Skokie's Bushra Amiwala is the youngest Muslim elected official in US

Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Bushra Amiwala is youngest Muslim elected official in U.S.

Bushra Amiwala is the youngest woman and youngest Muslim to be elected to office in America, serving on the Skokie school board. And this is just her beginning.

SKOKIE, Ill. (WLS) -- Bushra Amiwala became the youngest Muslim to hold office in the United States when she was elected to a Skokie school board at age 21. And that's just the start.

Amiwala is a daughter of immigrants and a rising politician. In 2018, she lost a primary race for Cook County Commissioner, but her parents' support did not waver. It was her first time running for office.

She said her family has been a continuing source of inspiration for her to move forward, especially her father, who immigrated to the U.S. from Pakistan.

"I just want to do whatever I can to make them proud, to make them know that they made the right decision coming to this country," she said. "They made the right decision to move to Skokie. They made the right decision to raise their kids in an environment away from their family, their community, what they were used to because they wanted us to have a better life with more opportunity."

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In April 2019, she decided on her second run and this time, victory. She was elected to serve on Skokie School Board 73.5, becoming the youngest Muslim elected official in America at age 21.

"Be the change you want to see in the world," Amiwala said. "You have the power to make a difference in your own life, the lives of so many others in your community, and dream big!"

And she is; her dream is to one day represent the Chicago area in the U.S. Capitol.

"I would personally love to be in Congress one day. And to me, it would be the most fulfilling and gratifying experience," she said.

So with her faith and her family, she's still on her journey, traveling a road that may one day lead to a higher political office and a chance to serve others.

"I see that it's possible," she said. "I see that we're in this new generation, we have this new wave of voters, we have this new era of change makers, policy makers, that there's no reason why I can't do something like this."

"This is just the beginning for me," she added. "I've just gotten started."

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