WHEREAS, Freedom of religion holds distinction as 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 between 2015 and 2016 there has been continues to be an increase in the vandalism at mosques, intimidation, and hate speech targeted at Muslims and Muslim Americans; and

WHEREAS, The number of anti-Muslim groups in the United States tripled between 2015 and 2016; 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 Muslim Americans currently reside in California, the highest number of any state in the United States; and

WHEREAS, This 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, Muslims have long served in the nation’s armed forces and fought in all major United States wars, from the American Revolutionary War to modern conflicts today, with some Muslim Americans making the ultimate sacrifice in combat; and

WHEREAS, The first all-women mosque was opened in Los Angeles, California in 2015, creating a safe space for Muslim American women to become empowered and create a network of resources to allow for shared growth and respect among different communities; and

WHEREAS, Zaytuna College, located in Berkeley, California, is the first accredited Muslim undergraduate college in the United States; 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. 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, Moustapha Akkad, producer of the famous Hollywood horror movie series “Halloween,” was a Syrian American immigrant to California, and a student at both the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Southern California; 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, Ibtihaj Muhammad, a sabre fencer, became the first female Muslim American athlete to earn a medal at the Olympic Games in 2016 and was also the first fencer to wear a hijab; and

WHEREAS, Halim Dhanidina was the first Muslim American 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 Muslim American justice in the history of the California Courts of Appeal; and

WHEREAS, University of California, Berkeley student Sadia Saifuddin was appointed as the first Muslim student regent to the Board of Regents of California in 2014; and

WHEREAS, Mahershala Ali, born in Oakland and raised in Hayward, California, became the first Muslim American actor to win an Academy Award for his performance in the film “Moonlight” in 2017; and

WHEREAS, It is appropriate to acknowledge and promote awareness of the myriad invaluable contributions of Muslim Americans in California and across the country, and extend to them the respect and camaraderie every American deserves; now, therefore, be it