New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has declared January a month to celebrate Islamic heritage in honor of the contributions of the state's Muslim community. Murphy announced the measure on Saturday, as he posted photos on his social media account of his signature on the announcement.
The announcement follows efforts by about 70 Muslim entities in the state to bring the resolution to the local House of Representatives in October and unanimously approve it in March. The number of Muslims in America in 2022 reached about 5 million, according to estimates by the Council on Islamic Relations of America.