Muslim civil rights group calls on community members to urge their senators to support the resolution
(Washington, D.C., 8/3/22) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and its New Jersey chapter (CAIR-NJ) today welcomed the reintroduction of Senator Corey Booker’s U.S. Senate resolution recognizing July as “Muslim-American Heritage Month.”
TAKE ACTION: Urge Your Senator to Support Recognizing July as “Muslim-American Heritage Month”
The resolution was introduced on July 31 and co-sponsored by leading Democratic Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Alex Padilla (D-CA).
The resolution recognizes the importance of American Muslim figures, including El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, Imam Warith Deen Mohamed, Muhammad Ali, and Ibtihaj Muhammad. It also notes American Muslims’ contributions to American society as business owners, entrepreneurs, healthcare professionals, humanitarians, scientists, and students. More notably, the resolution also recognizes sustained biases that American Muslims experience and calls for public education, awareness, and policies that are “culturally competent” when discussing the American Muslim community.
The resolution was first introduced last year in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representative Karen Bass (D-CA) and in the Senate by Senator Booker.
The congressional “Muslim-American Heritage Month” resolution is in part based on Representative Judy Chu’s (D-CA) 2018 and 2019 resolutions “Recognizing American Muslims‘ history and contributions to our Nation.”
In a statement, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said:
“We again thank Senator Booker and the many other members of Congress who are working to get July recognized as Muslim-American Heritage Month. Muslims have been in the Americas before the founding of our nation and have contributed to our nation’s rise at every stage of its development. It is time our nation recognizes and celebrates the heritage and culture of American Muslims in the United States.”
In a statement, CAIR-NJ Executive Director Selaedin Maksut said:
“Muslim are not new to America — some of America’s first slaves were Muslim — and, as a community, we have long contributed to American society. We appreciate that this resolution recognizes generations of American Muslims, past and present.
“We also applaud the resolution’s consideration of biases that American Muslims face. It is important that our legislators do so while also drafting new policy to address this issue head on.
“New Jersey does have the highest percentage of Muslims in America and it is our hope that Senator Booker will take lead on additional initiatives targeting issues that affect the American Muslim community directly, like protection against surveillance and entrapment, relief for incarcerated Muslims, refuge for Muslims fleeing precarious living conditions in Afghanistan following the hasty U.S. withdrawal, and civil liberty protections for all Americans.
“We look forward to further collaboration between Senator Booker and his Muslim constituents on bills that bring about positive change for the community and our nation.”
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
Become a Fan of CAIR on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/CAIRNational
Subscribe to CAIR’s Email List
https://action.cair.com/a/newsletters
Subscribe to CAIR’s Twitter Feed
http://twitter.com/cairnational
Subscribe to CAIR’s YouTube Channel
Follow CAIR on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cair_national/
Donate to CAIR
https://action.cair.com/a/donate
Do you like reading CAIR press releases and taking part in our action alerts? You can help contribute to CAIR’s work of defending civil rights and empowering American Muslims across the country by making a one-time contribution or becoming a monthly donor. Supporters like you make CAIR’s advocacy work possible and defeating Islamophobia an achievable goal. Click here to donate to CAIR.
If you would like to join CAIR’s media list, please sign up here: https://action.cair.com/a/newsletters — For more information, email: [email protected], CC [email protected]
END
CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, [email protected]; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]