Pictures – CAIR California San Diego

Alhumdulillah, yesterday @cairsandiego put on a su

Alhumdulillah, yesterday @cairsandiego put on a successful Know Your Rights (KYR) event for our newly arrived Afghan families. The event was held at the Islamic Center of San Diego East County and a few of our partner agencies helped make the event a success! We were able to help 50 families, Alhumdulillah.

- Community volunteers were on-site to give families rides to and from their homes and helped set up and clean up.
- Attorney Bashir Ghazialam delivered a great Know Your Rights presentation in Pashto and Farsi! We informed families about the rights they have regarding school, work, housing, or when they engage with law enforcement.
- Global Communities led by Sister Arwa Alkhawaja were there to administer COVID-19 and Flu vaccines.
- ICNA Relief San Diego was there distributing fresh and non-perishable items, hygiene kits, cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer, and toilet paper.
- With donations from the community, we were able to distribute 100 backpacks filled with school supplies and new clothing.
- We were also able to distribute WIC (Women, Infants, Children) program information and career resources.

We sincerely thank our partner agencies and volunteers who stepped up to offer their time and energy to this incredibly important event for the new Afghans. Please keep the newly arrived families in your prayers. JazakAllah Khair and thank you!

Tomorrow at 6pm! Don't miss Marwa Abdalla and Dr.

Tomorrow at 6pm! Don't miss Marwa Abdalla and Dr. Sabreena Ghaffar-Siddiqui as they help us understand the root causes of Islamophobia and how we can work to eradicate it. This is a relevant conversation especially directed towards educators and allies of the Muslim community.

bit.ly/sept28-islamophobia

Guest Speakers:
- Marwa Abdalla | PhD. student at UCSD and researcher (race, religion, culture).
- Dr. Sabreena Ghaffar-Siddiqui | Public speaker, researcher, and human rights advocate.

Please share this with allies and educators throughout San Diego!

Yesterday we were honored to co-host a humanitaria

Yesterday we were honored to co-host a humanitarian parole workshop that helped 140 people, Alhumdulillah!

This workshop was to help Afghan community members who are applying for their friends and family in Afghanistan. Attendees learned about the application process, got their questions answered, and will be staying in contact with us so we can ensure they receive any additional support they need in completing the applications.

This workshop was co-hosted by @cairsandiego, The law offices of Bashir Ghazialam, @mihan_raufy and @islamiccentersd East County, we are so grateful for this partnership!

#IAmAafia CAIR-SD stands in solidarity with Dr. A

#IAmAafia

CAIR-SD stands in solidarity with Dr. Aafia Siddiqui. Wear yellow on Fridays in support of her freedom!
Simply take a photo or video, share it on social media with the hashtag: #IAmAafia

Link in bio for more info.

AB 412, the bill which would make the California C

AB 412, the bill which would make the California Commission on Human Rights a reality for Californians is on the Governor's desk, and we need your support in getting it across the finish line!

Sign this action alert to let Gov. Newsom know we need him to sign it. bit.ly/supportab412

@gavinnewsom
#ab412
#humanrights

CAIR San Diego is honored to share that the San Di

CAIR San Diego is honored to share that the San Diego County Board of Supervisors have designated August as Muslim Appreciation Month, in conjunction with the state of California!

This morning, our Director (Tazheen Nizam) spoke at the Board of Supervisors meeting and humbly accepted this proclamation alongside our team and community leaders (Sr. Ameerah Abdullah, Br. Aziz Purmul and Br. Omar Hassaine, and Officer Nabizadeh); it is an important step in recognizing the many contributions the Muslim community has made across San Diego county.

We also asked for the Board of Supervisors’ continued commitment to the Muslim community by providing social services to the incoming Afghan refugees so they too can call San Diego their home.

On behalf of the Muslim community, we thank the San Diego County Board of Supervisors for demonstrating the county’s commitment to inclusivity and equity.

