Bill Text: CA AR130 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relative to American Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month. .
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 57-15-1)
Status: (Passed) 2022-08-24 - Read. Adopted. [AR130 Detail]
Download: California-2021-AR130-Introduced.html
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION
House Resolution
No. 130
| Introduced by Assembly Member Quirk |
August 15, 2022 |
Relative to American Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month. .
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
HR 130, as introduced, Quirk.
Digest Key
Bill Text
WHEREAS, Freedom of religion holds the distinction of being a cherished right and a fundamental value upon which the law and ethics of the United States are based; and
WHEREAS, Enriched by the unparalleled diversity of its residents, the State of California takes great pride in supporting individual religious freedoms and is strengthened by the diverse religious, political, and cultural traditions of its residents, including Americans who practice Islam; and
WHEREAS, The history of Islam in this country dates back to before its founding, originating with enslaved Africans who brought their Muslim beliefs with them to the Americas and who later contributed in numerous ways to the founding of the nation, and there are today millions of American Muslims, both immigrant and native-born, of diverse backgrounds and beliefs; and
WHEREAS, Approximately 1,000,000 American Muslims currently reside in California, the highest number of any state in the United States; and
WHEREAS, American Muslims contribute greatly to charitable organizations that help people from all faiths and backgrounds in California, the United States, and around the world by providing medical assistance, family services, scholastic supplies, before- and after-school programs, feeding the hungry, and providing recuperation efforts following natural disasters; and
WHEREAS, California is home to several prominent Muslim figures who continue to make significant contributions to the State of California and the United States as business owners, legal professionals, doctors, engineers, teachers, farmers, civil rights leaders, humanitarians, athletes, and in many other great, notable capacities; and
WHEREAS, Incidences of hate continue to impact the Muslim community. Last year, the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA) received 652 civil rights intakes ranging from hate crimes, mosque vandalism, school bullying, workplace and housing discrimination, and hate speech targeted at Muslims; and
WHEREAS, CAIR-CA is the largest Muslim legal services and advocacy organization in the United States and has been a valued partner organization within California on issues related to the federal decennial census, emergency response, pandemic relief, responding to incidents of hate, and providing civil rights and immigration services to Muslim, immigrant, and Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities; and
WHEREAS, Imam Muhammad Yasir Khan is the first Muslim Chaplain appointed to the California State Legislature. Over the past six years, Imam Yasir has served as a chaplain in jails and hospitals in northern California. In 2015, Imam Yasir founded Al-Misbaah which currently serves over 10,000 people in the Muslim community by providing emergency food and rental assistance, furniture drives, vehicle donations as well as hosting sports tournaments for Sacramento’s refugee and asylee communities; and
WHEREAS, Gulshan Yusufzai serves as executive director of the Muslim American Society-Social Services Fund (MAS-SSF) and is a champion of mental health resources for the greater Muslim community in Sacramento. MAS-SSF offers peer counseling and a Muslim youth helpline, and was integral in responding to the recent crisis in Afghanistan by offering its services to new refugees; and
WHEREAS, Kind Hearts San Diego was founded in 2016 by Hajar Rochdi-Krim to help welcome refugees as well as individuals with special immigrant visas from Iraq and Afghanistan. Kind Hearts provides newly arrived families with assistance through food distribution, furniture, and other items needed to move into their new homes; and
WHEREAS, Mosques Against Trafficking was founded by Yusef Miller in 2014 to provide training to hundreds of volunteers and develop creative strategies with a network of mosques in southern California to detect and stop human trafficking. They serve as a crucial source of information and support for those impacted by trafficking within southern California; and
WHEREAS, Ghouse Mohammed serves as Vice-Chair on the Muslim Leadership Council of San Diego and as a volunteer at the Islamic Center of San Diego dedicating hundreds of hours to making sure that COVID-19 protocols are followed. Ghouse Mohammed has spearheaded weekly community food drives throughout the pandemic and is also very active within the Indian American Muslim Council; and
WHEREAS, Ameerah Abdullah is currently the Chief Financial Officer for Masjidul Taqwa, the oldest mosque in San Diego. Every week, the mosque’s team feeds hundreds of unhoused individuals in downtown San Diego and has been a support system for many families within the region; and
WHEREAS, Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) provides relief and development to empower individuals in their communities. They played a critical role in supporting organizations in California that provide pandemic relief to families in need. Islamic Relief has also been at the forefront of supporting Afghan parolees as they settle in California by providing funding for legal assistance and other forms of support to organizations within California; and
WHEREAS, For the People Task Force, founded by Yousuf Bhagani and Fauzia Rizvi, has empowered residents of the Inland Empire throughout the pandemic by providing access to food, personal protective equipment, and other resources. The over 100 food drives that For the People Task Force has held within the Inland Empire exemplify the Muslim community’s dedication to giving back to others regardless of their race or faith; and
WHEREAS, Masoud Nassimi served as a co-founder of Afghan American Muslim Outreach (AAMO) in 2006 to empower Afghan American refugees and immigrants with the tools to enhance their local communities. This vision has led AAMO to play a critical role in supporting Afghan arrivals in southern California. AAMO also co-founded the American Network of Services for Afghan Refugees and continues to work with partners to address the needs of the Afghan community in California; and
WHEREAS, Owaiz Dadabhoy co-founded Uplift Charity in 2006 to serve and empower Muslims in southern California to provide the tools and resources for immigrants and low-income families. In 2021, Uplift Charity became the first Muslim-led organization in the region to resettle refugees. They continue to assist Afghan and other refugees seeking safety within southern California and have played a crucial role as a member of the Los Angeles County Afghan Response Taskforce; and
WHEREAS, Salah Elbakri founded Support Life Foundation to respond to the growing need of the community due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank, local mosques, and dozens of volunteers, Support Life distributed over 6,215,000 pounds of food since the start of the pandemic to at-risk communities in the Counties of Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda, San Francisco, and Contra Costa. They also coordinated 11,646 COVID-19 vaccines through mobile clinics; and
WHEREAS, Amelah el-Amin and Zarinah Majied co-founded Eating Rights of MU’EED to deliver hundreds of hot meals weekly and thousands of pounds of fresh produce and dairy to the doorsteps of disenfranchised families, the unhoused, the disabled, the elderly, and other individuals in Alameda County. For over 13 years, MU’EED has provided the unhoused population with meals, hygiene kits, and other services, along with back-to-school backpacks at Humanitarian Day Oakland; and
WHEREAS, It is appropriate to acknowledge and promote awareness of the myriad invaluable contributions of American Muslims in California and across the country, and extend to them the respect and camaraderie every American deserves; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the Assembly joins communities throughout the State of California in recognizing the month of August 2022 as American Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
