First Hijabi Judge in New Jersey Takes Her Stand

The following Muslim woman to preside over New Jersey's state Superior Court will be family law attorney Nadia Kahf.

According to the local news website North Jersey, Kahf, a family law and immigration attorney from the township of Wayne of Syrian descent, took the oath of office on Thursday while placing her hand on a copy of the Quran, the holy book of Muslims.

Kahf and a dozen other individuals were chosen as judges by the New Jersey Senate on Monday. Kahf, who will preside over Passaic County, will be the first magistrate to serve while donning a headscarf.

As one of a list of 15 nominees, Kahf was nominated by Governor Phil Murphy a year ago. When it seemed like the procedure was stalling while others moved, Muslim leaders who had supported her candidacy voiced their worries.

In May, 90 municipal officials—including mayors, council members, members of school boards, and attorneys from the New Jersey Muslim Lawyers Association—signed a letter requesting support from state legislators for the organization.

Kahf is not the first Muslim woman to hold the position of state judge, but she is the first to cover her head while sitting in judgment.

She has been a member of the New Jersey chapter's board of the Council on American-Islamic Relations since 2003; this Muslim civil rights group is presently chaired by Kahf.

She serves as the chairwoman of the Islamic Center of Passaic County and is the legal counsel for Wafa House, a nonprofit provider of social assistance and protection from domestic abuse with headquarters in the city of Clifton.