Starting now at Waterfront Park, Afghanistan suppo

Starting now at Waterfront Park, Afghanistan support rally. Come show your support! 🇦🇫

Meet Sr. Ismahan Abdullahi: MUSLIM APPRECIATION M

Meet Sr. Ismahan Abdullahi:
MUSLIM APPRECIATION MONTH SPOTLIGHT

Sister @ismahan1abdullahi is the Executive Director of MAS-PACE and she also serves on the board of multiple community-based organizations here in San Diego. She is known by many to be one of the most fearless and outspoken leaders in San Diego! When she speaks, people listen. When she speaks, people are moved to action. She is always available to support her community, fighting for their rights and freedoms and working hard to amplify the voices of those who are often shut out of important conversations and decisions.

As a refugee herself, she knows firsthand the impact and importance that equity plays in life; whether it be equitable representation in an election, or equitable access and cost of safe drinking water. Her experiences have also shaped her advocacy and community-building efforts, she has been focused on strengthening the Muslim and Refugee communities in San Diego for over the last 10 years. At the start of 2021, she was appointed to the Board of Directors for the San Diego Water Authority. She has also received numerous accolades in recognition of her work and here are just a few of them; she was recognized by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez’s office as the 2018 Woman of the Year, she received the Power-Builder Award from the NAACP, and the Youth Adult Ally 2019 award.
Sr. Ismahan earned her Bachelor’s degree in Human Biology from UC San Diego and a Master’s degree in Education with a concentration in counseling from San Diego State University.

Thank you, sr. Ismahan for your courage, determination, and no-quit attitude in support of our community!

Meet Br. Abdullah Tahiri: MUSLIM APPRECIATION MONT

Meet Br. Abdullah Tahiri:
MUSLIM APPRECIATION MONTH SPOTLIGHT

A resident of North County, Abdullah Tahiri lives with his wife and four children in San Marcos. Aside from his Master of Fine Arts degree, Abdullah attained his Advanced Leadership Certificate from the University of Southern California (USC). As a servant and community leader, Abdullah sharpened his leadership skills by attaining another leadership certificate (2020) from Cornell University focusing on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Abdullah Tahiri has over 25 years of experience in the financial industry and over 15 years of leadership and management experience in the same field. Abdullah uses his educational and work experience to serve the community and has been involved with a number of non-profit entities. He is currently the president of the board of directors for Tri-City Islamic Center in Vista, CA. His non-profit portfolio also includes working for AFDO (Afghanistan Family Development Organization, APRP (Afghanistan Prenatal Relief Project), and AYCA (Co-Founder - Association for Youth and Community Advancement.). He has also served the North County community by volunteering his time and expertise to be of service to all five Masajid/Musallas in North County (Tri-City Islamic Center, Masjid Al Ittehad, Al Nour Center, Escondido, and Carlsbad musallas).
Abdullah Tahiri is also part of a working group (SD-Afghan Refugees Aid) that is trying to coordinate efforts within the Afghan community here in San Diego to assist new arrivals from Afghanistan.

Abdullah Tahiri is an avid reader and in his spare time, he loves spending time with his family and playing billiard! We thank Br. Abdullah for his tireless dedication to serving his community!

Meet Imam Saifuddin Sabar: MUSLIM APPRECIATION MON

Meet Imam Saifuddin Sabar:
MUSLIM APPRECIATION MONTH SPOTLIGHT

Imam Saifuddin Sabar grew up in the Bay area and moved to San Diego while completing his Hifz. In 2010, he was appointed the Imam of MCC, @mcc_gsd

Imam Saif is not only a dedicated Imam, but also a teacher to the community and youth. You will find Imam Saif supporting and helping a multitude of local organizations. His kind demeanor makes him approachable and pleasant to work with all around.

Imam Saif is involved in interfaith work including relationships with various churches and colleges. Imam Saif also consistently visits and works with Muslims in the prison system.

