Our Mission

The Muslim Democratic Caucus of Texas empowers Muslim voters to shape a more just and equitable Democratic Party. We advocate for Palestinian liberation, civil rights for MENA communities, and economic justice, ensuring our voices are heard from the precinct level to the national stage.

Leadership Spotlight

MDC Texas stands on the shoulders of its founders—Dr. Inayat Lalani and the early leaders who built this caucus in the wake of 9/11, choosing civic engagement over retreat. Today, a new generation of activists carries that legacy forward. At the 2026 Texas Democratic Party State Convention in Corpus Christi, MDC members led the advocacy effort that secured five historic resolutions—fundamentally shifting the party’s platform on foreign policy, civil rights, and economic justice.

Emad Salem — Board Member

A Democratic Party activist and precinct chair, an elections judge, a Deputy Voter Registrar, and a delegate to the Texas Democratic Party conventions since 2010. Emad was an elected delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2016, 2020, and 2024. He is a co-founder and former vice chair of the Texas Progressive Caucus, served as President of the Muslim Democratic Caucus of Texas from 2014 to 2016, and is a current MDC board member. He served as an elected member of the State Democratic Executive Committee (SDEC) of the Texas Democratic Party from 2016 to 2022, and has served on multiple county, state, and national resolutions and platform committees. He is also a board member of United Hands Relief and Development, a Texas-based non-profit charity organization.

Saba Khan — President, Muslim Democratic Caucus North Dallas

Sabah (Saba) Khan is the Founding President of the Muslim Democratic Caucus North Dallas (MDCND), which she helped establish in July 2023. As the organization’s first president, Sabah helped build MDCND from the ground up—developing its mission, structure, and community presence—and led its founding board, the first all-women-led leadership team of MDCND.

An educator and community organizer, Sabah is dedicated to coalition building, empowering marginalized communities, and ensuring that Muslim voices are represented in civic and political spaces. Through MDCND, she has worked to strengthen civic engagement, encourage voter participation, foster partnerships across diverse communities, and create opportunities for meaningful dialogue on issues impacting North Texas communities. Beyond MDCND, Sabah serves as Vice President of the Collin County Young Democrats and holds leadership roles with civic, community, and nonprofit organizations focused on advocacy, engagement, and public service. She believes the strongest response to division is solidarity rooted in respect, empathy, and dignity.

Aftab Siddiqui — Board Member

Aftab Siddiqui is a founding board member of the Muslim Democratic Caucus of Texas and the American Muslim Democratic Caucus, active with the Democratic Party since the mid-nineties. He has been a precinct chair since 2004 and is a member of the Tarrant County Executive Committee, where he formerly chaired the Candidate Recruitment & Support Committee. He has been elected a delegate to every State Convention since 2002, and was elected a National Delegate in 2012 and 2020. He has served as chair and member of resolution committees at the county and state level, was a founding board member of the Texas Progressive Caucus, and currently serves on its advisory board. Aftab played a key role in organizing the 2002 Ballot Box Barbecue at Cowboys Stadium in Irving, which registered about 2,000 new voters, and helped organize three Civil Rights Conferences (2003–2005) in collaboration with the NAACP, LULAC, ACLU, and CAIR, with Martin Luther King III as a keynote speaker.

For three decades Aftab has been active in social justice, environmental, and peace organizations. He is President of the Dallas Peace & Justice Center, previously served on the board of the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, and spent two decades with the Muslim Community Center for Human Services, serving on its board and later as chair. He is a founding board member of South Asia Democracy Watch, and before migrating to the U.S. in 1993, played a key role in establishing the Amnesty International chapter in Pakistan.

Our History

In the late twentieth century, Muslim Americans began to more openly express an interest in participating in the American political process.  In the mid 1990’s, two non-partisan political organizations, the American Muslim Caucus and the American Muslim Alliance, were formed in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area.  Both strived to encourage the Muslim community to exercise their civic duties and participate in the political system.  

After September 11, 2001, many Muslims shied away from public activism, as negative generalizations and suspicion of Muslims rose across the nation.  It was a dark time for everyone.  As prejudice and stereotypes flooded the media, leaders in the Muslim community realized that it was important to dispel the negativity, reemerge to perform their civic duties and promote Muslims in a positive way.

As President and President-Elect of the American Muslim Caucus, Dr. Inayat Lalani and Aftab Siddiqui organized a great initiative aimed to unite Muslim Americans and urge them to become active citizens and register to vote.  Along with other Muslim organizations and community members, they raised $30,000.00 to finance the Ballot Box Barbeque.  On June 10, 2002, approximately ten thousand people converged on Texas Stadium for this event and 2,500 new voters were registered!  Inspired and empowered, many Muslim Americans found their civic voice. 

In 2003, Lalani and Siddiqui organized a Civil Rights Conference in which Martin Luther King, III was the keynote speaker.   The success of this conference was followed by two more held in 2004 and 2005.  These events helped show Muslim Americans that they are not alone in the struggle for civil rights and that they have the support of their fellow citizens in post-9/11 America.

While some members of the Muslim community began contributing to the Republican Party, increasingly more Muslims seemed to be leaning toward the Democratic Party.  Already active in the Democratic Party, Lalani, Siddiqui, and Syed Fayyaz Hassan recognized the need to unify the community’s political efforts toward the Democratic Party.  Dr. Lalani proposed and facilitated a new organization.  In 2002 the Muslim Democratic Caucus of Texas was formed.  Founding members of the Muslim Democratic Caucus of Texas (MDCT) include Dr. Inayat and Mrs. Salma Lalani, Dr. Zakir and Mrs. Sarwat Hussain, Aftab Siddiqui, and Syed Hassan.  Past MDCT Presidents are Dr. Lalani, Sarwat Hussain, and Syed Hassan. 

Many members of the MDCT have participated as delegates to every Texas State Democratic Convention since 2002.    MDCT has also had national delegates elected to participate in the Democratic National Conventions in 2004 and 2008.

At the 2008 Democratic National Convention, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, representing the Democratic Party, and the Director of the Obama Campaign officially welcomed the Muslim Democrats.  MDCT hosted a booth that was visited by hundreds and placed Muslim Democrats from Texas on the national map.  MDCT also held a successful caucus meeting which was attended by all Muslim national delegates from across the country and was broadcast by international media.  After a long journey, the Muslim Democratic Caucus of Texas had arrived! Today, Texas Muslim Democrats are recognized as a critical group able to tip the scales towards Democratic candidates.