America M
Lawmakers consider permanent commission to benefit residents who practice Islam. BY CHRIS GONSALVES
assachusetts likes to brag about its role in the birth of America’s founding constitutional
principles. But lawmakers there are mulling
an unprecedented and troubling pro- posal: a permanent government com- mission devoted specifically to ben- efiting people who practice Islam. First proposed as an effort to study
anti-Muslim discrimi- nation, companion bills moving through the Democrat-controlled state Legislature now champion the establish- ment of an 11-member commission that would act as a liaison between government and Muslim organizations. The proposed com-
mission would review state agency practices affecting Muslims, advise lawmakers on proposed legislation, and most controversially, “identify and recommend qualified American Muslims for appointive positions at all levels of government.” Members must be Mas- sachusetts residents who have “demon- strated a commitment to the Muslim American community,” according to the proposal. Democrat state Sen. Jamie
Massachusetts May Fund Pro-Muslim State Agency
According to Eldridge, Muslims
in the Bay State face religious bias, racism, and anti-immigrant hostil- ity. He points to a CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) survey that claims 48% of Muslim students in Massachusetts had experienced bully- ing and 35% of hijab-wearing students reported physical harassment. “This commission merely corre-
sponds with other commissions we have,” Democrat state Sen. Michael Moore, one of the bill’s petitioners, told Spec- trum News. The purpose, Moore
said, is to better under- stand the Muslim com- munity and address prob- lems including discrimi- nation and Islamophobia. But while other state
48%
of Muslim students in Massachusetts experienced bullying and 35% of hijab-wearing students reported physical harassment.
commissions have been established to cover issues of race and iden- tity, the proposed pro- Islam board focuses on practitioners of a particu- lar religion. And the spe- cific language of the bill calling for preferential hiring for Muslims has critics here alarmed. Steve Resnicoff, direc- tor of DePaul College of
Eldridge, the Senate bill’s lead spon- sor, calls the proposed body the first permanent state commission dedi- cated to addressing issues affecting American Muslim communities.
28 NEWSMAX | OCTOBER 2026
Law Center for Jewish Law and Juda- ic Studies, calls Massachusetts’ pro- Muslim legislative proposals “unprec- edented and unconstitutional efforts to promote one religion, Islam, over all others. “It would clearly violate the princi-
ple of separation of church and state,” Resnicoff adds. “Democrats want to create a per-
manent state commission that priori- tizes Muslims for government jobs,” says Massachusetts Republican Brian Shortsleeve, who’s running for gov- ernor. “Hiring by religion isn’t inclu- sion. It’s discrimination, and it’s bla- tantly unconstitutional.” The proposal has garnered some
other unlikely foes as well. The American Civil Liberties
Union of Massachusetts, hardly a bas- tion of conservative thought, called the commission “well-intentioned” but inconsistent with the state’s Con- stitution. It amounts to preferential treatment based explicitly on religion, it argues. “We would not have the same con- stitutional concerns about a tempo- rary commission focused on advising elected officials on responding to anti- Muslim discrimination and hate crimes,” a Massachusetts ACLU spokesman said in a statement. “But these bills envision a far
broader role for the proposed perma- nent commission, with some duties that raise serious questions.” That “broader role” includes giving
the proposed Muslim commission the power to examine programs through- out state government, advise execu- tive and legislative officials about how proposed laws might affect Muslims, request information and assistance from state agencies, conduct hear- ings, and recommend policies. It could solicit donations and grants and would employ a paid executive direc- tor and staff. The proposed pro-Muslim commis-
sion isn’t a new idea; Massachusetts lawmakers tried but failed to pass similar legislation in 2023. This time, however, the bills have moved further through the legislative process, with both chambers’ versions receiving favorable committee reports.
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