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Ibtihaj Muhammad

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Ibtihaj Muhammad
Born (1985-12-04) December 4, 1985 (age 38)
Maplewood, New Jersey, US
ResidenceNew York City, New York, US
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight68 kg (150 lb)
Sport
Country United States
WeaponSabre
HandRight
ClubPeter Westbrook Foundation
Head coachEd Korfanty
FIE rankingCurrent ranking
Medal record
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2014 Kazan Team
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Catania Team
Bronze medal – third place 2012 Kyiv Team
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Budapest Team
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Moscow Team

Ibtihaj Muhammad (born December 4, 1985) is an American former sabre fencer, writer, and fashion designer. She is best known for being the first woman to wear hijab while competing for the United States in the Olympics Games,[1] and for being part of the sabre team that won a bronze medal in the Olympics .

Early life

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Muhammad was raised in Maplewood, New Jersey, a predominantly white suburb 25 miles (40 km) from Manhattan, and is African American.[2][3][4] Her parents were born in the United States, and converted to Islam.[5][6] Her father, Eugene Muhammad, is a retired Newark, New Jersey police officer, and her mother, Denise Garner, was an elementary school special education teacher.[4][7][8] She is the third child of five siblings.[9]

Fencing career

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Early years

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At Columbia High School in Maplewood, she joined the school fencing team at age 13.[9][10] Her former coach Frank Mustilli had her switch weapons, from épée to sabre.[10][11] She said that sabre fit her personality more, inasmuch as "I’m very aggressive, that’s who I am."[12] She graduated in 2003.[9][13][14]

In 2002, Muhammad joined the Peter Westbrook Foundation in New York City.[15]

Muhammad in 2014

She attended Duke University and graduated in 2007 with an International Relations and African-American Studies double major.[6][16][17]

Muhammad was a member of the United States National Fencing Team starting in 2010. Her team coach was Ed Korfanty.[18] She, as of 2016, ranked No. 2 in the United States and No. 7 in the world. She was a five-time Senior World medalist, all in team events, including 2014 World Team Champion in the team event.[19]

2016-17; Summer Olympics

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Muhammad was part of the 2016 Team USA sabre team that won a bronze medal in the sabre team event, along with two-time Olympic champion Mariel Zagunis, two-time Olympian Dagmara Wozniak, and Monica Aksamit; Muhammad won four of her eight bouts.[7][20][21] She attracted media attention as the first woman to wear hijab while competing for the United States in the Olympic Games.[22] The team defeated Italy 45–30 in the medal match. This came after the team defeated Poland 45–43, and lost to Russia 42–45.

Muhammad as visibly Muslim (due to her hijab) became "one of the best symbols against intolerance America can ever have", according to The Guardian in 2016.[23]

She was last ranked as a fencer in 2017, when Muhammad was ranked 37th in the world.[24]

Defamation lawsuit

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Muhammad is facing a defamation lawsuit in New Jersey Superior Court, following an October 2022 filing by a New Jersey elementary school 30-year veteran teacher who had no prior disciplinary history.[25] The teacher alleges that Muhammad ruined the teacher's reputation and career in viral now-deleted social media posts over an October 2021 incident involving one of the teacher's seven-year-old second-grade students at Seth Boyden Elementary School in Maplewood, New Jersey.[26][27] Muhammad claimed the teacher took the child's hijab off, exposing her hair to the class, and told the child she did not have to wear hijab to school anymore; the teacher's lawyer said that was "100-percent untrue".[28][29] The posts included a photo and statement about Muhammad's then-recently published book.[30]

The teacher alleges that due to lies in Muhammad's posts the teacher's reputation was ruined, she was threatened and bullied, she was placed on leave by the South Orange-Maplewood School District, and she also faced antisemitic vitriol.[26][27] She alleged that Muhammad was "motivated by a combination of greed and a fierce desire to burnish [her brand as fighter] against Islamophobia."[26]

Muhammad sought to have the teacher's case against her, alleging defamation per se and false light invasion of privacy, dismissed, but the Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, Union County, ruled against Muhammad. Muhammad then appealed, still seeking to have the case dismissed.[30][31]

In October 2024, the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division denied Muhammad's appeal, and allowed the teacher's case against Muhammad to continue.[31][30] The teacher alleged, among other things, that Muhammad did not make any effort to verify the truth of the accusations because she did not care whether the allegations were true or false, "because making them would generate publicity for her."[30][31] The appellate court agreed with the trial court that the teacher sufficiently alleged that Muhammad's posts were done with actual malice.[30][31]

Other activities

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In 2014, Muhammad and her siblings launched a clothing company, Louella by Ibtihaj, which aims to bring modest fashionable clothing to the United States market.[5] She is also a sports ambassador, serving on the U.S. Department of State’s Empowering Women and Girls Through Sport Initiative. She has traveled to various countries to engage in dialogue on the importance of sports and education.[32][33]

In 2017, as part of its International Women's Day campaign, Mattel introduced a line of female role model Barbies, including one in a Hijab; and Barbie's first doll fencer, which is designed after Muhammad.[34][35]

Books

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She is the author of a memoir and children books about her life growing up in New Jersey and her Olympic experience:[36] Her children's books have been finalists for the Forest of Reading's Blue Spruce Award twice, for The Proudest Blue in 2021 and The Kindest Red in 2024.[37][38]

  • Muhammad, Ibtihaj. (2018) Proud: My Fight for an Unlikely American Dream.[39] New York: Hachette Books. ISBN 9780316518963
  • Muhammad, Ibtihaj. (2018) (Young Readers Edition) Proud: Living My American Dream.[39] New York: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 9780316477000
  • Muhammad, Ibtihaj. (2018) The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family.[39] New York: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 9780316519007
  • Muhammad, Ibtihaj. (2023) The Kindest Red: A Story of Hijab and Friendship. New York: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 9780759555709
  • Muhammad, Ibtihaj. (2024) The Boldest White: A Story of Hijab and Community. New York: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 9780759555716

