The California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today said over 700 Muslim community members, religious leaders, students, and activists took part in yesterday’s 13th Annual Muslim Day at the Capitol (MDAC) in Sacramento.
SEE: CAIR-CA Holds Muslim Day at the Capitol
“MDAC connects our community with lawmakers to champion social justice and advocacy,” said CAIR-CA CEO Hussam Ayloush. “The event has grown in popularity, which shows the increasing civic engagement of California Muslims who are working to shape a more inclusive, tolerant, and just state for everyone.”
MDAC participants attended 70 meetings with elected officials, where they advocated for the following legislation:
- AB-2377: Grants students a religious exemption for fasting during physical education.
- AB-2763: Mandates the inclusion of a “Middle Eastern or North African” category in demographic data collected by state agencies, boards, and commissions.
- Resolution Condemning Islamophobia and Palestinian Hate: Denounces the surge in Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian discrimination in California, acknowledging the state’s commitment to religious freedom and cultural diversity.
The community also expressed its firm opposition to SB-1287, which infringes on students’ rights to free speech and the free exchange of ideas, fundamental to the academic environment in colleges and universities.
CAIR-CA hosted a press conference featuring:
- Assemblymember Luz Rivas, who authored AB-2377
- Assemblymember Bill Essayli, who authored AB-2763
- CAIR-CA CEO Hussam Ayloush
- CAIR-CA Associate Manager of Justice Reinvestment Leena Sabagh
- CAIR San Diego Executive Director Tazheen Nizam