[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 24 (Thursday, February 12, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E200-E201]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING LORI SAROYA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. KEITH ELLISON

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 12, 2015

  Mr. ELLISON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Lori Saroya for 
her contributions and tireless efforts in promoting justice, civil 
rights and mutual understanding among the Minnesota Islamic community 
and all peoples of faith. As Co-Founder and Executive Director of the 
Minnesota chapter of the Council on Islamic American Relations (CAIR) 
Mrs. Saroya has been at the forefront of building coalitions and 
improving Muslim relations across the state.
   Mrs. Saroya was raised in Bloomfield, Iowa. She received her 
undergraduate degree from St. Catherine University and her Juris Doctor 
from Hamline University. As a child of the only Muslims in a small town 
she and her family were subject to messages of hate and unfair 
treatment. She took these early life experiences and turned them into 
positive actions. While still in high school Mrs. Saroya organized the 
Iowa Conference on Islam at the University of Iowa.
   Recognizing a lack of Muslim civil rights advocacy groups in 
Minnesota she decided to fill the void. In 2007, she co-founded the 
Minnesota chapter of CAIR. The organization has quickly become a 
powerful voice for Muslim civil liberties and advocacy across the 
state. CAIR-MN successfully fought for and won the establishment of the 
Abu Huraira Islamic Center in St. Anthony, MN despite misguided local 
opposition. CAIR-MN asked the Justice Department to investigate, which 
led to a negotiated agreement with the city and the opening of a 
magnificent new center for gatherings and prayer. In 2014, Mrs. Saroya 
along with members of CAIR-MN led the first ever Jewish-Muslim Youth 
Day at the Minnesota Legislature. This ground breaking interfaith 
program trains students on successfully engaging in dialogue with 
legislators on the pressing issues of racial profiling, immigration, 
and safe schools. CAIR-MN has become the go-to legal source for those 
in the Muslim community. Since 2007 the organization has provided 
hundreds of Muslims with free legal aid and has become a driving force 
in fighting unlawful discrimination and bullying in work, schools, and 
the public sphere.
   CAIR-MN's outstanding work has been recognized time and time again 
on the state and national level. Among some of the organization's many 
awards include the ``Nonprofit Mission and Excellence Anti-Racism 
Award'' from the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and the ``Pro Bono 
Difference Maker Award'' from the American Bar Association. It is 
through achievements such as these that Mrs. Saroya became the 
recipient of the prestigious Bush Foundation Fellowship for $100,000 in 
2014. This fellowship stands as a testament and a capstone to the truly 
amazing work that Ms. Saroya did in her time as Executive Director. 
Through this grant she will be able to take even greater leaps in her 
advocacy work.
   Thanks to Ms. Saroya's outstanding efforts and hard work, CAIR-MN 
has immensely benefited the Muslim community in Minnesota. I applaud 
Ms. Saroya's extraordinary work in advancing the civil rights of the 
Muslim community and fostering a more vibrant and culturally 
understanding Minnesota. On behalf of the people of Minnesota's Fifth 
Congressional District, I wish you continued success and impact in your 
future advocacy work.

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