A report by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Jetpac Resource Center stated that the 2018 midterm elections were a watershed moment for the American Muslim community, with 82 Muslim candidates winning municipal, state, federal, and even judicial seats in 25 states.
Even though Republican candidate Mehmet Oz, who was hoping to become the first Muslim senator in the country, failed, a record number of Muslims were elected. Oz’s Pennsylvania seat was defeated.
The majority of Muslim victories occurred in red states like Texas, Virginia, and Georgia. There are 20 returning members and 17 newcomers among the newly elected Muslim members. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and State Senator Rashida Tlaib, two prominent Muslim politicians, both kept their seats.
The offices won include those on city councils and school boards on up to the United States Congress.
After 71 Muslims were elected in 2020, CAIR began keeping track of their electoral success. The most electoral victories ever recorded in the United States occurred in 2022.
Nihad Awad, national executive director of CAIR, has claimed that a “political change” is taking place in the United States.
The unprecedented number of Muslim American candidates that were elected yesterday is a reflection of our community’s continued ascent in American politics and the confidence our neighbors have placed in us to advocate for them.”
Awad further explained that this was the “next step” for the long-silenced Muslim community in the United States.
Furthermore, there were several firsts in history. Muslim state legislators were elected for the first time in some states. Even though Georgia has the second-highest number of Muslim state lawmakers in the country, it chose Nabilah Islam, a Muslim woman, to be its first representative in the state senate and house.
Nabeela Syed, 23, broke the news on social media that she had just become the youngest member of the Illinois General Assembly.
To date, Ruwa Romman is the only Muslim American woman to be elected to a state legislature. According to the CAIR report, Democrats Mana Abdi, Deqa Dhalac, and Ambureen Rana became the first Muslims to win seats in the Maine State House.
Many members of the Muslim community in the United States have been targets of hate crimes and persistent discrimination, but this victory gives them reason to hope. Based on data collected by The Muslim Community Network, 32% of Asian Muslims and 26% of Black Muslims in New York City were victims of hate crimes in 2022.
Executive Director of the Jetpac Resource Center Mohammed Missouri issued the following statement: “It is crucial that our voice be heard in the policymaking process, especially in regards to education, housing, climate, and civil rights, all of which are shaped by state legislatures.
