Dear Friends and Supporters,
The year 2021 was another challenging year for our community and the world, as we worked to combat COVID-19 in our communities across California. It also saw U.S. troops withdrawal from Afghanistan, resulting in a chaotic humanitarian crisis on the ground and around the world, as thousands of refugees fled and worked to resettle.
I am so proud of the change CAIR California (CAIR-CA) was able to make on these important, once-in-a-generation issues. Our efforts this year transformed lives, kept communities safe, strengthened civil rights, and empowered American Muslims––including those who have only recently arrived on our shores. CAIR-CA worked to help Afghans find stable and safe homes here in California and ensured they had a partner in navigating the legal complexities in doing so.
CAIR-CA also participated in virtual and in-person events aimed at increasing access to, and uptake of, the COVID-19 vaccine across California as we combat the deadly pandemic. But 2021 also saw the perpetual challenges American Muslims face, the fights in which CAIR-CA has been involved for many years.
CAIR-CA was involved in countless interventions to combat civil rights violations of Muslims across the state, from holding law enforcement accountable for violating the right to wear a hijab, to holding the FBI accountable for rampant discrimination against American Muslims at the United States Supreme Court––an event 10 years in the making.
As always, CAIR-CA drove community engagement across the state––from volunteering in pivotal elections to advocating for legislation, to ensuring we have an equal seat at the table during the critical redistricting process.
And we did so by standing together as one community––working to ensure we all live in safe environments free from discrimination and mentoring the next generation of young Muslims to carry on our important work into the future.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE REPORT
Sincerely,
Amana Siddiqi
Chair of the Board, CAIR California