CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20212022 REGULAR SESSION House Resolution No. 58Introduced by Assembly Member Quirk(Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Kalra and Lee)June 29, 2021 Relative to American Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTHR 58, as introduced, Quirk. Digest KeyBill TextWHEREAS, Freedom of religion holds the distinction of being a cherished right and a fundamental value upon which the law and ethics of the United States are based; andWHEREAS, Civil rights groups report that there continues to be an increase in the vandalism at mosques, intimidation, bullying, and hate speech targeted at American Muslims, including the 2019 burning of a mosque in Escondido, California; andWHEREAS, 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; andWHEREAS, Approximately one million American Muslims currently reside in California, the highest number of any state in the United States; andWHEREAS, The American 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; andWHEREAS, American Muslims have long served in the Armed Forces of the United States and fought in all major United States wars, from the American Revolutionary War to modern conflicts today, with some American Muslims making the ultimate sacrifice in combat; andWHEREAS, Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) was incorporated in Los Angeles, California in 1993 and since then has served over 75,000,000 people worldwide in over 80 countries, caring for orphans, the elderly, and those who are sick, and by providing water, food, education, and disaster relief. Islamic Relief USA has created a $5,000,000 COVID-19 emergency response fund for financial assistance, food pantry grants, hygiene kits, and producing webinars and was listed on the USAIDs list of faith-based organizations responding to COVID-19; andWHEREAS, The first all-women mosque in the United States was opened in Los Angeles, California in 2015 that complements existing mosques, offering opportunities for women to grow, learn, and gain inspiration to spread throughout their respective communities. The Womens Mosque of America fosters a welcoming space for American Muslim women and creates a network of resources to allow for shared growth and respect among different communities; andWHEREAS, Zaytuna College, founded in 2009 in Berkeley, California, is the first accredited Muslim undergraduate college in the United States with a mission that called for grounding students in the Islamic scholarly tradition as well as in the cultural currents and critical ideas shaping modern society; andWHEREAS, The University Muslim Medical Association (UMMA) Community Clinic is the first American Muslim founded community-based health organization in the United States, providing medical care to tens of thousands of people who are underserved; andWHEREAS, The Council on American-Islamic Relations is Americas largest civil liberties group whose mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims, and in 2019, its national organization and California chapter celebrated their 25th anniversary; andWHEREAS, California is 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; andWHEREAS, Dr. Suzanne Barakat is a founding member of Our Three Winners, a foundation created after the murder of her brother Deah Barakat (23), his wife Yusor Abu-Salha (21), and her sister Razan Abu-Salha (19) in 2015. In addition to being a practicing physician, Dr. Barakat dedicates her time to further the legacy of #OurThreeWinners in its philanthropy and worldwide humanitarian work and by speaking out against Islamophobia and violence against Muslims; andWHEREAS, 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; andWHEREAS, Comedian Hasan Minhaj born in Davis, California is the creator and host of Patriot Act on Netflix, an informative political comedy show educating viewers by highlighting complicated subjects through the lens of humor; andWHEREAS, G. Willow Wilson and Sana Amanat cocreated a new version of Ms. Marvel, the first American Muslim superhero to headline her own Marvel comic book and upcoming television series, inspiring a generation of kids to become real-life superheroes through creating positive change; andWHEREAS, 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; andWHEREAS, Dr. 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; andWHEREAS, Nagi Daifallah played an important role for the United Farm Workers (UFW) in the 1970s by serving as a translator and was killed during a nonviolent protest and is remembered by the UFW as a martyr; andWHEREAS, Ibtihaj Muhammad is a saber fencer, an author, and an entrepreneur who became the first female American Muslim athlete to earn a medal at the Olympic Games in 2016 and the first fencer to wear a hijab. President Obama nominated Muhammad to be a member of the Presidents Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, Time magazine listed her among its 100 most-influential people, and Mattel issued a Barbie doll in her likeness as part of their Shero line; andWHEREAS, Halim Dhanidina was the first American Muslim to be appointed as a judge in California with his appointment to the Los Angeles County Superior Court in 2012, and in 2018, his appointment to the Second District Court of Appeal would make him the first American Muslim justice in the history of the California Courts of Appeal; andWHEREAS, In 2018, Aisha Wahab was elected to the Hayward City Council and became the first Afghan American elected to public office in the United States. Wahab was named by San Francisco Business Times among 2017s Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business; andWHEREAS, University of California, Berkeley student Sadia Saifuddin was appointed as the first American Muslim student regent to the Board of Regents of the University of California in 2014; andWHEREAS, Mahershala Ali, born in Oakland and raised in Hayward, California, became the first American Muslim actor to win an Academy Award for his performance in the film Moonlight in 2017; andWHEREAS, Aziz Akbari became the youngest American Muslim to be elected into office in the United States when he won a seat on the Board of Directors of the Alameda County Water District; andWHEREAS, It is appropriate to acknowledge and promote awareness of the myriad invaluable contributions of American Muslims in California and across the country, and extend to them the respect and camaraderie every American deserves; now, therefore, be itResolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the Assembly joins communities throughout the State of California in recognizing the month of August 2021 as American Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month; and be it furtherResolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20212022 REGULAR SESSION House Resolution No. 58Introduced by Assembly Member Quirk(Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Kalra and Lee)June 29, 2021 Relative to American Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTHR 58, as introduced, Quirk. Digest Key
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20212022 REGULAR SESSION
House Resolution
No. 58
Introduced by Assembly Member Quirk(Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Kalra and Lee)June 29, 2021
Introduced by Assembly Member Quirk(Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Kalra and Lee)
June 29, 2021
Relative to American Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
## LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
HR 58, as introduced, Quirk.
