Mariam Ali, a 20-year-old Egyptian girl with Italian citizenship, will run for the municipal elections in Rome, Italy, which will begin next October.
Maryam Ali, a young girl who grew up in the Italian capital Rome, announced on his Instagram that she is running for the municipal elections in Rome, becoming the youngest candidate for the election.
"Your vote is important, POLITICS IS YOU!" Maryam captioned her Instagram post.
“From a young age, my father, Sheikh Sami, accompanied me in charitable work, and taught me how to help others with material and moral support," Maryam said in a statement to "Cairo 24" website.
Maryam did not think much about taking this step as she believed her candidacy would be a wide window through which she may help others more broadly.
She is certain that this decision would help her achieve what she had dreamed of when she was young, thanks to her father, who greatly encouraged her in this endeavor.
Maryam, a student at the Faculty of Law in Rome, affirmed that the Italian people were astonished by her candidacy despite the young age, claiming that she had no experience.
"They also looked at the veil I am wearing with a stereotypical image they had of a Muslim woman, believing that she is forced to do so or that it does not have any meaning," she said, stressing that "My candidacy is a strong response to anyone who has a false belief about Muslim women or Islam."
Maryam grew up in Italy but she sees herself as an Egyptian and Arab woman which made her acquire many different cultures and languages and helped her form a complete picture about the society in which she lives.
"I will not follow a certain trend. I am fully aware of the way the Arabs and Italians think in Italy," she mentioned, pointing out that all these features made her feel that she is not inferior to them.
In previous years, she had established good relations with the Egyptian and Arab community in Italy, which helped her to understand all the problems they face, including the problem of racism.
“I believe there is a solution to every problem. There are many people who do not have the strength to face these problems. If my father had not taught me courage, I would have become the same."
In the same vein, she pointed out that the number of the Egyptian community in Italy is huge, emphasizing that their voice should be heard in parliament.
Finally, the girl said she is extremely proud to be the first Egyptian woman in the Italian parliament who is wearing veil.
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