Sabre fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad is a self-described “proud Muslim” and this summer will make history as the first hijab-wearing American athlete to compete in the Olympics for the U.S. fencing team. In this interview with the Washington Post, the 30-year old athlete talks about why she chose fencing, “I wanted to find a sport where I could be fully covered and I didn’t have to look different.”
Ms. Muhammad says her mandate is simple: to combat, educate and inspire. She is speaking out against the recent anti-Muslim rhetoric perpetuating in the country. “I’ve grown tired of seeing the same image of women that, to me, is not representative of Muslim women I know that live here in the States. I think it’s very narrow in scope. Like within any religion, Muslims have conservatives, we have liberals, and we have everything in between. To paint all Muslims with one broad stroke can be frustrating.”
