NJ Muslim Women Are Making Their Mark

By: Alaa Essafi

From right to left: Arwa Ensour, Samia Bhutta, and Muqaddas Ejaz

In celebration of Women’s History Month, we’ve seized the opportunity to highlight three exceptional women who are driving the growing movement of female civic engagement.  

 Samia Bhutta, a mother of three and South Jersey activist for the past 25 years, shared some gems about her involvement in local government. Samia founded the Pakistan American Society of South Jersey in 2001 and later founded the Muslim Federation of South Jersey to promote diversity in the region. One of her main goals was to have a successful channel of communication between local and county level politicians and our legislators, which has since led to a secure place of respect and camaraderie with them.

She said, “We saw Muslims mobilize, especially women because many of them were raising children and saw up close how in the schools, on the playground, and in the community signs and symptoms of islamophobia was visibility felt.” She continues, “they thought by getting involved in politics, they can do some damage control.  I feel that it's high time Muslims explore politics as a profession.”

 Recently, Samia was asked to be part of a task force to formulate a Moorestown Diversity and Inclusion committee. “The goal is to make sure Moorestown can better protect and celebrate diversity among our residents, businesses, and visitors while promoting an innovative, engaged, and informed community,” she explained. 

 In honor of Women’s History Month, she was a featured panelist on a webinar hosted by Governor Phil Murphy. “Earlier this month I felt quite honored when I was invited by Governor Murphy, the First Lady, and the Lieutenant Governor to be amidst a panel of diverse but highly accomplished women. I was given the chance to present my diverse perspective as a professional as a mother and as a Muslim woman,” she expressed. 

 In that same vein, we celebrate Arwa Ensour, who was sworn as a member of the Board of Education of Prospect Park earlier this month. Her election to the board reflects the growing sentiment, especially among the youth, of becoming active agents in the decision-making of our local areas. 

There’s also our very own Director of Community Engagement for South Jersey, Muqaddas Ejaz, who is running for the Cherry Hill Democratic Committee!

We’ve seen New Jersey Muslim women take strides to amplify their voices in local legislatures and respective regions. The influx of Muslim women in these positions of power and importance is a surefire sign of the betterment of our communities. Representation is an important initial step in our fight for underrepresented groups that inherently champion inclusion and diversity.