Muslim student appointed UC student regent

LOS ANGELES: The California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA) has congratulated the first observant Muslim student ever to be appointed as the new University of California (UC) student regent for 2014-2015. Sadia Saifuddin was confirmed in a nearly unanimous vote by the UC Board of Regents, during its meeting recently.

A UC Berkeley senior majoring in social welfare, Saifuddin participated in CAIR-CA’s flagship Muslim Youth Leadership Program (MYLP) in 2008, and also served as an advisor for this year’s cohort of MYLP participants.

MYLP is an annual political immersion and leadership building retreat in Sacramento, which aims to equip high school students with an understanding of the legislative process, as well as training in the areas of civic engagement and media advocacy.

In late June, nearly 40 American Muslim students from across California were selected to participate.

Throughout the four-day program, participants attended workshops and presentations on community organizing, public speaking, and the political process in California.

This year, the program began with a welcome address delivered by Imam Luqman Ahmad on leadership from an Islamic perspective. Imam Ahmad’s discussion on the character of a Muslim leader allowed participants to understand how their identities as Muslims can positively impact their roles as leaders.

Participants also got to listen to Lori Soraya, executive director of CAIR-Minnesota, who delivered a presentation on her experience working with CAIR. Through her inspiring stories, participants learned about the various skills needed to be an effective organizer in order to make a positive impact on the American Muslim community and the broader society.

To that end, participants engaged in an interactive workshop on community organizing wherein they worked together to find solutions to various scenarios regarding discrimination and prejudice. The participants were given scenarios that have not only occurred in the Muslim community, but also in other religious communities to promote an understanding of diverse viewpoints.

Participants also learned that effective communication is part of effective organizing; knowing how to speak eloquently and confidently is an important leadership skill. During this workshop, participants fine-tuned their public speaking skills by discussing the importance of public speaking, and learning tips and tricks on how to speak effectively. Participants put the lessons they learned from the discussion into practice by writing and presenting a short speech to their fellow participants.

In addition to these presentations and workshops, MYLP participants took part in a mock legislature session at the California State Capitol, in which they debated public policy issues relating to education, elections, as well as health and human services.

Throughout their time at the Capitol, participants also had the opportunity to listen to senators, assembly members, Capitol staff members and lobbyists with many years of experience.

Since its inception in 2004, MYLP has helped empower over 350 youth, like Saifuddin, with the skills necessary to grow into community leaders.

India Post News Service