US mid-term polls: Two Muslim women elected, for first time

Washington, Nov 7: Tuesday, November 6, witnessed making of history in the US midterm elections as two Muslim women were elected to the US Congress for the first time. The duo is Palestinian-American Rashida Tlaib and Somali-American Ilhan Omar.

Democrat Tlaib, 42, won Michigan's 13th congressional district after being in the fray as the only major party candidate. Thirty-six-year-old Omar won Minnesota's Democratic fifth congressional district and replaced Keith Ellison, the first Muslim congressman who ran for the state's attorney general position.

Tlaib, born in Detroit to Palestinian immigrant parents, became the first Muslim woman to win a seat in Michigan Legislature in 2008. Her campaign saw pledges to secure a minimum wage of $15, preventing cuts to welfare measures and also halting tax reliefs to big corporations.

Omar, who fled the Somalian civil war and reached the US at the age of 14, also campaigned over progressive ideas like universal healthcare and tuition-free colleges.

Omar's political journey began when she started attending caucuses of the local Democratic Farmer Labour party with her grandfather after arriving in America.

The election of Tlaib and Omar is significant for the current times have seen negative campaigns against American-Muslims.

Omar congratulated Tlaib in a tweet after the results came out saying she was looking forward to serve with her.