Meet Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian congresswoman in the US: part of The Squad with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, she supports the pro-Palestine college protests – and even got censured

May 15 , 2024

House Financial Services Committee member Rep. Rashida Tlaib (pictured) questions Federal Reserve Bank Chairman Jerome Powell as he testifies before the committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on the Capitol on March 6, in Washington DC. Photo: Getty Images

As one quarter of The Squad – the four progressive congresswomen known for shaking up US politics – Rashida Tlaib is the first woman of Palestinian descent to serve in Congress. The hopes of her family in the West Bank may weigh heavily on her shoulders, but Tlaib has earned – and is proud of – her reputation for speaking her mind, especially while going against the majority.

This bold outspokenness has led to Tlaib being embroiled in several controversies during her terms in office, and most recently saw her receive an official censure from Congress. Still, the community-minded politician has no qualms about continuing to use her voice to help the people she serves.

Here’s what you need to know about woman behind the headlines.

Rashida Tlaib’s political career

An honorary member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated, Rashida Tlaib celebrated the Founder’s Day holiday with the sorority earlier this year. Photo: @RepRashida/X

Tlaib, 47, is a three-term congresswoman representing Michigan’s 12th congressional district. She’s the first woman of Palestinian descent to be elected to Congress, and one of the first two Muslim women alongside Minnesota’s Ilhan Omar. Tlaib, Omar and two other female political powerhouses, New York’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Massachusetts’ Ayanna Pressley, are the founding members of The Squad, a self-labelled group of pioneering female politicians who have joined forces to promote their progressive policies.

Tlaib has a law degree from Cooley Law School and is known for her work with grassroots advocacy groups, per her official website.

What is Rashida Tlaib’s background?

According to her official biography, Tlaib was born in Detroit and is the eldest of 14 children. Her parents are Palestinian immigrants and she still has family in the West Bank, according to NBC.

Her election to Congress inspired her relatives there, with her uncle Bassam Abdullah Tlaib telling the publication that they hoped the politician would “change the American view about Arabs and Muslims”.

Rashida Tlaib attends her swearing-in ceremony in 2023 with her sons Adam and Yousif. Photo: @rashidatlaib/Instagram

Rashida was reportedly married to Fayez Tlaib from 1998 to 2015. She has two sons, Adam and Yousif, who went viral on social media when they were filmed dabbing as their mother was being sworn into the House of Representatives in 2019.

In 2022, Rashida and Adam published the children’s book, Mama in Congress: Rashida Tlaib’s Journey to Washington, which tells the story of her being one of the first Muslim women in Congress, and that of her family.

Rashida Tlaib is vocally pro-Palestinian

Pro-Palestinian protests continue to sweep university campuses in the US, with students camping out on school grounds. Demands vary by university, but include urging their institutions to disclose how their funds are invested, and financially divesting from Israeli companies and companies profiting off the war, such as weapons manufacturers, according to reports. Many demonstrations have seen violent police action and arrests, with some graduation ceremonies getting cancelled.

A viral video of Tlaib in a Zoom call shows the congresswoman supporting the protests, saying, “I’m here to tell you all, I love you. Thank you for this. Just know the incredible power that you all have to, again, move our country in the right direction. So thank you all so much. Thank you, thank you.” The video has been widely dispersed by student organisers online.

Rashida Tlaib (left) attends a fundraising dinner for social justice in Detroit, in April. Photo: @rashidatlaib/Instagram

According to official Congress documents, in November 2023, the House of Representatives voted to censure Tlaib for her comments on the Israel-Gaza war. Per Al Jazeera, Tlaib was accused of spreading false narratives about the Hamas-led attack in Israel on October 7 last year, which Israel responded to with a devastating onslaught that has killed over 34,000 Palestinians to date. Tlaib has also repeatedly called for a ceasefire from the Israeli military and has vocally criticised the Israeli government.

A censure resolution is considered a “serious form of formal public admonishment”, which is seen as a prelude to being expelled, according to Al Jazeera.

What is Rashida Tlaib doing now?

Rashida Tlaib attends an Iftar gathering by Islamic Relief USA on Capitol Hill in March. Photo: @RepRashida/X

Tlaib is seeking re-election in Michigan’s 12th Congressional District this year and, per the Bridge Michigan, is facing tough competition from Democrats and Republicans alike. Per the publication, she easily defeated her competition in 2022, beating Detroit Clerk Janice Winfrey in the Democratic primary followed by Republican Steven Elliot in the general election by nearly 45 per cent.

During her terms, Tlaib has focused on laws to protect homeowners from fraudulent mortgage bankers as well as facing off against scrap metal thieves and against “corporate polluters”, forcing big companies to remove toxic materials from Detroit’s riverfronts.

Icons and Influencers

Michigan native Rashida Tlaib made history when she was elected to the US House of Representatives, as the first woman of Palestinian descent to serve – and one of two Muslim women alongside Ilhan Omar
She has faced criticism for her comments on the Israel-Gaza war, but is also a mum of two and published a children’s book with her son Adam