Rashida Tlaib is an American politician and lawyer. She is famous for currently serving as the U.S. representative for Michigan's 12th congressional district. She is a member of the Democratic Party. In 2018, she won the Democratic nomination for the United States House of Representatives in Michigan's 13th congressional district, becoming the first woman of Palestinian descent in Congress and one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress. She is known for her critical stance on the Israeli government, calling for an end to U.S. aid to Israel, supporting a one-state solution, and endorsing the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions campaign. On November 7, 2023, Tlaib was censured for her controversial statements related to the 2023 Israel-Hamas war.
American politician and a member of the Democratic Party, Rashida Tlaib is serving as the U.S. representative for Michigan's 12th congressional district. She has a critical stance on the Israeli government and supports ending U.S. aid to Israel, a one-state solution, and the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions campaign. On November 7, 2023, she was censured for controversial statements related to the 2023 Israel-Hamas war.
Rashida Tlaib, born on July 24, 1976, in Detroit, USA, was born to a working-class Palestinian immigrant. She carries the birth name Rashida Harbi. Her father worked on a Ford Motor Company assembly line. Rashida was born as the eldest child among her 14 siblings. She played a significant role in helping raise her siblings while her parents worked. She holds American nationality and has a mixed ethnicity.
In terms of education, she attended various elementary schools, including Harms, Bennett Elementary, and Phoenix Academy, and graduated from Southwestern High School in Detroit in 1994. Tlaib obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Wayne State University in 1998 and her Juris Doctor from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 2004, later being admitted to the Michigan Bar in 2007.
Rashida Tlaib's political career began in 2004 when she interned with State Representative Steve Tobocman. In 2008, she ran for Tobocman's vacated seat in an urban district representing a diverse demographic. She emerged victorious in the Democratic primary and went on to win the general election with over 90% of the vote. In subsequent elections, she maintained strong support, winning both the primary and general elections with overwhelming margins. Tlaib's political journey marked historic milestones, as she became the first Muslim woman to serve in the Michigan State Legislature and the second Muslim woman in any state legislature. After leaving the state legislature, she worked at the Sugar Law Center, a Detroit nonprofit specializing in providing free legal representation for workers.
Tlaib entered the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018 when she ran for Michigan's 13th congressional district, aiming to fill the seat left vacant by John Conyers, who had resigned due to a sexual harassment scandal. Tlaib participated in both the Democratic primary for the special election to complete Conyers's term and the general election for a full two-year term. While she raised over $893,000, she finished second in the special election primary, but secured victory in the general election, becoming the first Palestinian-American woman elected to Congress. In 2020, she defended her position in the Democratic primary with a resounding win.
Following redistricting in 2022, Tlaib sought reelection in Michigan's 12th congressional district, winning the primary and the general election. Tlaib, one of the first two Muslim women in Congress, took her oath of office in January 2019 with her hand on an English-language Quran, and she has been serving on several committees, including the Committee on Financial Services, Committee on Natural Resources, and Committee on Oversight and Reform while being part of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and Congressional Freethought Caucus. In 2019, the House Ethics Committee initiated an investigation into Tlaib's use of campaign funds for personal expenses, ultimately directing her to reimburse her campaign $10,800 in 2020 for violating campaign fund regulations.
Rashida Tlaib has expressed opposition to providing aid to what she calls a "Netanyahu Israel" and supports the Palestinian right of return and a one-state solution. In the past, she received criticism from J Street for her support of a one-state solution, leading to a withdrawal of their endorsement. Tlaib is a vocal supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against the Israeli government, citing it as a response to Israel's actions in the West Bank and settlement building.
Her comments on anti-BDS legislation have sparked controversy, with accusations of insensitivity to the Jewish American community. Tlaib has also been involved in events and controversies related to her stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including a deleted retweet containing a controversial slogan and calling Israel an "apartheid state." She and several other progressive Democrats voted against a non-binding resolution affirming support for Israel in 2023.
