Every Muslim Has the Ability to Inspire Change
By Hamza Khan
Mar/Apr 25
Zaynab Mohamed, 27, and Yasmin Trudeau, 40, have never met, but their lives tell the same powerful American story. Mohamed was nine years old when her family immigrated to Minnesota after fleeing war in Northern Somalia. Trudeau, a Bengali American, faced her own share of adversity having spent her childhood navigating the foster-care system in Washington State. Both women pushed through seemingly insurmountable odds to ascend to the state legislature, Mohamed as a Senator in Minnesota representing District 63, and Trudeau in Washington State Senate District 27.
The Democratic duo is part of a small yet growing trend. In 2023, a record 235 Muslims were elected to public office, according to a joint analysis by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Jetpac Resource Center. While data for 2024 has yet to be released, the number has risen steadily since 2020, with new names emerging each year.
From the Classroom to the Legislature
The journey often takes shape in the classroom. Despite living in 11 homes between 7th and 12th grade, Trudeau would go on to win her high school’s Gates Achievement Award, setting her on a path toward college and ultimately, law school. “Regardless of how many places I lived or how things were like, that was the thing in the back of my mind – just finish your education,” said Trudeau, who in 2021 became the first Muslim member of Washington State’s legislature.
A 2017 study by the Institute for Policy and Understanding found that Muslims are 8% more likely to graduate college than the average American. Mohamed was no different. She found purpose through the Minneapolis “Step Up Program,” through which she worked at a bank during high school and college. At the same time, she taught her mother how to read English.
Mohamed credited her work supervisor with setting her on a path of success. “Now that I look back as a young person, that was one of the most meaningful things that has ever happened to me,” said Mohamed, who was one of eight children. “Because none of my siblings have gone to school here, and all my family members have had no one, and nothing.”
Neither Trudeau nor Mohamed actually planned to pursue politics. Like many in immigrant families, they initially prioritized stability over risk. It is perhaps for this reason that while Muslims are underrepresented in local government, they make up around four times their share of the population in medicine.
“Muslim Misfits” Make History
But growing up in a changing America often means adopting changing roles. Trudeau was in law school when she found herself in a heated debate with a classmate over the “intent behind law.” Passionate about immigration advocacy, she found herself wanting to do more than just learn – she wanted to shape policy.
Mohamed, who is 13 years younger than Trudeau, was swept up in the activist fervor of 2020 when George Floyd was murdered a few blocks from her parents’ house. Neither were alone in their passion. Two years before George Floyd’s murder at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department, fellow Muslims Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar were making history as the first Muslims elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018. Both women got their start in the state legislature.
Still, the road ahead wasn’t steady for these groundbreaking women. Trudeau’s background as the daughter of a young single mother often left her feeling ostracized in a conservative Muslim community. But her mother’s words still echo in her ears: “No matter what, you’re a Muslim.”
“I was like, ‘Mom, the Muslim community barely accepts you,’” Trudeau said. “And she was like, ‘They don’t need to.’ And that really stood out to me.” Trudeau spent her years after law school working for Washington State Senator Pramila Jayapal (D), who now serves in the U.S. Congress. Later, Trudeau joined the state Attorney General’s office, which at the time was challenging then-President Donald Trump’s Muslim ban.
In 2021, the seven-member Pierce County Council unanimously appointed Trudeau to the Washington State Senate. She has since won an election in 2022 and reelection in 2024. And despite the hardships that accompany Trudeau’s unique background, she often found herself at an advantage. “We have a lot of different things that impact our folks, and so I think that actually the ‘Muslim misfits’ are probably the most primed to have these nuanced conversations on behalf of our communities,” Trudeau said. “Because we’ve experienced that we’re not a monolith, and we understand that that’s not the goal.”
The same year Trudeau was appointed, Mohamed took her passion for social justice to CAIR-Minnesota, where she worked as the director of advocacy. She then began managing campaigns for Minneapolis city council candidates, eventually becoming a policy aide for a sitting councilmember. “I guess when you’re really angry at the world, it’s easy to learn things that you want to be good at to better the world,” Mohamed said with a chuckle. “So that’s sort of what got me into organizing.”
Not a year into her job as an aide, the sitting state senator of 16 years, Patricia Torres Ray, retired. Before Mohamed even thought of running, the hashtag “RunZaynabRun” spread across social media. In a decision that still surprises her to this day, Mohamed threw her hat in the ring. The result was a landslide primary and general election win in 2022. In January 2023, Mohamed made history as the youngest woman to ever serve in Minnesota’s State Senate.
“There will always be somebody who tells you to wait your turn,” said Mohamed, who recalled being told she was too young to mount a successful campaign. “If you know what you’re doing, and you believe in the value you can bring to an institution, just run.”
Trudeau, too, was surprised by the positive response from her community. New Jersey, Michigan, and California take the helm as states with the most elected Muslim officials. As a Muslim politician in Washington State, Trudeau was a trailblazer.
She recalled interviewing a prospective staff member, a Palestinian Christian, who tearfully expressed concern about being a political liability. “I was like, oh, no, this office – don’t worry about that for a second,” Trudeau said.
Groundbreaking Muslim Women Paying it Forward
Both Trudeau and Mohamed have since worked on a slew of legislation, including investments in affordable housing, wage reform, and homelessness prevention programs. They have also received warm reviews from their constituents. In her 2024 race, Trudeau won by a nearly 44% margin.
And if more Muslims are looking to get their names on the ballot, Trudeau hopes they know they are not alone. “It’s gonna feel uncomfortable and awkward, and you’re never gonna feel like you fully fit anywhere,” Trudeau said. “But that’s how a lot of people feel in this country all the time. So if anything, I think we translate an experience that really goes beyond just the Muslim community.”
Neither could forget the mentors and educators who helped them find their footing in the world. For Mohamed, this was her old boss, who taught her how to apply to college. “I still talk to him,” Mohamed said. “Every few months he still checks up on me.”
Trudeau remembered fondly the late Professor José Goméz at Evergreen State College. When she had told him she was always interested in law, he simply responded with: “Well then — we’re gonna help you become a lawyer.”
Hamza Khan, a New York-based freelance journalist, previously worked for WICZ FOX 40.