These Muslim Women are Helping to Make the World a Better Place – For That We Thank and Salute Them

Jordanian-American Amani Al-Khatahtbeh is an author, activist, entrepreneur, and, now, politician. Through founding Muslim Girl, a media platform tackling female Muslim stereotypes, Al-Khatahtbeh has consciously been taking back the narrative of Muslim women for ten years, allowing them to speak for themselves rather than to be spoken for. "Muslim Girl" was born out of the necessity to take back the narrative and break assumptions that Muslim women are silent.

With countless accolades to her name, including a spot in Forbes 30 under 30 and CNN's 25 most influential Muslim Americans, there's really no stopping this powerhouse of a role model. So, what's next? In April of this year, the 27-year-old announced that she is running for office in New Jersey's 6th Congressional District. By doing so, she became the first Muslim woman to run for federal office in her state. She is also the youngest woman to do so. Al-Khatahtbeh definitely has our vote.

The Libyan-American is a journalist, activist, producer, and all-round queen when it comes to shifting perceptions and breaking stereotypes. I mean, take a second to digest this – she was the first hijab-wearing Muslim woman to appear in an issue of Playboy, who chose to feature seven cultural renegades. The appearance generated a fierce debate which, arguably, is precisely what Tagouri wanted to achieve, stating that it was part of her campaign to push back at the female Muslim stereotype that wearing a hijab is a "submissive" choice.

Tagouri, however, has been very outspoken with regards to her choice to wear a hijab, "it has always been a personal and constant reminder of living for something bigger than myself," she previously explained.

At just 26 years of age, Tagouri is certainly one to follow. Her broadcasting is real, impactful, and unfiltered. Her latest project, The Process, an interview series that addresses the importance of the individual journeys that people take on the way to the top, is as humbling as it is inspiring.

When you think Ibtihaj Muhammad can't get any cooler, she does something so unbelievably cool that you have to reassess your parameters of the word "cool." I know I'm fangirling here, and I'm ok with it. Here's why – Muhammad was awarded a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in the team sabre fencing competition. She is also the first female Muslim-American athlete to earn an Olympic medal. Muhammad is also the first Muslim American woman to wear a hijab while competing for the US Olympic team. Impressive, right? Here's why we love her even more. The way she spoke out about her treatment within her memoir, "PROUD: My Fight for an Unlikely American Dream," solidified her status as a role model. "I wrote it with the youth in mind," she explains. "I wanted them to feel inspired by my story."

Other highlights of her illustrious and diverse career include launching her clothing line, Louella, as well as authoring her first children's book, "The Proudest Blue: A Story Of Hijab And Family." Our personal favorite? When Mattel modeled their first hijabi Barbie in her likeness, ensuring that millions of young Muslim girls everywhere can see themselves represented from a very young age.