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CAIR-Chicago Congratulates Rashida Tlaib, First Muslim Woman to Win a Congressional Seat

(CHICAGO, IL, 8/08/2018) – The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) congratulates Rashida Tlaib on being the first Muslim woman elected to the United States Congress. Tlaib, who formerly held a seat in the Michigan House of Representatives, will represent the constituents of the 13th Congressional District, fighting at the federal level for access to quality education, healthcare, and a clean environment; and against the rising atmosphere of hate, bigotry, divisiveness and the scapegoating of minorities. She is a strong advocate for the Arab and Muslim American communities and her win does more than provide tough, smart representation for her constituency, it opens doors for Muslim Americans to run for office around the country. 

"Rashida Tlaib’s historic victory comes at a time when we are facing increasingly loud voices telling us that we do not belong," Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago, said. "Rashida not only proved that untrue, but she proved that you do not have to compromise on who you are to earn the confidence of your fellow Americans, that the merit of your ideas are what ultimately count – as they should."

Tlaib is one of over 90 Muslims running for office in the 2018 election year. Of those was Abdul El-Sayed, who ran and came in second in the primary for Michigan Governor.

"Abdul may have lost his primary but his courageous trailblazing run was a win in that he inspired a record-breaking voter turnout, energized Michiganders who had given up on politics, brought attention to healthcare and education- and he is just getting started," Rehab stated. "He ran as a brown, Arab, Muslim male, possibly the least accepted profile in US politics, and still managed to go far, winning the love and respect of many constituents and dealing a heavy blow to that last of glass ceilings."

CAIR-Chicago is the Chicago office of America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Our mission is to defend civil rights, fight bigotry, and promote tolerance.

CONTACT: CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab, 202-870-0166, arehab@cair.com; CAIR-Chicago Communications Coordinator Saadia Pervaiz, 312-212-1520, spervaiz@cair.com; CAIR-Chicago Communications Coordinator Asha Binbek, 312-212-1520, abinbek@cair.com

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