In the library of the University of Washington Law School, Malak Shalaby has always gone through pictures of the classes from previous years. At first, most of the students on the photos were white men.
“There simply weren't many Muslim students,” says Malak Shalabi. And she added, "It was then that I realized that in all these years I had never seen a single veiled female graduate from the Faculty of Law."
Malak Shalaby is expected to be among the seventy-one recent graduates of the College of Law for the year 2021 on Sunday, and one of the first veiled women to wear the veil at the college graduation ceremony.
It may even be the first to do so. Officials say that class photos are usually taken at the beginning of the year and do not include students who transfer during the year, so it is difficult to say whether it was the first. Therefore, Malak Shalaby investigated the pictures of the previous years' classes and communicated with former graduates and the supervisors of the library of the College of Law, as well as the directors of the college, to find out if they knew of the presence of veiled women in the past. Someone said that there was a girl who wore a headscarf but did not say if she wore it to the graduation party. The importance of being first or not, says Malak Shalaby, is that “no one should feel discouraged by not being accepted into a given environment.”
Thanks to Malak Shalabi's dedication and commitment to her studies and interest in helping the Muslim community as a legal professional, she has had many accomplishments. But in spite of this, her wearing of her hijab, which is a symbol of her faith, often rebuked her colleagues and teachers as well. As many would have claimed by the College of Law upon seeing it, it was not raised in the United States (she was born and raised in Houston). They always thought she was a translator or some kind of client, which made her feel belittled and "not taken seriously".
But it wasn't the first time she had experienced religious discrimination. The opinions of others completely contradicted her view of herself, as Malak Shalabi says: “The veil is a religious obligation for me,” refusing to be identified by her veil only without her person, saying: “My faith is definitely what leads me in all the steps of my life. But what I regret is that I am only seen as that Muslim girl, so everything else I know I can offer is ignored.”
Nidaa Hamza, the mother of Malak Shalabi, raised her. As a teenager, she was forced to immigrate from Kuwait to the United States in the 1990s, when the Gulf War broke out. Then there she went to university and became a dentist. Like her daughter now, she has since decided to wear the hijab.
Malak Shalabi is the eldest of five brothers. She attended a private Islamic school in Houston, where she felt her spirits rise thanks to the professors' constant calls for students to be proud of their membership in the Muslim community. But that encouragement evaporated when she transferred to a public school after her fifth year of school, where she was ostracized by her classmates. When I moved to high school in Washington, I started practicing skateboarding and drumming. She also participated in a talent show, in an attempt not to be “eccentric,” Malak Shalaby said.
In the summer of 2014, after her first year of high school, Malak Shalabi and her family traveled to Jordan, where many of her Syrian family members sought refuge. They emigrated after the pro-democracy civil uprising against President Bashar al-Assad in 2011 turned into a civil war. Thus, Malak Shalabi learned more about the revolution from those who lived through it. She began to meditate, gain religious depth, and realize the purpose of her existence as a young Muslim woman in the United States.
When she decided to commit to wearing the hijab, Malak Shalaby emailed some of her friends to let them know. Some reacted by ignoring her when they saw her in the halls of Jackson High School in Mill Creek, where she lived.
Her mother, Nidaa Hamza, spoke at length about the importance of raising her children and daughters in particular to be independent, and in turn, Malak Shalabi considers her mother her greatest source of strength and inspiration. She is the one who taught her to see the world with a kind look. Nidaa Hamza already knew how Malak Shalabi's peers would look at her when she wore the hijab, so she warned her daughter to take this decision imitating oriental women without thinking carefully about its consequences, stressing the importance of Malak taking this decision with her own will.
"Even when Malak wore the hijab, she thought that she might take it off one day," says Nidaa Hamza. "But what happened is the exact opposite. When she returned from Jordan, she said, “I have finally found my identity, and I am ready to face the hardships of this decision!” In high school, Malak Shelby found a place to be herself when she took Dan Gehry's English teacher's class. He urged her and his students all to research topics that are important to them. Malak Chalabi began researching US foreign policy and Middle East politics. Dan Gehry, King of Shelby, encouraged her to keep an open mind and to value having her own opinions and being able to interpret what she reads.
Dan Gehry says, “She's telling me what she's thinking and her frustration. I tell her that if she ever wants people to listen to her and make a difference, she must be well-informed and educated.” He added, “It is really wonderful that her intellectual interests that she developed in high school now inspire her to study law and push her forward.”
As a student at Washington Boothill University, Malak Shalaby met with law school representatives from the University of Washington who hosted an event at the Puget Sound Muslim Society, Washington's largest Islamic center. Malak Shalabi says she was accepted when she applied for early admission to the university.
At first, Malak Shalaby contacted a teacher whom she felt respected for thanks to her sympathy. But in other classes such as the civil procedure class where she learns about legal rules and standards, Malak Shalaby is upset that so many professors revise the important legal issues they are taught about.
For example, when they were learning about one of the November 9 aftermath cases involving a Pakistani-American named Iqbal Ashcroft, Malak Shalaby reported that they spent only a little time in class discussing the broader political scope that the man was being investigated, or the spread of Surveillance and attacks on the Muslim community, including harassment and crimes against women wearing headscarves, have made them targets in the United States.
In another incident, a teacher confused her name with the name of another Muslim student. Malak Shalaby says, “I am so grateful for all the opportunities I got at the University of Washington, but these are very serious problems!” The higher the level of education, the fewer people of color; Especially from women. This is said Lisa Castilla, director of racial diversity initiatives, community outreach, and alumni relations at the Law School, and Castelia has also been an informal mentor to King Shelby at the University of Washington.
“I had the same problems when I was a law student at the University of Washington, and we still have the same problems today, and it frustrates me,” Castilla said. Bachelor's degree. I am sure Malak Shalaby will definitely become a leader in her community.”
Malak Shalaby is preparing for the bar exam at home after her graduation ceremony, which will be held virtually on Sunday due to the Corona pandemic, and says that she agrees with Castilla.
Muslim Arabic ethnic media Seattle and Washington WA State, Please visit this anchor muslim ethnic media in WA for more news and latset updates, Thank You.
