Colorado's first Muslim state lawmaker is creating a new caucus at the capitol for Muslims and those with heritage from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia (MENASA), representation she says is even important under a second Trump presidency.
Democratic Representative Iman Jodeh of Aurora, who is Palestinian American, will be one of the caucus’ two founding members, along with Rep.-elect Yara Zokaie of Fort Collins. Zokaie’s parents immigrated from Iran.
Rep. Jodeh told CPR News she’d been thinking about creating a new caucus for a while.
“Not only watching a genocide unfold in Gaza but also understanding the real threat of a Trump presidency” made her want to take this step, she explained.
Jodeh said the goal is to bring people together from these regions with a shared interest in human rights — although not necessarily a shared religion. Their mission is to combat “xenophobia and Islamophobia by advocating for equity through legislation.”
Representative-elect Zokaie said she doesn’t know exactly what is coming under a Trump administration, “but based off of his last term, there is a lot of fear from our communities and that's why I think it's essential for us to launch this now. We had to face a Muslim ban previously. Now we are looking at the potential of mass deportations.”
Zokaie is a tax attorney and the chief deputy assessor for Larimer County. She said Democrats need to focus on tangible issues to improve voters’ lives. As the first Iranian American in the Colorado legislature, she hopes the new caucus will provide a platform for communities that face unique concerns.
“We often do feel overlooked and the voice of this community goes unheard. The goal is to uplift our community to provide support, offer resources as needed, and to help our folks from the region overcome and navigate challenges,” she said.
The Colorado statehouse has numerous caucuses, formed around shared identities and priorities, including veterans and sportsmen.
After Jodeh entered the legislature in 2020, she was invited to join the Black Caucus. The election of Zokaie gave her an opportunity to form a new caucus while continuing that previous work.
“We have shared interests in particular policies that we know can affect our communities. How do we engage? How do we partner, and how do we make sure that the coalition we are building is only bigger, better, and stronger?” Jodeh said.
