SENATE RULES COMMITTEE SR 65
Office of Senate Floor Analyses
(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) 327-4478
THIRD READING
Bill No: SR 65
Author: Wahab (D)
Introduced: 8/20/25
Vote: Majority
SUBJECT: Mohammed Kahn
SOURCE: Author
DIGEST: This resolution honors and commemorates Private Mohammed Kahn,
Afghan American, Muslim, and Union soldier, for his extraordinary bravery,
sacrifice, and service to the United States during the Civil War.
ANALYSIS: This resolution makes the following legislative findings:
1) Private Mohammed Kahn, raised in Afghanistan, immigrated to the United
States in the mid-19th century and enlisted in the Union Army on August 2,
1861, serving in Company E of the 43rd New York Volunteer Infantry
Regiment during the American Civil War.
2) Private Kahn was one of approximately 250 Muslim soldiers who fought in the
Civil War, and among only two known Muslim veterans to receive a federal
pension for their service, marking an extraordinary achievement in a time when
immigrants and religious minorities faced systemic barriers to recognition.
3) Kahn endured further hardship when, while on detached duty, he was
mistakenly arrested as a formerly enslaved person, detained in Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania, and forced into servitude before finally rejoining his regiment,
demonstrating his resilience and determination to fulfill his duty.
4) Mohammed Kahn’s story serves as an enduring reminder that America’s
strength has always depended upon the courage and contributions of
immigrants, people who, like Private Kahn, risked everything to defend the
promise of liberty and equality even when those same principles were not
equally extended to them.
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This resolution recognizes his legacy as both a pioneer of Afghan American
history and an early representative of Muslim American military service, affirming
the lasting importance of immigrant contributions to the fabric of this nation.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No Local: No
SUPPORT: (Verified 8/27/25)
None received
OPPOSITION: (Verified 8/27/25)
None received
Prepared by: Sofia Pachon-Mendez / SFA / (916) 651-1520
8/27/25 16:11:09
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