Olympic Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad Brings Message Of Representation To Plainfield

January marks Muslim Heritage Month, and Plainfield Public Schools celebrated it with their third annual community gathering on Wednesday. The event, hosted by Habiba Ibrahim, an 18-year-old senior at Plainfield High School, welcomed students, parents, school staff, and local residents to Charles and Anna Booker Elementary School to recognize and honor Islamic culture and history.

“This month is a time to honor the deep history, creativity, scholarship, and cultural templates that the Muslim communities have contributed to the United States and to the world,” said Ibrahim.

According to the World Population Review, as of 2020, more than 321,000 Muslims reside in New Jersey, representing an estimated 3.5% of the U.S. Muslim population. This places New Jersey as the state with the fourth-largest Muslim population in the country.

Hanae M. Wyatt, the president of the Plainfield Board of Education, expressed her goal of having local Muslim students and families “feel seen and valued” with this annual celebration, incorporating their cultural background into everyday life, both inside and outside classrooms.

“It gives [students and families] an opportunity to not just fellowship with each other, but fellowship with other cultures, and other students an opportunity to understand and comprehend just what their values are and what they represent, because it’s not enough for them to be in the classroom together,” added Wyatt.

This celebration comes at a time when Islamophobia has reached an all-time high in the U.S. In 2024, the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) received a total of 8,658 complaints of Islamophobia in the U.S., the highest recorded in the organization’s history. 

As anti-Muslim acts and rhetoric pose a threat to the Islamic community, Dr. Danielle Mastrogiovanni, chief of equity and school improvement for Plainfield Public Schools, emphasized the importance of highlighting their positive contributions and rich culture.

“I think that there’s a lot of misinformation around what it means to be Muslim,” said Mastrogiovanni. “And I think it’s our responsibility to demystify that and make sure that people understand that that’s not something that should be weaponized, in our country or around the world.”

With this event, Plainfield Public Schools didn’t just provide a fun night out featuring Muslim music and cuisine. They also provided an educational space for students and adults to learn more about Islam and recognize the many influential Muslim figures throughout history, fostering unity and understanding within the community.

The celebration featured Olympic fencer and author Ibtihaj Muhammad as a special guest. Raised in Maplewood, New Jersey, Muhammad made history as the first American to compete in the Olympics while wearing a hijab and as the first American Muslim woman to win an Olympic medal.

Muhammad explained that she began her series of children’s books, starting with “The Proudest Blue,” to present a narrative of wearing a hijab that was not “oppressive.” She noted that she viewed the hijab as an integral part of her identity and as an “acknowledgment of [her] faith as a Muslim.”

During a Q&A session with Ibrahim, Muhammad also discussed her desire to increase Muslim representation in sports and to dispel misconceptions about her community, seeing sports as a “vehicle for change” as a “space that unites us no matter our cultural background or economic background.”

“I wanted to be the representation,” said Muhammad. “ I wanted to show people what we were capable of, and I wanted to redefine how people viewed Muslims. But I also want to redefine how people view Black people in fencing. I wanted to shift that narrative and change it and widen the scope of how the next generation view the future in sport.”

In addition to honoring Muhammad’s achievements, the community recognized Ibrahim by presenting her with the Community Attribution Award.

Mastrogiovanni stated that this award is presented to individuals “who made a meaningful difference through service, leadership, and commitment to building strong, connected communities.” Ibrahim also received the New Jersey State Seal of Biliteracy in recognition of her academic excellence and her ability to foster cross-cultural communication.

While Plainfield residents continue to acknowledge the achievements of the Islamic community, they have stressed that these celebrations help strengthen their sense of unity and promote a positive outlook on life for students and families. 

As Wyatt stated, each celebration “gives us an opportunity to ensure that we are coming together and celebrating our rich history and our differences and our diversity within the community, and it pulls us together…”