AhlulBayt News Agency: The 14th Annual Muslim Day at the Capitol (MDAC) Advocacy Day was held earlier this week in Sacramento. The event was hosted by the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA) and attended by more than 190 California Muslims and interfaith allies from across the state.
Participants met with over 80 lawmakers to advocate for key legislation addressing classroom censorship and the erasure of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) communities in state policy.
CAIR-CA’s 2025 legislative priorities included AB 91, known as the MENA Inclusion Act, which would require California to include a distinct MENA category in state demographic data collection. Accurate data is essential for addressing the needs of Arab, Iranian, Afghan, and other MENA communities who are often rendered invisible in public policy.
Another priority was AB 1468, which CAIR-CA opposes. The bill is seen as a politically motivated attack on Ethnic Studies, threatening to censor discussions about Palestine, anti-Arab racism, Islamophobia, and global justice. While reports suggest the bill may be withdrawn, CAIR-CA continues to urge lawmakers to reject any attempt to repackage its harmful agenda under a new bill number or framing.
The event also featured a press conference with remarks from CAIR-CA CEO Hussam Ayloush, Basha Jamil (CAIR Greater Los Angeles Policy Manager), Professor Theresa Montaña (Chicano/a Studies faculty at CSU Northridge and chair of the California Faculty Association Teacher Education Caucus), Tazheen Nizam (CAIR San Diego Executive Director), and Rabbi Cat Zavis (Beyt Tikkun Synagogue).
In a statement on Tuesday, CAIR-CA CEO Hussam Ayloush emphasized the importance of civic engagement, saying, “Yesterday, Muslims from across the state stood united to affirm our place in California’s story. We came as students, parents, educators, and organizers, demanding justice, representation, and a future where our communities are heard and seen. This is how we build lasting power: by showing up, speaking out, and standing together.”
This year’s MDAC Advocacy Day followed Youth Day, held on April 28, which brought together over 300 Muslim students from across the state for leadership training and advocacy meetings with legislators.
Together, the two events represent the largest coordinated civic engagement effort by California Muslims, creating space for intergenerational community power-building at the state level.
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