Hyderabad-Origin Muslim Woman Is Virginia State Senator  

Washington: Four Indian-American have won the state and local elections held in the United States on Tuesday. Ghazala Hashmi, a Muslim woman who moved to US from Hyderabad is one among them. Other three are Suhas Subramanyam, Mano Raju and Dimple Ajmera.

Ghazala Hashmi

Ghazala Hashmi whose family originally hails from Hyderabad, has created history by becoming the first Muslim woman to be elected to the Virginia State Senate.

Ghazala, who had moved to the US from Hyderabad as a young girl with her family 50 years ago was raised in a small town in Georgia and saw firsthand how community-building and open dialogue can bridge cultural and socioeconomic divisions, uniting people from all walks of life. She earned a BA in English from Georgia Southern University and a PhD from Emory University.

She and her husband, Azhar, moved to the Richmond area in 1991. Hashmi has spent the past 25 years as a leading educator in Virginia's college and university system. She currently serves as the founding director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) at Reynolds Community College.

Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, who was the first woman presidential candidate, also tweeted her congratulations to Hashmi. Ghazal Hashmi took to her Twitter and wrote, "I am deeply honoured by your words, Secretary Clinton. You broke so many glass ceilings for women in public service."
Take a look at her  tweet:

Ghazala, a Democrat, defeated Republican State Senator Glen Sturtevant in her first attempt for the Virginia's 10th Senate District.

"This victory is not mine alone. It belongs to all of you who believed that we needed to make progressive change here in Virginia, for all of you who felt that you haven't had a voice and believed in me to be yours in the General Assembly," Ghazala said to a daily after her historic victory.

"After flipping the Senate, I'll have Democrats by my side to fight to protect Virginians from the climate crisis and senseless gun violence, and work to expand our access to affordable health care and funding for public education. I can't wait to work together in the state Senate," Ghazala tweeted. "Thank you for all of you who, regardless of party, want to build a stronger, safer, and more equitable Commonwealth," she added.

Take a look at the tweet:

Also Read: Hyderabadi Boy Bags MTV Ace Of Space 2 Trophy