Civic Engagement
Democracy includes voting and running for office and everything in between. RISE is demystifying the democratic process for Muslim women to participate. We are engaging a web of Muslim women to influence public policy, deepen relationships with legislators, and hold elected officials accountable through active participation in the political process.
You'll see us at the MN State Capitol every year advocating for issues important to our Sisterhood. In the past, we've passed bills supporting survivors of sexual violence, bringing income support to low income families, and more.
Accountability is important to us, and we intentionally create space for Muslim women to connect with their legislators and ask them about their work and commitment to our communities.
Reviving Sisterhood believes in working toward collective liberation in coalition with other organizations, groups, and communities. Our partners and collaborators are Muslim, BIPOC, women, and other marginalized communities, fighting together to end Islamophobia, racism, and sexism.
Each election year, we engage our community members in values-based voter education and outreach. This includes the creation of candidate report cards to help our community explore where candidates stand on different issues.
2023 Legislative Session Final Update
After RISE started off the year with our historic first annual Muslim Women's Day at the Capitol, the Minnesota legislature followed suit with a historic legislative session. The legislature passed sweeping bills and reforms across every area of life for Minnesotans—implementing new social programs, protecting groups threatened by the right wing and the Supreme Court, enacting measures to restore democracy, and investing in the well-being of Minnesota youth. The Sisterhood celebrates the passage of all three of our policy priorities this year. These victories wouldn't have been possible without the support and rallying of our communities and the Sisterhood.
MENSTRUAL EQUITY
Since 2018, the Sisterhood together with the National Council of Jewish Women has been working to pass a law that would mandate public schools to provide free menstrual products in all restrooms. Rep. Sandra Feist, DFL-New Brighton, was the chief sponsor for the bill and worked tirelessly with teenage girls across Minnesota as they gave numerous passionate testimonies in both House and Senate hearings. The passage of this law not only ensures easy access to menstrual products but has also normalized conversations around periods and hopefully ends the stigma girls face when they menstruate.
COMBATING HATE
Since 2019, the Sisterhood has been working in a Combating Hate Coalition with several other organizations in Minnesota to pass this bill. This law requires state agencies to consult with communities who are most targeted by hate crimes to create anti-bias trainings for law enforcement. This law also requires law enforcement agencies to differentiate between general property crimes motivated by hate, which is especially important as Minnesota has already seen six attacks on masjids in 2023.
RESTORE THE VOTE
This bill was first introduced by Attorney General Keith Ellison in 2003 when he was a State Representative. Rep. Cedrick Frazier, DFL-New Hope, and Sen. Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis, carried the bill at the Capitol this year. And they credited former lawmakers for bringing the bill again and again at the Capitol. Now that it is a law, it is expected to make 50,000 or more people convicted of felonies but still “on paper” — serving out probation or parole — eligible to vote. It’s the largest voting rights expansion the state has seen in decades. The implementation of the Restore the Vote law is June 1st, 2023.
NONPROFIT INFRASTRUCTURE
RISE supported the Nonprofit Infrastructure Grant Program (NIGP) bill to be passed by giving a testimony at a house hearing. This legislation will invest $4 million over the next two years to support small, culturally specific organizations that serve historically underserved communities.
2023 Iftar with Electeds
This year, the Sisterhood hosted our very first Iftar with Muslim Women Electeds! Muslim women from all over the state joined us to break their fasts and talk about what faith in action means to them alongside local Muslim women electeds, including Nadia Mohamed (SLP City Council), Aisha Chughtai (Minneapolis City Council), Sharon El-Amin (Minneapolis Public School Board). We will also be hosting Eid al-Adha with Electeds on July 8th—join us to meet and build connections with the people who represent us!