Nadia Kahf becomes first Hijab-wearing superior court judge in United States

World

Published: 2023-03-28 18:27

Last Updated: 2024-03-28 00:52


Nadia Kahf becomes first Hijab-wearing superior court judge in United States
Nadia Kahf becomes first Hijab-wearing superior court judge in United States

Nadia Kahf, 50, became the first Hijab-wearing woman to serve as a Superior Court judge in the United States after taking an oath on a copy of the Holy Quran inherited from her grandmother.

Kahf, who was born in Syria, was nominated by New Jersey’s Gov. Phil Murphy one year ago. She made history as the first Hijab-wearing judge and is also the third Muslim woman to serve as judge in the United States.

“I am proud to represent the Muslim and Arab communities in New Jersey in the United States (US). I want the younger generation to see that they can practice their religion without fear that they can be who they are,” she said during a sworn-in ceremony.

“Diversity is our strength, it is not our weakness,” Kahf added.

She specializes in family law and has also worked on immigration cases. Kahf worked in several American Islamic foundations, most notably was her serving since 2003 on the board of the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which is a Mus­lim civil rights organization.