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Storm, Hannah (August 12, 2011). "Muslim fencer has it all covered". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  2. ^ Sopan Deb (July 24, 2018). "Ibtihaj Muhammad: The Olympic Fencer Is Charting Her Own Path," The New York Times.
  3. ^ "U.S. Olympic Athletes Ibtihaj Muhammad". Archived from the original on November 26, 2011. Retrieved December 25, 2011.
  4. ^ a b "Meet Ibtihaj Muhammad, the history-making Olympian who called out SXSW for telling her to remove her hijab". Washington Post. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  5. ^ a b Adams, Jonathan (August 5, 2016). "Ibtihaj Muhammad: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  6. ^ a b Carpenter, Les (March 10, 2016). "Ibtihaj Muhammad: the US fencing star out to challenge intolerance and hate". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  7. ^ a b Hines, Nico (August 9, 2016). "U.S. Olympian Ibtihaj Muhammad's Dad: Women Should Never Argue With Men". The Daily Beast. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  8. ^ "A New Face for Team USA | TIME For Kids". www.timeforkids.com. Archived from the original on August 2, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  9. ^ a b c Berg, Aimee (June 24, 2011). "Fencer With Headscarf Is a Cut Above the Rest". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  10. ^ a b "Carter: Maplewood woman could be first American Muslim to wear hijab while competing at Olympics". October 7, 2011. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  11. ^ "Maplewood Fencing Sisters Among Nation's Elite". September 7, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  12. ^ Victor Mather (February 9, 2016). "Olympic Fencer, a Muslim, Settled on a ‘Sport Without Alteration’," The New York Times.
  13. ^ Khakpour, Porochista (August 8, 2016). "Rio Olympics: Ibtihaj Muhammad Is America's Olympic Game Changer". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 7, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
  14. ^ "Jocelyn Willoughby and Charlotte O'Leary are 'Essex Award' recipients". May 24, 2016. Archived from the original on June 1, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  15. ^ "Who is Ibtihaj Muhammad?". Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  16. ^ "U.S. Olympic Athletes sabre Ibtihaj Muhammad". Archived from the original on December 30, 2011. Retrieved December 25, 2011.
  17. ^ "Ibtihaj Muhammad". Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  18. ^ Matthew Hall (July 27, 2018). "Ibtihaj Muhammad: 'Being made to feel different is what makes it all the more difficult'," The Guardian.
  19. ^ Hafez, Shamoon (August 8, 2016). "Rio Olympics 2016: Ibtihaj Muhammad on hijab, Donald Trump & Muhammad Ali". BBC Sport. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
  20. ^ Ferguson, Amber (August 8, 2016). "Ibtihaj Muhammad Didn't Win A Medal, Still Scored An Olympic Victory". The Huffington Post. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  21. ^ "The Nike pro hijab goes global". Middle East North Africa Financial Network. December 2, 2017.
  22. ^ "Muhammad out - but media won't let hijab-wearing American go quietly". independent.co.uk. Independent. August 8, 2016. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  23. ^ Carpenter, Les (August 8, 2016). "Ibtihaj Muhammad stoic in defeat: 'I feel proud to represent Team USA'". The Guardian.
  24. ^ "Ibtihaj Muhammad," FIE.
  25. ^ Steven Emerson (February 22, 2023). "CAIR's Shoot First, Ask Questions Never Defamation Defense," IPT News.
  26. ^ a b c Tracey Tully (October 18, 2022). "Teacher at Center of Hijab Uproar Sues Olympic Medalist for Defamation," The New York Times.
  27. ^ a b Jaclyn Diaz (October 19, 2022). "A New Jersey teacher accused of pulling a student's hijab sues an Olympic fencer," NPR.
  28. ^ David K. Li (October 8, 2021). "Olympian accuses New Jersey teacher of pulling off girl's hijab, school district investigating," NBC.
  29. ^ Jalen Brown and Laura Ly (October 24, 2022). "A New Jersey teacher accused of removing a student’s hijab sues Olympic fencer and others," CNN.
  30. ^ a b c d e Herman v. Muhammad, Superior Court of New Jersey Appellate Division, per curiam, October 15, 2024.
  31. ^ a b c d Tina Kelley (October 17, 2024). "N.J. teacher can sue Olympic fencer who said she pulled hijab off girl’s head, court rules, " NJ.com.
  32. ^ "E:60 Ibtihaj Muhammad - E:60: Ibtihaj Muhammad's American Olympic dream - ESPN Video". YouTube. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  33. ^ "Ibtihaj Muhammad, Olympic trailblazer - ESPN Video". Retrieved August 5, 2016.[permanent dead link‍]
  34. ^ "First US hijab-wearing Barbie to honour fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad". Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  35. ^ Gonzales, Erica (March 28, 2018). "Iris Apfel Just Became the Oldest Person to Have a Barbie Made After Her". Harper's BAZAAR. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  36. ^ Courtney, Sara (August 29, 2018). "Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad Wrote A Powerful Memoir About Her Experiences As A Black Muslim Olympian". Bustle. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  37. ^ Team, Education Library. "Research Guides: Forest of Reading®, K to 6 Programs: Blue Spruce Nominees, 2021". guides.library.queensu.ca. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  38. ^ Team, Education Library. "Research Guides: Forest of Reading®, K to 6 Programs: Blue Spruce Nominees, 2024". guides.library.queensu.ca. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  39. ^ a b c Muhammad, Ibtihaj (July 24, 2018). Proud : living my American dream (Young readers ed.). New York. ISBN 9780316477000. OCLC 1039423626.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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