Dr. Inam ur-Rahman, right, with his wife Reyna, left, daughter Ayesha, standing, and son Mateen. Rahman estimates there are about 1,000 families of South Asian origin as well as Indians from Fiji in his area. He is running for Congress from District 2 of Hawaii. (Photo: Courtesy, Dr. Inam ur-Rahman)

Dr. Inam ur-Rahman, a physician based in Hawaii, is poised to enter the race for the U.S. Congress from District 2 in Hawaii. Running as a Republican and getting into the race early, Dr. Rahman currently has no other Republican running for the primaries which are scheduled for September this year. If he wins the primaries, he would go against incumbent Democrat Ed Case, who came to represent district after the untimely death last year of Congresswoman Patsy Mink.

The 45-year-old physician-cum-medical TV and radio talk-show host in Oahu, Hawaii, who speaks Spanish and Urdu, along with English, told News India-Times he was born in Lahore and came to the United States in 1974.

A graduate of Universidad Mundial Dominicana, Dr. Rahman hopes to trounce Rep. Case because he feels he is addressing the concerns of the ordinary Hawaiin ----- health care, education, and the economy.

His shows are broadcast on radio every week and on TV every other week, and is heard not just in Oahu but in neighboring islands. District 2, from which he is running, covers the peripheral cities of Oahu as well as islands around it.

A special in internal medicine, Dr. Rahman runs a family practise and also covers sports medicine, auto and workers compensation injuries, obesity treatment and sexual dysfunction. Once a week, he is an Emergency Room Physician with the U.S. Army Schofield ER. Since last year, he has been a member of the Health Planning Council, West Oahu, Hawaii, and has served in several other capacities in the region.

When he could no longer fund his TV shows, Dr. Rahman took a night course in production and became a certified TV producer. His radio program, ‘Healers of the New Millennium,’ broadcast every Saturday on K-108,1080 AM on the dial in Hawaii, deals with specific health problems. His monthly TV series, which is re-broadcast several times, is entitled ‘The Medical Bulletin,’ and is telecast on Channel 52-Olelo.

He is a familiar face on TV,and expects that to work in his favor during the election campaign.

“Basically, what is happening is that Hawaii is a beautiful state with wonderful people, but we are getting our share of problems related to health care, economy. I have been here for 11 years, and been involved with different community services, and we have lot of health care-related issues which are not being solved properly, unfortunately, because of a legislature that is not understanding medical issues. We physicians feel we need more doctors in Congress. And I am one of them willing to take that challenge,” Rahman told News India-Times.

“I am pretty far ahead. I have done my legwork and set up all my committees,” claims Dr. Rahman.

Married to Reyna, a fifth-generation Hawaiin of Spanish, American Indian and Chinese ancestry, Dr. Rahman has two children by this second marriage, daughter Ayesha, 7, and son Mateen, 5. His two daughters from a previous marriage, Afshi and Seema, live in New York.

Four years ago, by sheer chance, he was asked to address the problem of obesity on radio by then talk-show host Marilyn Marsh. She asked the doctor if he could make this a regular feature with his own program. He did. When Marsh moved to TV on Fox Channel 2, she asked him if he would do a TV series. When Fatima, a 2-year-old Pakistani girl who was operated on in India and Indians prayed for her recovery, Dr. Rahman cried upon reading the story and resolved to organize a Peace March in Hawaii to mirror the one in South Asia, he said. The march was successful, he added.

He estimates about 1,000 families of South Asian origin as well as Indians from Fiji, live in his area. They have an organization called Milan (togetherness).

“My platform is very strong,” insists Dr. Rahman, “We need leaders who will have a solution for these problems.” His campaign committee, he says, has experts in different fields ---- attorneys, community leaders, accountants, teachers, and blue collar workers. “When I sit with them I understand the issues from the people. I am a person who believes in true Democracy ---- the fundamental principles of ‘of, for and by’ the people.”

He expects to launch his fundraising drive as soon as he files his papers this week.

“The issues that most move me are prescription drug benefits, uninsured Americans, drug abuse, funding for chronic diseases like diabetes. Right now we are having a strike of construction workers in Hawaii, and the strike is because of lack of health insurance. So health care is connected to everything else.”