they were having finding a large-enough facility. I look down at that empty blimp hangar every day and said, ‘Why not?’ ”

Atkins said that he got a “say again” response from Magnus when he e-mailed the general informing him of the plan.

“Once the general understood that the request was real, he said, ‘Well, let’s see what we can do,’ ” Atkins said. “His staff went to work and all of this was approved in two days. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to show the Muslim world that we understand how important their religion is.”

Atkins said Muslim leaders have agreed to make the prayer service “totally ecumenical” and have invited “persons of all religious faiths to join them,” he said.

In addition, servicemen stationed throughout the West Coast who are practicing Muslims have also been invited, he added.

Bundakji said the Muslim faithful will pray inside the hangar from 8 to 10 a.m. Thursday to mark the end of Ramadan, a monthlong period of fasting and atonement.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for everyone involved,” said Bundakji. “For us, it’s a chance to show other Americans that we are good citizens . . . and hopefully tear down some old stereotypes.”

Atkins said that Marine officials are planning the logistics to comfortably accommodate 7,000 people.

”. . . I’m very moved by the way people of many religious faiths worked together to make this possible,” he said.