(Seattle, WA, 7/23/2018) — Joining our team this month, Masih comes to us from CAIR-LA where he managed the Advocacy Team, including civil rights, policy, community organizing, leadership, and outreach departments.
Masih's journey with CAIR began many years ago. The child of Iranian immigrants he came of age in a post 9-11 America. Growing up he witnessed and experienced the bullying, hate crimes and civil rights violations impacting Muslims across the nation. "During that time," remembers Masih, "I saw CAIR-LA at every masjid advocating for Muslim Americans."
"CAIR was a reminder that our community was entitled to the same rights as everyone else."
By seventeen Masih had his first internship with CAIR and was on his way to law school and a career advocating for American Muslims. He says wants to help create a climate where Muslims of all backgrounds are empowered to be "unapologetically Muslim."
Over 10 years of involvement with CAIR chapters throughout California Masih says he is a proud, practicing Muslim American lawyer and a self-professed ‘CAIR fan boy.’”
During his time with CAIR-LA, Masih:
- Increased engagement with masjids and Muslim leadership throughout the Greater Los Angeles Area and helped organize the biggest "Muslim Day at the Capitol" in the nation with over 700 attendees.
- Developed community relationships and a network of allies for the #NoMuslimBanEver campaign that delivered legal services and protests at the airport, 70 Know Your Rights workshops as well as a march and rally with 500 attendees
- Grew the capacity of the advocacy department from three to nine staff members to respond to over 1,000 civil rights incidents, attend 175 meetings with elected officials, present at 117 community events, and hold 15 press conferences
- Established a voter engagement program that has registered over 1,000 individuals in advance of the midterm elections and youth programming for over 300 Muslim students
"CAIR and the Muslim Community are Family"
So what does this California boy have in mind for our state?
"I'm excited to come to a region that is increasingly influencing the rest of the country," says Masih, "The vision and accomplishments we are able to implement in Washington can go a long way in empowering the Muslim community across the nation."
Some of the vision he has in mind includes:
- Building relationships with community members, Muslim leaders, masjids and our allies across the state so we can increase our collective power to address the needs of communities of color in Washington, especially as we approach the elections of 2018 and 2020.
- Working with our passionate staff and volunteers to proactively address issues of discrimination, hate crimes and bullying by increasing our relationships with elected officials and creating programs that empower community members and Muslim youth.
- Increasing CAIR Washington’s capacity to litigate cases and change the media narrative about American Muslims.
In the meantime, email him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or introduce yourself next time you see him at the mosque, a community event or protest!