"Young women and girls come up to me and say that I showed them they could succeed no matter who they are..."
This past year, Dalia Mogahed became the first veiled Muslim woman in the White House, her position is Muslim affairs advisor to President Obama. Her reputation precedes her with a degree in chemical engineering and co- writing the book Who Speaks for Islam?: What a Billion People Really Think. She is well qualified on Muslim studies and the Middle East, not chosen for her looks, background, or party affiliation. Mogahed has spoken out against human rights violations, in opposition to US foreign policy. This outspokenness, unfortunately, also comes with a label from Islamaphobes in America that she is part of the US Muslim Brotherhood, and criticized on popular media because she spoke out against US ‘allies’.
While these two issues are major discussion points outside of the scope of this post, the fact that a Muslim woman is in a high level, visible position is worth celebrating. When asked in the article below (which is the interview with Mogahed) about her expectations regarding what she considered success, Mogahed responded with “Young women and girls come up to me and say that I showed them they could succeed no matter who they are, whether they choose to wear hijab or not, or what their name is. If this is the only thing my appointment brought about, then I am very happy” (al Andary 2014). We are so ecstatic to see an outspoken woman like Mogahed in the White House and are excited to see what's next!
Here is a link to the full interview:
https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/10questions/564200-the-first-veiled-muslim-woman-in-the-white-house
Here is a link to the full interview:
https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/10questions/564200-the-first-veiled-muslim-woman-in-the-white-house