15 Facts About Rana Abdelhamid

Rana Abdelhamid is an American political candidate and activist based in Queens, New York.

Rana Abdelhamid is of Egyptian descent and grew up in New York with three siblings.

Rana Abdelhamid holds a black belt in Tai Chi karate and as a student taught young girls karate to combat race-based violence.

Rana Abdelhamid attended Middlebury College as a Posse Foundation Scholar, where she majored in international politics and economics.

Rana Abdelhamid is a recipient of the 2015 United Nations Association of the United States of America Leo Nevas Human Rights Youth Award, and the Running Start Rising Political Star.

Rana Abdelhamid has spent her professional career working for Google.

Rana Abdelhamid first pitched her idea for a self-defense class with women teaching women to her imam at the Queens Community Centre when she was sixteen.

The class was rejected, but Rana Abdelhamid continued to pitch the idea and held her first class for Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment in 2010.

Rana Abdelhamid describes creating WISE as "part of her 'healing process,'" according to Elle.

Rana Abdelhamid told National Catholic Reporter that so-called "hijab grabs" are a common experience for Muslim women.

In 2014, Rana Abdelhamid started a social media project called "Hijabis of New York" in order to "humanize and diversify the public narratives of Muslim women who wear hijabs," according to PBS.

The project is hosted on Facebook and takes the form of interviews conducted by Rana Abdelhamid accompanied by photographs from various professionals.

Rana Abdelhamid was endorsed by progressive group Justice Democrats, as well as New York City Comptroller Brad Lander.

Rana Abdelhamid withdrew from the race after new district boundary maps were released.

Rana Abdelhamid is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.