by ASSIA BOUNDAOUI
Othman, a mother of two, is pursuing a doctorate in education. She says that when her son’s school cut Advanced Placement classes and slashed the budget for academic programming, it was time to act.
“I see my kid’s school going in the opposite direction, it’s kind of scary. You can only make calls for so long,” she said. “You need to effect change by being in the place to make decisions.”
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Othman is one of seven Muslim Americans running in Chicago-area municipal elections April 5. Five of the seven candidates are women, and all are the first Muslims to run for a seat in their respective races.
Across the country, dozens of Muslims have actively engaged in the American political process, running for — and winning — elected offices. From a mayor in New Jersey; to state representatives in North Carolina, New Hampshire, Iowa, Maryland and Missouri; to congressmen in Minnesota and Indiana, American politicians from the Muslim faith are increasingly in political positions.
Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minnesota, was elected in 2006 and is one of two Muslim Americans in Congress. (The other is Indiana’s Andre Carson, a Democrat elected in 2008.) Ellison broke down in tears this month during hearings investigating the possible radicalization of Muslims in America, sponsored by Republican Rep. Peter King of New York.
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