Council Member Rob Saka Tells Muslim Council Hopeful That Muslims Are Already “Well-Represented” By Him, The Non-Practicing-Christian Grandson Of A Muslim

Seattle City Council Member Rob Saka seemed to dismiss Nilu Jenks’ Muslim and Middle Eastern identity during a City Council meeting to select finalists to fill the District 5 vacancy. Jenks, a finalist nominated by the body’s most progressive member, said in her testimony that no one on the council had “lived experience from Asian, refugee, Muslim or Middle Eastern communities” and that she would be the first Muslim or Middle Eastern person to sit on the City Council if appointed. 

Jenks is correct, but Saka swooped in to say actually immigrant (Jenks did not say “immigrant”) and Muslim communities are “well-represented” on the City Council because he’s the son of a Nigerian immigrant and the non-practicing Christian grandson of a Muslim. To top it off, just moments later, Saka was happy to nominate Robert Wilson, who if appointed, would be the fourth veteran on the body and the third person named “Robert.”

Saka’s comments have quickly circulated throughout the Muslim and Middle Eastern communtiy in the Seattle-area — and people are pissed. Rep. Darya Farivar (D-Seattle), the first Middle Eastern woman elected to the State Legislature, who also does not identify as Muslim, told The Burner that from the feedback she’s gotten, Saka owes the Muslim and Middle Eastern community an apology for his "inappropriate” comments that “minimized” Jenks’ identity and the experience of Muslim and Middle Eastern people.

“I'm really disappointed,” Farivar told The Burner. “I'm really disappointed that this was his response when someone who's Middle Eastern and Muslim was putting themselves out there to share their background, to share their identity, for consideration at a time when we are quite literally under attack, especially as Iranian Americans.”

Sabrene Odeh, a representative from Council on America-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Washington said that representation is very important to making sure Muslim issues are prioritized.

“The fact that somebody who is not does not identify as Muslim — and actually identifies as a different faith —- would try to almost steal someone else's identity away from them or to take that recognition away from them is extremely harmful,” Odeh said. 

Jenks is among 22 hopefuls and six finalists who applied to replace Council Member Cathy Moore, who resigned “for health reasons” just days after she gave up on her wildly unpopular attempt to lower ethical standards — phase one of her then-plan to rollback renters rights. Jenks ran against Moore in 2023, but infamously fell short of the primary. When her 2023 foe called it quits, Jenks volunteered to take over almost immediately.

The 22 applicants testified before the council on Thursday. Jenks talked about her experience organizing for accessible democracy and gun violence prevention as well as her dedication to combating displacement and increasing shelter capacity. 

As a small part of her pitch for herself, Jenks made an argument for better representation in City Hall, which she said “matters not just symbolically, but in how policies are shaped and whose needs are prioritized.” 

“District 5 is one of the most diverse areas in Seattle,” said Jenks. “Yet no one on this council has lived experience from Asian, refugee, Muslim or Middle Eastern communities, communities I come from. In fact, we have never had a Muslim or Middle Eastern person represent this City.”

After the testimonies, the council members declared their nominations for the position. Jenks earned a nomination from Council Member Alexis Mercedes Rinck — and a correction from Saka.

Saka said “just for clarity” that there are people from immigrant and refugee backgrounds on the council (Again, Jenks never said the council lacked immigrant perspective, just refugee perspective).

“I, for one, am a proud son of a Nigerian immigrant,” Saka said.

He went on to guestimate the religious demographics of Nigeria as a segue to talk about his grandfather, who was Muslim. To prove his grandfather's credentials, Saka said that he had made the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, a journey that tradition calls every Muslim adult to complete at least once in their lifetime.

“So I’m proud of my immigrant and— and— you know, Muslim background,” Saka said. “I’m a Christian — non-practicing these days — but that perspective is— is— is— uh, well represented now. We can always, you know, obviously add more. In any event…” 

Regardless of Saka’s background, Farivar, a D5 constituent herself,  contested his assertion that the Muslims are “well represented.”

“I haven't seen any time where the City Council has actively reached out to these communities to try and understand, to try and meet them where they're at, to try and address the challenges that we are navigating,” Farivar said. “This is the only time that comes up and it is in a performative manner and in a disrespectful manner.”

Odeh and Farivar both said they did not understand what he intended by his little aside about Jenks. 

“I think what it really comes down to is that he suggested that his connection alone constitutes sufficient Muslim representation on City Council,” Odeh said. “But if you don't identify as Muslim, how do you suggest to anyone that you can represent that community? We respect and appreciate that his grandfather was a Hajj, but at the end of the day, that was your grandfather's lived experience.” 

Farivar said, “I'm hopeful that it's coming from a place of trying to relate, but it comes off as saying ‘It's enough, I've got this covered.’ It comes off by saying there's not room for more people from the Muslim or Middle Eastern community.” 

Saka may have gotten testy about Jenk pointing out the historic lack of Muslim and Middle Eastern representation on the council, but he didn’t seem to have a problem sharing the spotlight with his own nominee. Saka noted without a hint of bitterness that his nominee for the appointment would be the fourth veteran and the third guy named “Robert.” If he secures the appointment, the body would be 44% veteran, 33% Roberts, and 33% veterans named Robert, meaning veterans named Robert would have a stronger caucus than progressives on the Seattle City Council. Oh, and Seattle would still have no Muslims or Middle Eastern council members. 

“Maybe that’s an abundance of Roberts,” Saka correctly admitted.