Tahanie Aboushi: Transforming the Future of Justice Reem Farhat Tahanie Aboushi is changing the culture of justice in more ways than one. Aboushi is the Muslim Palestinian American attorney running to be the district attorney of Manhattan whose progressive campaign aims to make the justice system "into one that uplifts and builds up [Manhattan's] neighbors and neighborhoods." When she was younger, Aboushi and her nine siblings experienced the impact of this country's criminal justice system first hand. Today, she represents a wide range of people seeking justice, from elementary school students experiencing bullying and harassment, to individuals facing discrimination on the basis of race or religion. How have your life experiences influenced your decision to practice law? When I was fourteen, my father was sentenced to twenty-two years in prison. This was a destabilizing experience for my family. I remember how uprooted our existence was. I decided to become a lawyer so I could find families like mine and help them navigate a system like the criminal justice system. Many of these issues, like immigration and contact with the criminal justice system, were common experiences for our communities, but no one knows where to get trusted help from. I wanted to be that person. How has your identity as a Palestinian woman affected your view of justice or career? What it means to be Muslim, Palestinian and female has always been a topic of discussion in the public, media, workplace, and family. Society is telling you how you should be acting and who you should be before you begin to figure it out yourself. In all of those categories, it is always a fight to make your own way and to work for equality and justice because people want to be equally represented and heard. We want to make our own way instead of being pigeon holed into these stereotypes. I have taken that fight to the court to advocate for justice and fairness for everyone.
Photo provided by Tahanie Aboushi
Do you have any advice for young women facing these societal pressures? You have to have a reference point for your morals and values. If you are Muslim, it is probably Islam. For me, Islam is what keeps me tied to my course. Specifically, the Hadith that guides us to love for our brother what we love for ourselves. It allows me to renew my intention and I continually ask myself: What I am trying to accomplish? Why am I doing this? I've always wanted to be a voice for those who have been pushed into the shadows of society and be a source of help for anyone in need. I know that our existence is not permanent, and so I don't see things as possessions or personal gains for me, I 14
