August 2, 2016|12:12 pm

(Photo: Reuters/Sandy Huffaker)

Muslim students hold a prayer before a rally against Islamophobia at San Diego State University in San Diego, California, November 23, 2015.

A California lawmaker is asking the state legislature to recognize August as “Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month” but some pastors and national security analysts are criticizing the move, saying it promotes a false narrative.

Assemblymember Bill Quirk (D-Hayward) who introduced House Resolution 59 on Monday, said in a statement posted Friday on the Council on American Islamic Relations’ Facebook page that he was “proud to celebrate the first ever Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month by honoring generations of Muslim Americans for their many social, cultural, and economic contributions to California.”

“The rhetoric surrounding this election makes the presentation of this resolution more important for me,” Quirk said, adding that “it is appropriate to acknowledge and promote awareness of the myriad invaluable