Announcement of OMBA 

             As salaam u alaykum and greetings. As its founder and former president, I am privileged to welcome you to the Oregon Muslim Bar Association (OMBA). For several hundred years Muslims have been an integral thread in the fabric of our country. Today, OMBA serves as a representative body of lawyers, legal professionals and law students committed to creating a robust and engaging presence in Oregon’s legal community. It is a forum in which members aim to network, mentor, support and educate each other and the greater community. OMBA is a non-denominational, non-political union open to legal professionals of all belief systems who are interested in supporting the principles of mercy and justice; principles that serve as the foundation of healthy and equitable legal systems, and also serve as keystone principles in Islam.

           I also want to be candid. As a legal professional and public servant in Oregon for over 25 years, I have seen how difficult it is for underrepresented groups to gain access to the legal system—as litigants, attorneys and judges. For as long as I can remember, being Muslim was not an identity for which I could declare without a concern for my own safety or the fair treatment of my clients. Islamophobia, which describes a worldview involving fear and/or hatred of Muslims and Islam that results in practices of exclusion and discrimination, is a tangible and very felt experience for Muslims in our country. OMBA is committed to supporting Muslim Americans in their pursuit of legal careers both in the private sector and in public service. We aim to go further. OMBA is dedicated to working collaboratively with national legal professional organizations, the Oregon State Bar, and all of Oregon’s affinity groups to pursue equity, diversity and inclusion.

          Over the last several years our legal community has celebrated the creation of several affinity bar groups that reflect the breadth and depth of the many diverse community connections we bring to our practices and service. While all of Oregon’s affinity bar groups share the common principles of pursuing equity, diversity, and inclusion, it is also a profound truth that our differences—when shared in the spirit of peace—give us all the chance to not only know one another more fully, but to also know ourselves more authentically. I am thrilled that OMBA will bring its voice to the table.


Wa Salaam,

The Hon. Mustafa T. Kasubhai (he/him)
Founder & Former President,
Oregon Muslim Bar Association