Illinois: The first Palestinian American elected to the Illinois General Assembly, Abdelnasser Rashid, took the oath of office on Saturday in front of an elite group of state and local leaders as well as Arab American community leaders.

After taking oath, Rashid demanded justice for "innocent victims of violence everywhere". This includes African Americans like Tyr Nichols, who died three days after being beaten by police during a routine traffic stop in Memphis on January 7, as well as Palestinian civilians who are being targeted by Israeli forces.

Rashid said the issues every American citizen faces, such as better education for their children, more jobs, a stronger economy and support for their families, are just as important as the rights of Palestinians and African Americans.

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It is an honor for me and my sister, Nabila Sayed, to be the first Palestinian to be elected to the Illinois General Assembly. Rashid, who represents the 21st State House District, urged the crowd to applaud the woman.

Muslim Syed, who represents the 51st state legislative district in the North Suburban area, was also elected along with Rashid in the November 4 general election.

"We are aware of the seriousness of the situation. I had intended to give a celebratory speech that was devoted almost entirely to the progress we have made. But the brutal killing of Tyr Nichols by five police officers in Memphis, Tennessee After seeing the video of the being done, I have to be honest and say that I just cannot talk about progress.

A video that serves as a reminder of how much work remains to be done. Additionally, there are videos from Gaza and the West Bank, where the brutal Israeli occupation still causes suffering for Palestinians.

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Rashid demanded that "we form durable coalitions to fight for justice and equality for all", claiming that the rights of African Americans and Palestinians were equally responsible for the nation's failing health system and the region's housing crisis. were important.

Rashid, a Democrat, represents a portion of the state's growing Palestinian American population, which is based in Chicago's southwest suburbs, including Bridgeview and Burbank.

At the swearing-in, several well-known elected officials cited Rashid's victory as evidence that the system could evolve and become more representative.

Among them was U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, who appointed several Arab Americans and Palestinians to his staff during his term in office, including Rima Dodin, who served as his deputy chief of staff in Washington, DC.

Dodin was handpicked by President Joe Biden for the highest-ranking position ever held by a Palestinian American: deputy director of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. From the Israeli-occupied West Bank city of Hebron, Dodin's parents emigrated to the United States.

Rasheed was lauded as a representation of the openness and inclusiveness of Illinois values by newly elected Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, whose former election campaign manager was Hana Zubeh, a Palestinian American political advisor who is now Deputy Secretary of State.

Giannoulias, whose office is considered more influential than Rashid's, said, "This community should be very proud of the fact that Abdelnasser Rashid became the first Palestinian American and one of only two Muslims in the history of the General Assembly in the state." Done. Illinois."

Abdelnasser, you stand for the next generation. Immigrants who arrived in this country for nothing. who have put in a lot of effort. Who was it

Victim of discrimination. They now see you as the reason they came to this country and the reason they made those sacrifices, facing hardships we could not even imagine. They can show you and claim you are one of us. If he can do it then we are capable of doing it.

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Rashid defeated Democrat Michael Zalewski, who had been in power for 14 years. According to observers, Rashid's victory reflects the growing influence of the Palestinian and Muslim American vote in Chicagoland's southwest suburbs.