Palestinian American progressive activist Rashida Tlaib became on Tuesday the first Muslim woman to be elected to Congress.
According to the Middle East Eye Tlaib a former state legislator known for her environmental advocacy edged out opponents in a crowded pool of Democratic candidates in the primaries in August.
Her district which includes parts of Detroit and some working class surrounding suburbs is home to a safe Democratic seat.
On Tuesday she fended off a last minute write-in campaign from Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones whom Tlaib defeated in the primaries.
In an interview with Middle East Eye after her electoral victory Tlaib expressed happiness about the outcome but cautioned that a lot more work needs to be done in Congress.
“It’s like happy chaos. It’s exciting. There’s just so much more to do” Tlaib said. “I feel like I’m trying to celebrate and be in this moment and it’s pretty incredible but at the same I know that there’s so much more work to do”.
Tlaib added that she is prepared to take on the “biggest bully” referring to President Donald Trump.
Her first priority as a Congresswoman she said is to introduce and expand civil rights legislation.
Tlaib will succeed civil rights icon Congressman John Conyers who resigned from the House of Representatives last year after sexual harassment allegations having served there for 52 years.
Delivering the results to supporters on Tuesday night Tlaib a mother of two introduced herself with her newly earned title. “I am Congresswoman-elect Rashida Tlaib.”
She stressed the importance of the timing of her victory during Trump’s presidency with anti-immigrant and Islamophobic rhetoric on the rise.
“It happened now at a time where we just feel there’s so much hate in our country” she said.
