Sacramento Muslims Support Roger Dickinson for State Senate District 6 Victory
By Ras H. Siddiqui
Sacramento: The Council on American-Islamic Relations California, Political Action Committee (CAIR-CA PAC) arranged a fundraiser for Assembly Member Roger Dickinson’s bid for California State Senate (District 6) at the Darna Restaurant in downtown Sacramento on Thursday, May 29 th , just days ahead of the June 3 rd Primary Elections. The food was great, the attendance lively, and the candidate himself was quite relaxed since he was amongst many friends at this venue.
The host committee of M. Asif Sattar, The Sharif Family, Bashir Choudry, T. Sami Siddiqui, Wazhma Mojaddidi, Dr Hamza El Nakhal, Basim Elkarra, Rashid Ahmad, Bassam Amrou and Ameer AlSawaf were instrumental in this fundraising effort and it is a pleasure to report that Roger Dickinson won his June 3 rd Primary race by almost 7,000 votes (reporting semi-official results). Since the “Top Two” candidates in California proceed to General Elections, Dickinson will now face fellow Democrat Dr Richard Pan in November. Located in Sacramento and Yolo counties (new map), the California Senate District 6 seat is currently held by termed-out President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg.
After dinner, Br Rashid Ahmad did the introductions. He praised the Sacramento Muslim community for their participation in local efforts and devoting their time (and money) for the betterment of their surroundings. He also recognized many of the key individuals present. Br Basim Elkarra followed up with announcing the official launch of the CAIR CA PAC and provided a short background. He also highlighted the candidacy of Roger Dickinson and presented a brief history of his career and his support for many causes that are important to the region and the Muslim community. “We are honored to support him,” said Elkarra.
Roger in his short speech thanked Rashid and Basim in particular and for the fine meal served. He also introduced some key people from his staff. 'We make choices on who we elect that determine the priorities that we set,' he said. How we spend our resources and what we try to accomplish. He spoke of the importance of the three E’s, Education (of children and families), Economy (Jobs) and the Environment which form the basis of his campaign. Education is the foundation of everything else, he said. On jobs, he talked about the McClellan Air Force Base closure which has successfully been converted to a business park with over 200 companies now located there, helping the local economy to bounce back. He also stressed the need to address climate change for the sake of future generations.
It is all about opportunity, said Roger. Kid’s especially needed to have the opportunity to dream. And the American dream should remain open to those who are willing to work hard. He said that this state and country bring people from all over the world together. People bring with them their talent, their skill and their motivation, their pride, their cultures and their histories here. In California we don’t just celebrate them; we take advantage of them by building a better, stronger society. America is a place where we all came from somewhere else except for the Native Americans. He said that this is the reason why he supports communities of diversity. 'You have all made a significant contribution to what Sacramento is today,' said Dickinson.
After a short fundraising segment and a lengthy question and answer session, the evening ended on a positive note. What is significant is that Assemblyman Roger Dickinson has established a long-term relationship with many communities of color, religions and ethnic origins in the Sacramento area. Muslims have certainly been one of these groups. And with the voter turnout at roughly 20% in this June election, every vote counted. CAIR is doing a great job in raising local political awareness within our community. That effort will have to continue as we now get ready for the main election event in November.