Meet @jeaninesubhia : MUSLIM APPRECIATION MONTH SP

Meet @jeaninesubhia :
MUSLIM APPRECIATION MONTH SPOTLIGHT

As a Policy Associate at Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans - PANA, Jeanine leads PANA's community listening sessions, advocacy campaigns, redistricting efforts and engages the community in PANA’s policy priorities to fight for the economic, social, and civic inclusion of refugee and immigrant communities.

Jeanine holds a B.S. in Public Health Sciences and a B.A. in History from the University of California, Irvine. Jeanine dedicates her free time to volunteering with the Majdal Center - مركز مجدل in El Cajon, a grassroots, locally driven institution, committed to uplifting the Arab community in San Diego through political engagement, advocacy, and cultural programming. She is a passionate advocate for health education and volunteers with HEART, an organization that works to ensure Muslims have the resources, language, and choice to nurture sexual health and confront sexual violence.

Jeanine recently completed a certificate program on gender-based violence titled “Caring Communities— Taking on Gender-Based Violence” through the Bayan Islamic Graduate School in Chicago.

Thank you Jeanine for all the work you do, we can't wait to see what more you accomplish in the years to come!

Join us for a Facebook Live session today, Aug. 19

Join us for a Facebook Live session today, Aug. 19, at 6 p.m. PST!
SFBA-based Immigration Attorney Spojmie Nasiri, CAIR-LA Policy & Advocacy Manager Fayaz Nawabi, and CAIR - SFBA Managing Attorney Brittney Rezaei will be discussing immigration and policy resources for Afghanistan.

🔗: https://www.facebook.com/cairca

Here's what you can do to help the people of #Afg

Here's what you can do to help the people of #Afghanistan! #Takeaction, #donate, and share resources, including our recently published community advisory at bit.ly/cair-afghanistan. 🇦🇫

Afghan-Americans with family in Afghanistan who ne

Afghan-Americans with family in Afghanistan who need asylum in the U.S should contact us, we are here to help!

If someone you know is a U.S. citizen trying to leave Afghanistan right now, please fill out the State Department’s form: tinyurl.com/flythemtosafety

Meet Ameerah Abdullah: MUSLIM APPRECIATION MONTH

Meet Ameerah Abdullah:
MUSLIM APPRECIATION MONTH SPOTLIGHT

Ameerah Abdullah Is currently the Chief financial Officer for Masjidul Taqwa San Diego. She is the daughter of Yusuf Abdullah, one of the founders of Masjid Taqwa. She was raised in the Nation of Islam before converting to Orthodox Islam. From her time in the Nation of Islam, she was raised up to be proud of her African American heritage at a time when racism against the Black community was rampant, and that confidence has stuck with her ever since. She had also worked for Elijah Muhammad as a Secretary.

In her youth, she witnessed her father and uncles being arrested for preaching Islam, the women of the community stepped up to keep the Masjid open and keep the community operations going. This was an important experience for her to see the leadership of women in her community. This experience along with countless others has shaped the resolve and work ethic of Sr. Ameerah.

MashaAllah, we are blessed to have her as a pillar in the Masjidul Taqwa and San Diego community!

Meet Laila Aziz: MUSLIM APPRECIATION MONTH SPOTLIG

Meet Laila Aziz: MUSLIM APPRECIATION MONTH SPOTLIGHT

@halimaaziz is the Director of Operations with Pillars of the Community San Diego. She has spent most of her life in Southeast San Diego, and is a staunch advocate for Black and Brown communities. She has grown up with the traumatic experience of being stopped and searched and even handcuffed by police officers without any probable cause.

Her experiences have also equipped her with the realities of the justice system, and fueled her passion for grass-roots community service work and restorative justice. Sr. Laila focuses her efforts on the importance of funding youth violence prevention programs, defunding and reforming local law enforcement, addressing the root causes of poverty, criminal justice reform and more.

Thank you Sr. Laila for your dedication to the people of Southeast San Diego!

