Santa Clara County Honors Muslims

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA — Santa Clara County boasts a thriving Muslim community of more than 60,000 residents and has been credited with playing a vital role in the community, especially amid the pandemic.

Santa Clara County honored its Muslim community Tuesday when the Board of Supervisors proclaimed August as American Muslim Appreciation month.

The proclamation aims to honor the positive impact Muslims have made in the community.

“As a community, we are strengthened by the many religious, political, and cultural traditions and contributions of our diverse population, including those Americans who practice Islam,” the county said in a statement.

“Santa Clara County has a thriving Muslim community.”

The South Bay Islamic Association (SBIA), established in 1980, was one of the first mosques to be established in the Bay Area, and the Muslim Community Association (MCA) in Santa Clara is the largest mosque in Northern California.

“Santa Clara County’s Muslim community has always been a thriving and vital part of our region,” Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez said in a statement.

“This has been especially true during the COVID pandemic when the Support Life Foundation, in partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank and the Muslim Community Association, distributed nearly 3 million pounds of food to at-risk communities in our county.

“It also coordinated the delivery of 1,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses in the county and 15,000 doses throughout the Bay Area.”