Over the past years, California has celebrated August as Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month, honoring generations of Muslim Americans for their many social, cultural, and economic contributions.
On Wednesday, the city of Santa Clara, California, presented a proclamation to commemorate the five-year anniversary of the event.
“Muslim Appreciation Month honors generations of Muslim Americans and their many social, cultural and economic contributions to our city, the state and all across the country,” Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor said, SF Gate reported.
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Council on American Islamic Relations San Francisco Bay Area government relations coordinator Sameena Usman welcomed the honor.
“We are part of the Santa Clara family and we want to make sure that we assist and that we are helping those in need.” Usman said.
He added, “we have a number of organizations in Santa Clara. We are very blessed in order to have them be contributing members to this community.”
It came also to honor the Muslim charities contributions during the COVID-19 lockdown, distributing aid to the vulnerable and needy.
History
The California State Assembly first recognized August as “Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month” in 2016.
Bill Quirk, California Assembly member, first introduced resolution HR-59 in June 2016 after an activist approached him on the issue.
This is not the first time California has designated a month to recognize the contributions of the Muslim-American community.
In 2017, Santa Clara County, in California, issued a proclamation recognizing August as “Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month.”
In 2014, the Los Angeles City Council adopted a resolution declaring July 2014 as Muslim American Heritage Month.