Approximately 100 participants attended the inaugural Muslim Youth Day at L.A. City Hall on Tuesday, July 30 to learn about the inner-workings of local government and civic engagement.
The event, hosted by the Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) and Project Islamic H.O.P.E., included recognition from the L.A. City Council, a tour of City Hall and an educational Muslim youth organizing workshop.
City Council President Herb Wesson personally welcomed the contingent of Angelino Muslim youth during the City Council meeting.
“Welcome to City Hall,” Wesson said as he asked for applause from the audience. “We’re so pleased to have you.”
In a statement, CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush said:
“Today was so important for the young people who attended because they got a chance to see how local decisions are made. Many of them will become voters in a few years, so they needed to understand how decisions impacting the homeless or business regulations in their city are made, as well as how their engagement and advocacy can affect the decision makers.”
In a statement, Project Islamic H.O.P.E. CEO Najee Ali said:
“It was a historic day. Many of the young people who attended today’s event had never been inside City Hall or had seen a City Council meeting. This was important for our youth to see how their local government works and what role they can play. We look forward to future events like this.”
SEE: Photos from First Annual Muslim Youth Day at L.A. City Hall
https://www.facebook.com/pg/cairgla/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10162058754855173
Muslim Youth Day at L.A. City Hall was part of the closing ceremonies for Muslim American Heritage Month in the city of Los Angeles. On June 28, Los Angeles City Council adopted a resolution, introduced by Los Angeles Council member Mitch O’Farrell, recognizing the contributions and activism of the estimated 500,000 Muslim Angelinos in the areas of culture, social services, education, politics, business, technology and the arts.
SEE: L.A. City Council Adopts Muslim American Heritage Month
https://ca.cair.com/losangeles/updates/l-a-city-council-adopts-muslim-american-heritage-month/