Elected Officials Demand Council Member Rob Saka Apologize To Muslim Community

A group of Muslim and Middle Eastern/North African (MENA) elected officials and community groups sent a letter to Council Member Rob Saka demanding a public apology for comments they call disappointing, disturbing and dismissive. 

Last week, the 22 applicants for the District 5 vacancy pitched themselves to the City Council. One of those candidates, Nilu Jenks, noted that “no one on this council has lived experience from Asian, refugee, Muslim or Middle Eastern communities, communities [she comes] from. In fact, we have never had a Muslim or Middle Eastern person represent this City.”

Saka took issue with Jenks’ assessment. He made a point to clarify that the council had representation for immigrant and refugee communities because he himself is the son of a Nigerian immigrant. To clarify his clarification, Jenks never claimed that no one on the council had an immigrant background.  

Saka also claimed he counted as Muslim representation because his grandfather was Muslim. 

“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…” 

While the Muslim and MENA community should have been celebrating the fact that Jenks earned a finalist spot, they also felt obligated to organize a response to Saka’s harmful comments. State Sen. Yasmin Trudeau (D-Tacoma), State Reps. Darya Farivar (D-Seattle) and Osman Salahuddin (D-Redmond), Mayor of SeaTac Mohamed Egal, Deputy Mayor of Bothell Rami Al-Kabra, Auburn City Council Member Hanan Amer, and several community groups including Afgan Health Initiative, American Muslim Advancement Council, and others sent a letter to Saka Monday morning. 

“By elevating your indirect connection to Islam above the firsthand experiences of our communities effectively dismisses the necessity of authentic representation Your remarks suggest that the perspectives of those directly impacted by anti-Muslim bigotry, Islamophobia, and systemic marginalization are interchangeable with those of outsiders, no matter how well-intentioned. This logic erases the critical need for diverse leadership and undermines efforts to ensure that marginalized communities have a voice in decisions that affect them.

Our communities face escalating discrimination from xenophobic Muslim bans, have lived through multiple never-ending wars in the MENA region, including the recent bombing of Iran and attacks on Syria, and are regularly vilified by the West. Your comments come at an especially difficult time and are not only dismissive but dangerous. True representation requires leaders who understand these struggles because they have lived them, not through second or third-hand proximity.”

Finally, the signatories called on Saka to apologize. And with how often this man puts his foot directly into his mouth, maybe he should get someone to proof his statement first.