## Digest Key
## Bill Text
WHEREAS, Freedom of religion holds the distinction of being a cherished right and a fundamental value upon which the law and ethics of the United States are based; and
WHEREAS, Civil rights groups report that there continues to be an increase in the vandalism at mosques, intimidation, bullying, and hate speech targeted at American Muslims, including the 2019 burning of a mosque in Escondido, California; 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 American Muslims currently reside in California, the highest number of any state in the United States; and
WHEREAS, The American 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, American Muslims have long served in the Armed Forces of the United States and fought in all major United States wars, from the American Revolutionary War to modern conflicts today, with some American Muslims making the ultimate sacrifice in combat; and
WHEREAS, Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) was incorporated in Los Angeles, California in 1993 and since then has served over 75,000,000 people worldwide in over 80 countries, caring for orphans, the elderly, and those who are sick, and by providing water, food, education, and disaster relief. Islamic Relief USA has created a $5,000,000 COVID-19 emergency response fund for financial assistance, food pantry grants, hygiene kits, and producing webinars and was listed on the USAIDs list of faith-based organizations responding to COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, The first all-women mosque in the United States was opened in Los Angeles, California in 2015 that complements existing mosques, offering opportunities for women to grow, learn, and gain inspiration to spread throughout their respective communities. The Womens Mosque of America fosters a welcoming space for American Muslim women and creates a network of resources to allow for shared growth and respect among different communities; and
WHEREAS, Zaytuna College, founded in 2009 in Berkeley, California, is the first accredited Muslim undergraduate college in the United States with a mission that called for grounding students in the Islamic scholarly tradition as well as in the cultural currents and critical ideas shaping modern society; and
WHEREAS, The University Muslim Medical Association (UMMA) Community Clinic is the first American Muslim founded community-based health organization in the United States, providing medical care to tens of thousands of people who are underserved; and
WHEREAS, The Council on American-Islamic Relations is Americas largest civil liberties group whose mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims, and in 2019, its national organization and California chapter celebrated their 25th anniversary; and
WHEREAS, California is 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. Suzanne Barakat is a founding member of Our Three Winners, a foundation created after the murder of her brother Deah Barakat (23), his wife Yusor Abu-Salha (21), and her sister Razan Abu-Salha (19) in 2015. In addition to being a practicing physician, Dr. Barakat dedicates her time to further the legacy of #OurThreeWinners in its philanthropy and worldwide humanitarian work and by speaking out against Islamophobia and violence against Muslims; 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, Comedian Hasan Minhaj born in Davis, California is the creator and host of Patriot Act on Netflix, an informative political comedy show educating viewers by highlighting complicated subjects through the lens of humor; and
WHEREAS, G. Willow Wilson and Sana Amanat cocreated a new version of Ms. Marvel, the first American Muslim superhero to headline her own Marvel comic book and upcoming television series, inspiring a generation of kids to become real-life superheroes through creating positive change; 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. 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, Nagi Daifallah played an important role for the United Farm Workers (UFW) in the 1970s by serving as a translator and was killed during a nonviolent protest and is remembered by the UFW as a martyr; and
WHEREAS, Ibtihaj Muhammad is a saber fencer, an author, and an entrepreneur who became the first female American Muslim athlete to earn a medal at the Olympic Games in 2016 and the first fencer to wear a hijab. President Obama nominated Muhammad to be a member of the Presidents Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, Time magazine listed her among its 100 most-influential people, and Mattel issued a Barbie doll in her likeness as part of their Shero line; and
WHEREAS, Halim Dhanidina was the first American Muslim to be appointed as a judge in California with his appointment to the Los Angeles County Superior Court in 2012, and in 2018, his appointment to the Second District Court of Appeal would make him the first American Muslim justice in the history of the California Courts of Appeal; and
WHEREAS, In 2018, Aisha Wahab was elected to the Hayward City Council and became the first Afghan American elected to public office in the United States. Wahab was named by San Francisco Business Times among 2017s Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business; and
WHEREAS, University of California, Berkeley student Sadia Saifuddin was appointed as the first American Muslim student regent to the Board of Regents of the University of California in 2014; and
WHEREAS, Mahershala Ali, born in Oakland and raised in Hayward, California, became the first American Muslim actor to win an Academy Award for his performance in the film Moonlight in 2017; and
WHEREAS, Aziz Akbari became the youngest American Muslim to be elected into office in the United States when he won a seat on the Board of Directors of the Alameda County Water District; and
WHEREAS, It is appropriate to acknowledge and promote awareness of the myriad invaluable contributions of American Muslims 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 2021 as American Muslim 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.