Meet Ghouse Mohammed: MUSLIM APPRECIATION MONTH SP

Meet Ghouse Mohammed: MUSLIM APPRECIATION MONTH SPOTLIGHT

Ghouse Mohammed is a software engineer at Qualcomm, but he wears many other hats through his volunteer work for the San Diego Muslim community.
He is the chairperson of the Muslim Leadership Council of San Diego, which developed a warm meals program that supported community members impacted by COVID-19. He also volunteers at the Islamic Center of San Diego (ICSD); you can find him on Fridays at ICSD helping people cross the street, check-in for Jummah prayer, supporting community events, and participating in Interfaith services.

His dedication to showing up every week and volunteering his time is remarkable, it reminds us of this hadith from our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): "The most beloved deed to Allah is the most regular and constant, even if it were little” [Sahih Bukhari].

Also, anyone who has met br. Ghouse would agree that he does eveything with a smile and with humility, a beautiful trait that our Prophet (pbuh) exemplified and encouraged.

Br. Ghouse, thank you for your dedication and service to our community!

Meet Arwa Alkhawaja: MUSLIM APPRECIATION MONTH SPO

Meet Arwa Alkhawaja:
MUSLIM APPRECIATION MONTH SPOTLIGHT

@arwaalkhawaja1 is a community organizer, educator, a certified leadership/executive coach, and also a recent graduate of the University of San Diego’s Masters in Leadership Studies Program.
She has 20 years of experience teaching at the Bright Horizon Academy/Islamic School of San Diego (ISSD) and is a key member of the San Diego Muslim community. She has worked with the ISSD school board to help improve education outcomes and modernize the curriculum. As an educator at ISSD,
Sister Arwa also helped pioneer an outreach program for visiting public-school students that gave their students the experience and leadership training necessary to be the very best advocates of their communities’ cultures.

MashaAllah, we are privileged to have her in San Diego and benefit from her dedication to community!

Join us now for chai and samosas at Lindbergh Neig

Join us now for chai and samosas at Lindbergh Neighborhood Park (next to Islamic Center of San Diego)!

We are here until 7pm, let us know if you're coming!

Meet Sh. Abdeljalil Mezgouri: MUSLIM APPRECIATION

Meet Sh. Abdeljalil Mezgouri:
MUSLIM APPRECIATION MONTH SPOTLIGHT

Shaykh Abdeljalil Mezgouri is an Imam of the Islamic Center of San Diego. He is known as a prolific and dynamic speaker who dedicates himself as a tireless supporter of the Islamic cause. Shaykh Mezgouri is known amongst Muslims in North America as a passionate supporter and speaker with Islamic Relief, CAIR, MAS and many other Islamic organizations. He is also known for his active involvement with the Muslim youth of America.

Jummah Mubarak, wishing you all a great weekend!

Meet Homayra Yusufi | MUSLIM APPRECIATION MONTH SP

Meet Homayra Yusufi | MUSLIM APPRECIATION MONTH SPOTLIGHT

Homayra Yusufi grew up in San Diego but was born in war-torn Afghanistan. Her family immigrated to the United States during the Cold War and she’s called San Diego home ever since. Ms. Yusufi has spent the past five years working as a policy expert at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) focusing on immigration and education policy. Ms. Yusufi completed her masters in Public Policy from the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley. She recently chose to become a stay at home mom but could not stay away for too long. She currently serves as the Deputy Director of PANA.

Ms. Yusufi is one of many Muslim leaders in San Diego. Throughout this month, we will share the stories and accomplishments of Muslim community leaders who are changing San Diego for the better. STAY TUNED!

August is Muslim Appreciation Month! 💚 This mon

August is Muslim Appreciation Month! 💚
This month, we will honor Muslims that have made important contributions to the San Diego Muslim community.

Before we honor our local community members, here is a look back at one of the earliest accounts of Muslims in the United States, Omar Ibn Said. His story can uplift Muslims in the U.S, it's a reminder that Muslims have lived in this country for centuries; we belong here.

