Historic Moment: First US Judge to Wear Hijab Is a Muslim Woman

Attorney Nadia Kahf became the first female hijab-wearing judge in the United States after being appointed to the New Jersey Supreme Court.

Kahf, a family and immigration law attorney of Syrian descent from Wayne Township, was sworn in Thursday with her hand on a copy of the Quran, the Muslim holy book, according to a local North Jersey news site.

She will serve as a Passaic County Superior Court judge after being nominated by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy a year ago, according to local media.

Although Kahf is not the first Muslim woman to hold the position of a state judge, she is the first to wear a hijab on the platform.

Since 2003, she has been a member of the board of directors for the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), an Islamic civil rights organization of which Cave now serves as chair.

She is also the legal counsel for Wafa House, a nonprofit domestic violence and social services agency based in Clifton, and president of the Islamic Center of Passaic County.