Hijabi Muslim woman is set to make history in March after being endorsed as a candidate for the Connecticut House of Representatives.
โAs a woman, as a woman of color, as an immigrant, a teacher, young person, thereโs a lot of diversity that I bring to the state legislature,โ Maryam Khan told NBC Connecticut.
Maryam was nominated for Connecticutโs 5th District seat representing Windsor and Hartford. She believes her nomination is important to set an example for young Muslim women.
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โAt their age, I didnโt know what local politics was. I didnโt know what people could do to be involved and I didnโt think that there would be room for me in a place like that,โ Khan said.
โSo Iโm happy that theyโre able to have that and theyโre able to see that, you know, you can be both Muslim and you can be, you know, part of your community,โ she added.
Success Story
Khan is a special education teacher, four-year member of the Windsor Board of Education, and former mentor to young women at her mosque, who hopes to bring the issues of educators to the forefront of legislatorsโ minds.
โMy big concern for our schools is, if we are having teachers leave the field within their first couple years, or their first five years, what is school going to look like in the next 10,15, 20 years?โ Khan said.
Khan first won board of Education seat in Windsor in 2017.
The 33-year-old mother of three was re-elected in November 2021 to the Board of Education for Windsor.
Maryam will have to secure the seat during a Special Election on March 1.
US Muslims celebrated historic win in November elections. Many Muslims turned victorious in the elections that took place in more than 30 states across the country.
In Michigan, three Muslim mayors have been elected in addition to an all-Muslim city council in Hamtramck.
