Bill Text: CA AR43 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Relative to Muslim American Appreciation and Awareness Month.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 51-6)

Status: (Passed) 2017-08-21 - Read. Adopted. (Page 2684.). [AR43 Detail]

Download: California-2017-AR43-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Assembly  July 12, 2017

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

House Resolution

No. 43

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Introduced by Assembly Members Quirk, Chu, and Kalra

June 06, 2017

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Relative to Muslim American Appreciation and Awareness Month.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

HR 43, as amended, Quirk.

Digest Key

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Bill Text

WHEREAS, Freedom of religion holds distinction as 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, Approximately one million Muslim Americans currently reside in California, the highest number of any state in the United States; and

WHEREAS, This Muslim community is recognized as having made innumerable contributions to the cultural, political, and economic fabric and well-being of California and the United States; and

WHEREAS, Muslims have long served in the nation’s armed forces and fought in all major United States wars, from the American Revolutionary War to modern conflicts today, with some Muslim Americans making the ultimate sacrifice in combat; and

WHEREAS, The first all-women mosque was opened in Los Angeles, California in 2015, creating a safe space for Muslim American women to become empowered and create a network of resources to allow for shared growth and respect among different communities; and

WHEREAS, Zaytuna College, located in Berkeley, California, is the first accredited Muslim undergraduate college in the United States; and

WHEREAS, California is the 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, and in many other great, notable capacities; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Shamim Ibrahim, a Muslim psychologist and counselor with the Los Angeles Unified School District, founded Niswa Association, Inc. in 1990, a nonprofit community-based, social service organization based in Harbor City, California that works toward the well-being of South Asian, Afghan, and Middle Eastern immigrant women; and

WHEREAS, Moustapha Akkad, director producer of the famous Hollywood horror movie series “Halloween,” was a Syrian American immigrant to California, and a student at both the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Southern California; and

WHEREAS, Halim Dhanidina was the first Muslim American to be appointed as a judge in California with his appointment to the Los Angeles County Superior Court in 2012; and

WHEREAS, University of California, Berkeley student Sadia Saifuddin was appointed as the first Muslim student regent to the Board of Regents of California in 2014; and

WHEREAS, Mahershala Ali, born in Oakland and raised in Hayward, California, became the first Muslim American actor to win an Academy Award for his performance in the film “Moonlight” in 2017; and

WHEREAS, Ibtihaj Muhammad, a sabre fencer, became the first female Muslim American athlete to earn a medal at the Olympic Games in 2016 and was also the first fencer to wear a hijab; and

WHEREAS, Ahmed Zewail was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1999 and was a professor of chemistry and physics at the California Institute of Technology; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Ayib Ayub Khan Ommaya invented the Ommaya reservoir that is used to provide chemotherapy directly to the tumor site for brain tumors and was also the leading expert in traumatic brain injuries; and

WHEREAS, Keith Ellison, who has represented the Fifth Congressional District of Minnesota since 2007, is the first Muslim American to be elected to the United States Congress; and

WHEREAS, Since September 11, 2001, due to the recent surge of overseas and domestic terrorism done under the name of Islam, Muslim Americans in California continue to face harassment, assault, and discrimination; and

WHEREAS, According to a special report of a research project of Georgetown University, during 2015, there were approximately 174 reported incidents of anti-Muslim violence and vandalism in the United States, including: 12 murders, 29 physical assaults, 50 threats against persons or institutions, 54 acts of vandalism or destruction of property, eight arsons, and nine shootings or bombings, among other incidents; and

WHEREAS, The level of anti-Muslim rhetoric has skyrocketed since November 2016; and

WHEREAS, Civil rights groups report that between 2015 and 2016 there has been an increase in the vandalism at mosques, intimidation, and hate speech targeted at Muslims and Muslim Americans; and

WHEREAS, It is appropriate to acknowledge and promote awareness of the myriad invaluable contributions of Muslim Americans 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 2017 as Muslim American 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.