In this piece for Huffington Post, religious editor Antonia Blumberg makes the point that in a year which saw a severe increase in anti-Muslim rhetoric and even physical attacks, Muslim women were often on the frontlines, especially those that wear the hijab. And no, these women did not remain silent and if anything, according to Ms. Blumberg, “lead the charge in advocating for the rights of minority groups and taking America to task for its ongoing failure to uphold its founding values of ‘life, liberty and justice for all.’”
With that in mind, Huffington Post has generated a listicle of 17 American Muslim women making a difference including:
— Ilhan Omar: this year she became the first Somali-American Muslim woman elected to a state legislature in Minnesota.
— Ibtihaj Muhammad: she made history this year as the first U.S. athlete to compete at the Olympics wearing a hijab.
— Linda Sarsour: prominent activist who is one of three women co-chairing the Women’s March On Washington, scheduled to take place in Washington D.C. on January 21, 2017.
— Ghazala Khan: wife to Ghazala Khan who gave a now famous speech at the DNC about their son, U.S. Army Capt. Humayun Khan, who died tragically in Iraq. In a Washington Piece op-ed, Mrs. Khan wrote: “Without saying a thing, all the world, all America, felt my pain .I am a Gold Star mother. Whoever saw me felt me in their heart.” Hundreds of women were inspired to start the hashtag #CanYouHearUsNow in response to Donald Trump questioning Mrs. Khan.
— Amani Al-Khatahtbeh: founder and writer of MuslimGirl.com website.
And more! Click and read who made the rest of the list…
