Me & My Muslim Friends

Muslim Women In Politics: Part One

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Nida Allam and Lela Ali are two trailblazing Muslim women in politics. Allam is the first Muslim woman elected to office in North Carolina as Durham County Commissioner, and she recently announced her bid for Congress (no big deal). Ali is Policy and Program Director at Muslim Women For, nurturing vibrant Muslim communities through grassroots organizing. In this episode, the first of a two-part conversation, Yasmin asks both guests about their motivations for entering politics and the challenges they face, including Islamophobia.

Listener’s note: This episode discusses the killing of three Muslim students in Chapel Hill in 2015.

Yasmin Bendaas

Yasmin Bendaas grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in an Iranian-Algerian household, which was less confusing than it could have been. She studied anthropology at Wake Forest University and science & medical journalism at UNC Chapel Hill. The most meaningful work she’s completed has been in Algeria with reporting for AlJazeera, Reuters and the Pulitzer Center. Breaking from straight news, Yasmin now works at ICON as a proposal writer for global clinical trials. She couldn’t have made this podcast without the contributions of the people listed here. You can follow her @yasminbendaas.

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