Two Muslim women, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, have been elected into the United States House of Representatives for the first time.
The two Democrats will be the first Muslim women to serve in Congress after winning in Tuesday’s congressional midterm elections.
Omar who made history in 2016 when she was elected the first Somali-American legislator in the US moved into the United States at the age of 12 as a refugee.
Following her win in 2016, Omar said her political involvement had become more than about her but about changing the narratives surrounding immigrants and women of colour who run for office.
Tlaib, a Democrat from Detroit, is the daughter of Palestinian immigrants. She ran unopposed in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District to become one of the first Muslim women in Congress as well.
Like Omar, Tlaib championed progressive policies, including a Medicare for All, a $15 minimum wage and immigration reform.
Omar and Tlaib joined Congress in a year that saw a record number of women running for office and smashing records.
