On Monday, February 16, over 100 Muslims showed up at the Washington State Capitol to advocate for issues that matter to our community.By the numbers
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Over 100 Muslims at the Capitol
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Over 60 meetings with lawmakers
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34 youth leaders participated
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30 community members took our buses to Olympia
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3 priority bills advocated for
Highlights
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Washington State Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti spoke about the importance of providing halal investment options in our state, particularly in state-sponsored college savings plans (529 plans).
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At our reception, several lawmakers spoke including Rep. Farivar, Rep. Salahuddin, and Rep. Simmons, and many more leaders were in attendance, including representatives from the Gov’s office and the Lt. Gov’s offices.
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Local Olympia community leader Br. Mustafa Mohamedali spoke about the importance of civic engagement.
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We heard from the family members of Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, who was killed by an Israeli sniper in the West Bank in 2024, about the importance honoring her life by demanding accountability for her death.
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CAIR-WA’s Muslim Youth Ambassadors (read more about this program here) gave a presentation on civic engagement.
Get Involved with our Priority Bills
Whether or not you were able to attend MDAC, you can get involved with legislation that matters. Here are our priority bills, and you can find a full list of the bills that we are supporting this session here: cairwa.org/blog/2026-
Call for an Investigation into the Killing of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi (SJM 8014)
About the bill: CAIR-WA is working with Ayşenur’s family and our partner organizations to advance this legislation that, if passed, would be a request from the State of Washington to Congress and the President to initiate an independent, thorough and credible investigation into the killing of Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi. Last year, we passed a resolution honoring Ayşenur’s memory. This year, we are working to get the state legislature to pass this joint memorial.
This bill passed through the Senate and is now before the House!
Next steps: ASK YOUR REPRESENTATIVES: Will you support SJM 8014, calling for an independent investigation into the 2024 killing of Washingtonian Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi in the West Bank?
Ensure Equity in Minority-Owned Business Certification (HB 2684)
About the bill: Arab and Middle Eastern owned businesses are not qualifying for Minority Owned Business certification, because they are considered white under the law. Minority owned businesses qualify for contracts with the state, and Arab and Middle easterners are not qualifying for that certification. HB 2684 establishes clear guidelines for defining what constitutes a socially disadvantaged individual for the purposes of state business enterprise certification.
Next steps: Despite our advocacy at MDAC, we have passed the cutoff, and this bill is not moving forward.
However, we are still going to solve the issue through rulemaking with the state agency (the Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises), which is a longer process. Stay tuned for further details; we will need your support in the rulemaking process.
Reduce Harm via Ethical Investments (SB 6304 and/or HB 2662)
About the bill: While Washington state cannot directly control federal military spending, it does have a responsibility to ensure our state’s investments do not contribute to harm, especially when they hurt both innocent people abroad and vulnerable communities at home. Washington must align its investments with our values of human rights, peace, and justice. Washington citizens want a pension fund that provides a dignified retirement while promoting a more just society.
Next steps: Although this bill will not advance this year, your outreach to your legislators will help it move more quickly in next year’s session. This bill has a coalition behind it, and we will need your support to ensure that we get it passed in the future.