Muslim Day At The Capitol (MDAC) 2021
(Virtual Day At The Capitol)
Join hundreds of Minnesotans at the upcoming Muslim Day At The Capitol 2021 as we come together to discuss challenges facing our communities and steps we can take with our legislature.
This past year has been a trying one for the Muslim community. With the blessings of Allah, the Muslim community has grown in many ways. But perhaps the most foundational blessing of 2020 is to show us just how powerful we are when we come together. Yet, there is still so much to do. Racism & Islamophobia are alive and well in the very political fabric of our nation. We need to protect the rights of immigrants. We need to protect renters from eviction. We need to strengthen voting access. We need to tackle rising Islamophobia and white nationalism.
This year, 2021, comes with both political responsibilities and opportunities in Minnesota. The redistricting of the entire MN electoral districts is taking place this year. As well, our duty as Muslim is to represent and give our message of Islam to the rest of the world.
The 17th Muslim Day at the Capitol (MDAC) is on Tuesday, February 16th , 2021.
Event Outline:
- All attendees are invited to the virtual rally at 6:00 Pm.
- Faith agenda grounding is held at 7:00 Pm.
- Attendees are placed into small groups to meet with their legislators about our faith agenda. We are making appointments on behalf of attendees as of now. Appointments start at 7:30 PM
Muslim Day at the Capitol Schedule:
| Group Rally | 6:00 PM |
| Agenda Review | 7:00 PM |
| Group Appointments | 7:30 PM |
MDAC Legislative Agenda 2021
(Click here To download a copy of our legislative agenda)
Support the Religious Holiday Recognition Bill
- Permits school districts to “consider the community’s religious observances when adopting a school calendar.”
- This would allow school districts to recognize the needs of their students when determining breaks, thus increasing local control and improving the district’s ability to better serve families.
- Permissive language means the bill allows but does not require school districts to act.
- Status: This bill is scheduled to be heard in a house committee by March 2021. This bill passed in the house but didn’t get a hearing in the senate in 2020.
Rental assistance and culturally appropriate and affordable housing
- All Minnesotans deserve to live in quality housing that they can afford.
- The pandemic has intensified the housing crisis in Minnesota, especially for renters. With rising unemployment, many families are struggling to pay rent. Rent increases have far outpaced the growth of wages. Too many families are paying too much for housing, hurting their ability to support their families.
- Newer Minnesotans such as immigrant and refugee families are especially in need of access to larger units. In addition to a bold investment in bonding for affordable housing.
- We also need to launch a state-based rental assistance program so that all Minnesota renters can afford their home and choose where they want to live. We support HF40/SF333 – State rent assistance program.
- To address the wealth gap in our communities, an essential first step to building wealth is home ownership. Many Muslims are unable to benefit from Minnesota’s down payment assistance program due to faith restrictions around conventional loans. Alternative banking institutions (such as Guidance, Devon, & UIF) are not allowed to access this down payment assistance program thus excluding the Muslim community.
- We want the Minnesota Housing Agency to allow nontraditional banking to access down payment assistance so we can ensure every Minnesotan has a path to home ownership in our great state!
- Investing in the stability of a home is investing in the stability of our community.
Opioid crisis in minorities and communities of color
- All communities of Minnesota are impacted by the opioid crisis, especially minorities and communities of color.
- According to the MN Department of Health, people of color are dying from drug overdose deaths in Minnesota at much higher rates compared to whites. In Minnesota, Native Americans are seven times as likely to die from a drug overdose and African Americans are twice as likely to die from a drug overdose as whites.
- Comprehensive, community-based approaches have been proven as the most viable way of reducing the risk of drug abuse.
- A bold change of approach is needed. Rather than relying on reactive measures such as policing and incarceration, we need to build a proactive, community-based mental health, recovery & reintegration approach.
- In addition to a change of approach, we need to provide funding for innovative community-based programs to provide culturally aware counseling & rehab services to communities of color.
Police brutality in Minnesota
- Over the last five years, the Minneapolis police department recorded 6,650 acts of force against a black person, versus approximately 2,750 instances against white persons. Although black people make up less than 7% of the population in Minneapolis, nearly 60% of the time that police use force, the subject is black.
- We need to divert funding from militarization of police departments.
- Police departments should divest from training programs offered by apartheid regimes and foreign military to MN police departments.
- Expand youth services, mental health programs as well as school counseling for communities of color and vulnerable neighborhoods.
- HF593 (Frazier)- Prohibit peace officers from affiliating with white supremacist groups, causes, or ideologies.
- HF0640 (Gomez) – Establish law enforcement citizen oversight councils
Muslim Day in the Capitol is proudly sponsored by
Organizer:
Muslim American Society of Minnesota
Co-Organizer:
Islamic Association of North America
Co-Organizer:
Muslim Coalition of ISAIAH
- Abubakar As- Sadique Islamic Center (Minneapolis)
- Abubakar As- Sadique Islamic Center (Faribault)
- Abu Huraira Islamic Center (Rochester)
- Al Amal School
- Al Aqsa Institute
- Al-Huda Islamic Center of East Grand Forks
- Atawasul Center
- American Muslims for Palestine (AMP)
- Brooklyn Park Islamic Center (BPIC)
- Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR)
- Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center
- Daru Salaam Islamic Center
- Eastern Twin Cities Islamic Center (ETCIC)
- Gems of Light Academy
- Hikma Academy
- Imam Hussein Islamic Center
- Indian American Muslim Council
- Irshaad Islamic Center Eden Prairie
- Islamic Association of Mankato
- Islamic Association of North America (IANA)
- Islamic Center of Minnesota (ICM)
- Islamic Center of Winona
- Islamic Civic Society of America / Darul Hijrah
- Islamic Resource Group
- Jaafari Islamic Center
- Mankato Islamic Center
- Masjed Abubakr Al Siddiq (Rochester)
- Masjid Abu Khadra
- Masjid Al Ansar Islamic Center
- Masjid Al Huda (ICCC)
- Masjid Al Ihsan Islamic Center
- Masjid An Nur
- Masjid Ar Rahman (MCC)
- Masjid At Taqwa
- Masjid At Tawba (ICCC)
- Masjid Bilal Oromo Dawah Center
- Minnesota Deaf Muslim Community
- MAS Blaine Community Center (BCC)
- Muslim Coalition of ISAIAH
- Muslim Society of Owatonna
- Muslim Youth Leadership Awards
- North West Islamic Community Center (Masjid Al Kareem)
- Pearls of Hope
- Rabata (Daybreak Press)
- Rawda Community Center
- Reviving the Islamic Sisterhood of Empowerment
- Sisters Need a Place
- South Metro Islamic Center (SMIC) – Rosemount
- Tawfiq Islamic Center
- Zakat, Aid and Charity Assisting Humanity (ZACAH)