On Monday, April 13, more than 400 California Muslims and interfaith allies from across the state gathered in Sacramento for the 15th Annual Muslim Day at the Capitol (MDAC), hosted by the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization. Participants met with 79 lawmakers to urge support for three bills addressing school discrimination, religious inclusion, and government surveillance.
CAIR-CA is a co-sponsor of all three bills:
- AB 2159 (Garcia)– Amends AB 715 to remove language that conflates criticism of Israeli government policy with antisemitism, repositioning it within existing civil rights protections; ensures the Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator role is selected through a merit-based civil service process; and eliminates vague complaint standards that critics say threaten academic freedom.
- AB 2017 (Haney) – Establishes Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as official California state holidays, allowing students and state employees to observe these holidays without penalty.
- SB 1095 (Perez) – Protects the privacy and constitutional rights of Californians by limiting how California Fusion Centers collect, use and share personal information.
The event also featureda press conferencewith remarks from:
- Oussama Mokeddem, Legislative and Government Affairs Director, CAIR-CA
- Hussam Ayloush, CEO, CAIR-CA
- Khydeeja Alam, Executive Director, CA Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs
- Assemblymember Robert Garcia, Author, AB 2159 – Clarifying Educational Equity
- Senator Sasha Renée Pérez, Author, SB 1095 – Expose Data Deportation Centers
In a statement, CAIR-CA CEO Hussam Ayloush said:
“More than 400 Muslims and allies came to Sacramento to make clear that our communities deserve a voice in the decisions that shape our lives. Muslim Day at the Capitol is about turning presence into power and showing that California Muslims will keep organizing and demanding policies that protect our rights and reflect our values.”
CAIR-CA Legislative and Government Affairs Director Oussama Mokeddem added:
“Our message to lawmakers was straightforward: stop censoring our students and teachers in the classroom by conflating political speech with hate speech, let Muslim students and workers observe their holidays without penalty and put real limits on surveillance systems that target vulnerable communities. The Legislature has heard our case. Now it is time to act. All of these bills deserve a fair legislative hearing process.”
All three bills are currently moving through the California Legislature.
CAIR-CA is a chapter of CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
END
CONTACT: CAIR Greater Los Angeles Area Communications Manager Enjy El-Kadi, 714.851.4851, eelkadi@cair.com; CAIR Sacramento Valley/Central California Communications Director Zaid Hisham, 916.441.6269, zhisham@cair.com; CAIR San Diego Executive Director Tazheen Nizam, 760.201.7626, tnizam@cair.com; CAIR San Francisco Bay Area Communications Manager Lorrie Adam, 408.498.5779, ladam@cair.com