20 Rights That You Should Know

At CAIR-WA, we believe that all people should know and be able to stand up for their rights. If your rights are violated, there are places to turn! If you’re Muslim (or are perceived as Muslim) and have been discriminated against because of that identity, you can reach out to CAIR-WA for help.

For a primer on discrimination, harassment, and protected classes, check out our website knowyourrightswa.com. In honor of CAIR-WA's twentieth anniversary as a chapter, we are sharing twenty key civil rights that you have in the U.S. that we think you should know.

20 Ways to Advocate for a Cause You Care About

With the start of Washington state’s 2023 legislative session coming up in January, we wanted to take a moment to remind you of ways to advocate for a cause you care about. In honor of CAIR-WA's twentieth anniversary as a chapter, we came up with twenty ways that you can make a difference. During the legislative session, keep an eye out for action alerts, our legislative agenda, and information about Muslim Day at the Capitol 2023 (MDAC). The best way to keep up with CAIR-WA is to sign up for our newsletter.

Thank You for Celebrating Our 20th Anniversary with Us!

After three years of online events, CAIR-WA supporters were back in full force on Saturday, November 12, with a full house at MAPS Redmond. Attendees connected, ate, and heard from a special panel about the twenty-year history of CAIR-WA. Other featured guests included Nicky Smith from the International Rescue Committee discussing CAIR-WA’s Immigrant Justice Project, Imam Omar Tawil, and awardee Imam Yahya Suufi of the Muslim American Youth Foundation.

There are many ways to support Muslims students and families in Washington’s schools. If you’re a teacher or school administrator, you can take action in your schools and classrooms. If you are a fellow student, parent, or community member, you can show support and encourage your local school’s administration to adopt further equitable policies and practices.

On June 23, Gov. Jay Inslee issued a proclamation declaring July 2022 Muslim American Heritage Month in Washington state. As a Washingtonian and a proud Somali American Muslim, the governor’s proclamation means honoring and celebrating the many distinct cultures of our Muslim neighbors.

Because schools are foundational to any neighborhood, CAIR-WA is here to help teachers support Muslim kids and ensure that Muslim families and students receive quality education in Washington.

This past Ramadan, Community Organizer Seemab Hussaini caught up with NBA legend and racial justice advocate Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. As an NBA star, Abdul-Rauf gained fame after refusing to stand for The Star-Spangled Banner and opting to pray silently. This sparked controversy, and Abdul-Rauf was fined each game, eventually costing him his future. In the NBA, Mahmoud was vocal about racial justice before it became a hashtag. And he continues to stand for justice through his work on and off the court.

Even as CAIR-WA takes pride on focusing on local policies affecting Washington Muslims, it is also critical to remember how the global waves of Islamophobia directly affect our community as well. The global War on Terror launched by the US in the 2003 marked the start of an unprecedented wave of hate and discrimination globally, leading to unimaginable destruction in both Muslim and non-Muslim countries abroad.

Prime examples of this include China’s genocide and continued occupation of Uyghurs and other Turks in occupied East Turkistan, with the Chinese state apparatus using the pretext of “erasing terrorism” to put millions of Muslims in torture and death-ridden concentration camps and prisons.

This year, during CAIRWA’s annual lobbying day, participants advocated for three bills: improving language access in schools, improving language access for prescription drugs, raising the age in the juvenile legal system, and advocated against one bad policing bill.

Every year CAIR Washington holds Muslim Day at the Capitol (MDAC) during Washington state’s legislative session. In 2022, the short session runs from mid-January to mid-March.

At the beginning of this year, the team at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Washington launched a campaign that spoke to the persistent wave of hate facing marginalized communities nationally and across our state: “No Hate in WA State.” From synagogues and Black-owned businesses being vandalized to a seemingly endless stream of anti-immigrant and anti-refugee sentiment emanating from the public sphere, our state is no stranger to this rising tide of hate.