- Ibn Said was captured in West Africa in 1807, and he "lived the remainder of his life enslaved in the American South, and his story might have been forgotten if not for the handwritten autobiography he left behind."

- Ibn Said's story "opens us up to understanding that there were non-Christians present at the founding of this nation, and not only at the founding of this nation, but that helped build this nation...It challenges the idea that this was a quote ‘Christian nation’ from the beginning.”

- "Islam is not new to the United States; it was here before the country was founded; it was present among the people who helped build this country; and it has very much been a part of the thread of America’s story.”

You can read his full story here:
https://www.voanews.com/usa/all-about-america/americas-first-muslims-were-slaves?fbclid=IwAR1HociR4lU6RNsrGtnYG7d0WCX-nhbudPvbZgIBF8y7aj26bn0iKxnDliU

SAVE THE DATE! CAIR San Diego’s 15th Annual Gala

SAVE THE DATE!
CAIR San Diego’s 15th Annual Gala is on Saturday, October 16th!

For sponsorship opportunities, email us at: info@sandiego.cair.com

Stay tuned for more information!

JULY 31st is the last day to enter and win an Appl

JULY 31st is the last day to enter and win an Apple Watch or Apple AirPods!

Help us combat Islamophobia in the classroom. We're asking Muslim students in California between the ages of 11 and 18 to complete a quick survey for their chance to win an Apple Watch or AirPods.

Visit bit.ly/21bullyingsurvey today!

Contest rules: https://ca.cair.com/sweepstakes/

We go live in 10 minutes for the final session of

We go live in 10 minutes for the final session of Muslim Youth Live!

This upcoming session is titled, Take a Seat at the Table and features Maimona Afzal, educator and member of Franklin-McKinley School Board, and Farrah Khan, Mayor of Irvine, CA.
Register at bit.ly/myliveca

Eid Mubarak, San Diego! Our team wishes you and yo

Eid Mubarak, San Diego!
Our team wishes you and your family a joyful Eid Al-Adha!

Stop by our table at @islamiccentersd to hear about our latest updates!

CAIR-CA needs your support to reach a permanent so

CAIR-CA needs your support to reach a permanent solution for DACA recipients today. We cannot tolerate politically motivated attacks on immigrant youth that put them at risk of being separated from their loved ones to continue.
Sign this action alert and share it with your family and friends: bit.ly/cair-daca

Jummah Mubarak! A friendly reminder to make the m

Jummah Mubarak!

A friendly reminder to make the most of these first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah.

#dhulhijjah
#cair

Join us for our sixth session of Muslim Youth Live

Join us for our sixth session of Muslim Youth Live featuring Dr. Noha Alshugairi about the importance of mental health during COVID-19.

Dr. Alshugairi is currently a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapy in private practice in Newport Beach. In addition, she is a Certified Positive Discipline Trainer.
Register now for this important discussion at bit.ly/myliveca

#muslimyouth
#mentalhealth

The Muslim Youth Leadership Intensive is a two-day

The Muslim Youth Leadership Intensive is a two-day virtual program designed to equip high school students with the necessary skills to establish and execute organizing projects that empower their communities. Apply now for this program that you won't want to miss!

ca.cair.com/myli

Join Imam Dawood Yasin this Sunday, July 11 at 2:0

Join Imam Dawood Yasin this Sunday, July 11 at 2:00pm!
Topic: Islamic Ethics of Environmental Justice

Imam Dawood Yasin is the Director of Student Life & Instructor of Experiential Learning Program at Zaytuna College. He is an instructor, religious leader, and outdoor enthusiast.

Register here: bit.ly/myliveca

California High Schoolers! Here Are Five Reasons t

California High Schoolers!
Here Are Five Reasons to Apply for the 2021 Muslim Youth Leadership Intensive:

1. Learn about civic engagement
2. Learn how to organize in your community
3. Cultivate new relationships
4. Develop career skills
5. Practice civic leadership

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