First Muslim Woman Judge
Washington, DC: An Arab-American
from Detroit has become the first Muslim woman to sit on a
US federal court as judge.
Charlene Mekled Elder sits on the 3rd Circuit Court of Wayne
County. Appointed by Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm,
Ms Elder, 36, is the first Arab-American female judge in this
circuit to speak Arabic fluently.
A US government press
release says she is also the first female Muslim to hold a
judicial position in the country. Judge Elder brings to the
bench a solid legal background and a diverse upbringing. Wayne
County has the largest concentration of Arab Americans outside
the Middle East, roughly 350,000 and Michigan is home to approximately
400,000 citizens of Muslim faith.
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