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Boston Globe

‘Systemic failure': At the State House, Muslims tell stories of Islamophobia, advocate for permanent civil rights commission

Sumaira Afzal, a Muslim advisor at Simmons University, said she supports the bill because of the instances of discrimination she's heard about in the city and state. There was no question, she said, as to whether those instances had gone up after the Advertisement 'It's important for me to talk to my representatives and convey our concerns so we can make this state and community a safe space for everybody,' she said. Advertisement Attendees also lobbied for the State Senator Jamie Eldridge and state Representative Vanna Howard, both Democrats, are the lead sponsors of the so-called Muslim Commission Bill. Eldridge said he introduced the bill because there is no commission to support Muslim civil rights, as there are for other minorities, including the 'The truth is, Massachusetts has long benefited from the strength and contribution of its Muslim residents, but that hasn't been matched by recognition in our state government,' Eldridge said. The senator, who represents the Middlesex and Worcester district, said he's heard 'very challenging, very heartbreaking' stories about harassment faced by Muslim constituents. 'And we know that Islamophobia has only increased in the past few months, few years,' he said. Attendees broke out into groups to lobby dozens of representatives throughout the day. One group was comprised of about 30 sixth, seventh, and eighth graders at Alhuda Academy in Worcester. At the Massachusetts State House, the Council on American-Islamic Relations - MA hosted a legislative briefing on Muslim lobby day to advocate for several bills protecting Muslims in Massachusetts. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff Accompanied by four teachers, they filed into the office of Sen. Robyn Kennedy, a Democrat from Worcester, and detailed some of the challenges they faced, including bullying and harassment in their own neighborhoods. Another group of three met with Democratic Rep. Rob Consalvo's legislative aid Emily Carrara. Kynza Khimani, who graduated Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in 2024, told Carrara that many community members at the university experienced harassment for wearing hijabs, and she once came across people in Harvard Square yelling that 'Islam is for terrorists.' Advertisement 'The [commission] would establish a permanent body to study and respond to the issues facing Muslim communities in Massachusetts, like civil rights, education, and public safety, which is now, more than ever, really necessary for our communities,' Khimani told Carrara. Legislators and their aides largely indicated support for the bill, lobbyists said. Toward the end of the day, multiple advocates read out victim impact statements from people represented in court by CAIR-MA. Others shared their own stories of harassment, including Aimen Tahir, a recent high school graduate. Tahir said she was once 'chased down the hall' in her freshman year of high school because someone wanted to 'comment' on her hijab. 'Every year, I feel the heat of everyone's faces upon me during the moment of silence for 9/11, as if I'm the perpetrator of criminal when I wasn't even born at the time,' she said. Fatuma Mohamed, the director of youth advocacy for CAIR-MA, said the increase in harassment is a 'systemic failure' and 'growing crisis.' 'Muslim students across Massachusetts are being harassed, silenced, and left behind, without the structures in place to protect or support them,' she said. Mohamed said the commission wouldn't 'fix everything overnight' but could be a tool to build systemic change. 'It will signal to Muslim students that their state sees them, values them, and is committed to protecting them,' she said. Advertisement Emily Spatz can be reached at