In August 2019, Israel barred Tlaib and Ilhan Omar from entering the country, citing their opposition to Israel's existence. Trump reportedly influenced this decision. Tlaib was later allowed to visit her relatives in the West Bank but declined due to restrictions. The Israeli interior ministry accused her of making a "provocative request." In August 2019, Tlaib and Ilhan Omar faced criticism for retweeting a Carlos Latuff cartoon that depicted them being silenced by Netanyahu and Trump, with concerns about the cartoon's potential anti-Semitic undertones, leading to condemnation from Representative Jerry Nadler, The Anti-Defamation League, and other Jewish organizations.
On November 7, 2023, Representative Tlaib was censured for promoting what some perceived as false narratives regarding the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and for her use of the "from the river to the sea" slogan. The censure was introduced by Representative Rich McCormick and received support from 212 Republicans and 22 Democrats.
Tlaib has criticized Saudi Arabia's human rights violations and the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen. She supported efforts to impeach President Trump and expressed her intent to "impeach the motherf****r" on her first day in Congress. Tlaib aligns with the left wing of the Democratic Party, and supports drug law reform, Medicare for All, and a higher minimum wage. She advocated for abolishing the Immigration Customs Enforcement agency, criticized policing as inherently racist, supported abortion rights, and voted to remove U.S. troops from Syria.
Rashida Tlaib is a successful politician with an estimated net worth of $1 million as of 2023. Her primary source of wealth comes from her career as an attorney and politician. Her annual salary exceeds $500,000. As an author, she has published the book "Mama in Congress: Rashida Tlaib's Journey to Washington". With her financial success, she leads a comfortable and fulfilling lifestyle.
Rashida Tlaib, a divorced woman, is currently leading a single life. At the age of 22 in 1998, she married her husband Fayez Tlaib, with whom she has two sons, Adam and Yousif. However, the couple has since divorced, and in 2018, a campaign spokesperson referred to Tlaib as a single mother.
Rashida Tlaib has a height of 5 feet 4 inches and weighs approximately 55 kilograms. She features black hair and black eyes, and her bra size is 33B, with body measurements of 34-28-34. She maintains her body a lot and she has got a healthy body as of now.
Rashida Tlaib is Muslim by religion
Rashida Tlaib, an American politician and lawyer, identifies as Muslim by religion. Her faith has been an integral part of her identity and perspective, influencing her political views and advocacy. Tlaib's Muslim background and heritage are notable aspects of her life, as she has broken barriers by becoming one of the first two Muslim women to be elected to the U.S. Congress, and she has been a vocal advocate for issues affecting the Muslim community in the United States. Her religious beliefs have also shaped her positions on various policy matters, including her stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, her support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and her calls for justice and equity in domestic and international affairs.
Rashida Tlaib is a member of the Democratic Party, and she has also been associated with the Democratic Socialists of America. She currently serves as the U.S. representative for Michigan's 12th congressional district, representing the Democratic Party's values and policies in her role as a congresswoman. Additionally, her affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America indicates a more left-leaning perspective on certain issues, aligning her with progressive and socialist ideals within the Democratic Party.
Rashida's background is rooted in her family's immigrant heritage. As the eldest of 14 children, she was born to Palestinian immigrant parents, and her father, who hailed from a location near Jerusalem, earned a living working on the assembly line at the Ford Motor Co. plant. This family history of immigrant roots and hard work has shaped Tlaib's perspective and driven her political career in advocating for diverse and underrepresented communities in the United States.
After completing three terms in the Michigan State Legislature, Rashida Tlaib was unable to run for her seat again due to term limits. Subsequently, she transitioned into a role as an attorney and advocate at the non-profit organization, the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice in Detroit. During her time at the center, Tlaib was deeply involved in various campaigns aimed at addressing critical issues, including combatting anti-Arab and anti-Muslim bigotry, opposing tax breaks benefiting billionaires and wealthy corporations, advocating for the return of millions of dollars to thousands of individuals unjustly accused of unemployment benefit fraud, and working to halt the dumping of toxic chemicals into the Detroit River.