WASHINGTON – Palestinian-American Rashida Tlaib and Somali-American IlhanOmar have made history in the United States.
They have become the first ever Muslim women elected to US Congress *AlJazeera* reportedlink.
Tlaib took Michigan’s 13th congressional district in a race in which shewas the sole major party candidate. Omar won Minnesota’s stronglyDemocratic fifth congressional district, replacing the first Muslimcongressman, Keith Ellison, who vacated his seat to run in the state’sattorney general race.
Tlaib, 42, was born in Detroit to Palestinian immigrant parents. She madehistory in 2008 by winning a seat on the Michigan Legislature, becoming thefirst Muslim woman to do so.
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Her campaign platform included pledges to secure a $15 minimum wage,preventing cuts to welfare programmes, such as Medicare and SocialSecurity, as well as stopping tax relief to large corporations.
Omar, who arrived in the US at the age of 14 after fleeing civil war inSomalia, campaigned on a similarly progressive platform, which calls foruniversal healthcare and tuition-free colleges.
