Ibraheem Samirah

Ibraheem S. Samirah (born August 20, 1991) is an American politician. He served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 86th district. Samirah was re-elected to a full term on November 5, 2019. He is a Democrat. In June 2021, he was defeated in the Democratic primary for re-election by Irene Shin.

Ibraheem Samirah
Member of the Virginia House of Delegates
from the 86th district
In office
February 20, 2019 – January 12, 2022
Preceded byJennifer Boysko
Succeeded byIrene Shin
Personal details
Born (1991-08-20) August 20, 1991
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
ResidenceHerndon, Virginia
Alma materAmerican University (BA)
Boston University (DMD)
OccupationDentist

Early life and education

Samirah was born in Chicago on August 20, 1991, a first generation U.S. citizen, to Jordanian-Palestinian immigrant parents.[1] Samirah's grandparents were Palestinian refugees.[2] His mother was pursuing a special education master's degree while working as a teacher and his father was completing a PhD and involved in activism.[3]

Samirah with his parents

When he was in middle school in 2003, Samirah's father was denied re-entry into the United States as a security risk.[3] According to Samirah, his father was returning home to Chicago after visiting Samirah's sick grandmother.[4][3] He eventually moved to Amman in Jordan with his family. In an interview with Washingtonian, Samirah described it as a “depressing time.”[3] Samirah's father was eventually readmitted to the United States in 2014.[5]

In 2013, Samirah graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in government and political science from American University.[6] At American, he was a member of the historically Jewish fraternity Sigma Alpha Mu despite being Muslim.[7] He was also a member of Students for Justice in Palestine and founded the first-ever college chapter for Jewish Voice for Peace at American University.[8][9]

While a student, Samirah made posts on social media platforms which contained anti-Semitic themes.[10]

He earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) from the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine at Boston University in 2017.[11] While he attended dental school, Samirah was a member of Black Lives Matter, Students for Justice in Palestine, and Jewish Voice for Peace.[12][13]

Virginia House of Delegates

Elections

After Jennifer Boysko was elected to the Senate of Virginia in 2019, Samirah ran in the special election to complete the remainder of her term in the Virginia House of Delegates.

Samirah defeated Republican Gregg G. Nelson and independent Connie H. Hutchinson, receiving 60% of the vote to Nelson's 34% and Hutchinson's 6%, on February 19, 2019.[14] He was sworn in the next day, becoming the second Muslim elected to the Virginia General Assembly after Sam Rasoul.[15] He was unopposed and won reelection on November 5, 2019.[16]

In June 2021, he was defeated in the Democratic primary by non-profit organizer Irene Shin.[17] She outraised Samirah by more than $100,000 and received the endorsement of several local elected officials.[18]

Israel

In February 2019, Samirah apologized for "ill-chosen words" that "added to the pain of the Jewish community."[19]

In 2021, Samirah endorsed a decision by the DC branch of the Sunrise Movement's decision to refuse to work with any coalition that included "Zionist" members, specifically naming three Jewish organizations as deserving of expulsion from progressive coalition spaces: The National Council of Jewish Women, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, and the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. Samirah accused the organizations of having engaged in "Zionist Supremacist co-opting of enviro-justice organizing, including the fight for voting rights for all" and claimed that Israel, through the Mossad, "creates fossil fuel wars using malicious intel".[20][21] Professor Steven Lubet, in an opinion piece for The Hill, described the statements as antisemitic and blood libel.[22]

Islamophobia

Samirah was the subject of Islamophobic questioning during the first town hall he held as delegate according to a report by the Anti-Defamation League.[23]

Women's rights

Samirah supports codifying and expanding abortion rights.[24] He voted to pass the Equal Rights Amendment.

Energy and the environment

Samirah supported enacting a Green New Deal at the state level.[24]

Gun rights

Samirah supports gun control.[24]

Electoral reform

In the 2019 session, Samirah voted in favor of the proposed amendment to the Virginia constitution to create a permanent bipartisan commission for redistricting.[25] In the 2020 session, Samirah backed a bill to allow for expanded absentee voting and recognize election day as a state holiday.[26] Samirah supports adopting automatic voter registration.[27]

Marijuana legalization

Samirah supports legalizing cannabis for recreational use.[24]

Health care

Samirah favors universal health care at the state level.[24]

Labor relations

Samirah supports expanding union and worker rights such as removing Virginia's right-to-work law.[24]

Zoning reform

He supports using state legislation to preempt local zoning ordinances to allow for more multi-family residential, high-density developments on properties currently zoned for single-family detached homes only.[28][29] Samirah supported allowing property owners to convert their properties from single-family units to two-family duplexes, townhouses, or cottages in both established and new neighborhoods without going through the existing local processes for rezoning a residential property.[30][31]

Protesting

On July 30, 2019, Samirah was escorted out of a speech by Donald Trump in Jamestown, Virginia after disrupting the event by standing up and waving card signs consisting of the words "Deport Hate," "Reunite My Family," and "Go Back to Your Corrupted Home."[32] He opposes civility in defense of racism or bigotry, stating, "To the critics of incivility... I say it's time to think critically about whom such decorum has traditionally served: the white, wealthy, and comfortable."[33]

Electoral history
DateElectionCandidatePartyVotes %
Virginia House of Delegates, 86th district
January 12, 2019[34] Democratic primary Ibraheem S. Samirah 733 35.8
Kofi Annan 615 30.0
Mike O'Reilly 503 24.6
Chad Thompson 196 9.6
February 19, 2019[14] Special Ibraheem S. Samirah Democratic 3,740 59.5
Gregg G. Nelson Republican 2,162 34.4
Connie H. Hutchinson Independent 370 5.9
Write Ins 13 0.2
Jennifer Boysko resigned; seat stayed Democratic
November 5, 2019[35] General Ibraheem S. Samirah Democratic 14,730 88.9
Write Ins 1,836 11.1
June 8, 2021[36] Democratic primary Ibraheem S. Samirah 3,185 48.3
Irene Shin 3,415 51.7

Personal life

Samirah lives in Herndon, Virginia.[15]

References
  1. Cline, Nathaniel (February 19, 2019). "Democrat Ibraheem Samirah wins House of Delegates 86th District special election | News". loudountimes.com. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  2. "Exiled as a 'Security' Threat, Former Orland Man May Soon Return". Orland Park, IL Patch. September 9, 2011. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  3. me, “I can’t make a post about health care without someone telling; home.'”, ‘you’re not American Go back (October 27, 2019). "Ibraheem Samirah Is Nowhere Near Done Messing With the Way Virginia Does Politics". Washingtonian. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  4. Tribune, Allison Hantschel, Special to the. "Muslim activist returns to suburbs after decade in exile". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  5. Moran, James (March 12, 2010). "United States Court of Appeals: Samirah V. Ahscroft" (PDF). Govinfo.Gov. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  6. "Bio: Ibraheem Samirah". Vote Smart. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
  7. Cohen, Zach C. (November 16, 2011). "Sammy's Palestinian brother | Today in New Voices". New Voices: The National Jewish Student Magazine. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  8. "Being a Palestinian-American". Her Campus. April 2, 2017. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  9. "A movement grows at American University". Mondoweiss. November 30, 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  10. Olivo, Antonio (February 19, 2019). "Va. Democrat who was attacked for remarks against Israel wins election for House seat". Washington Post. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  11. "Dr. Ibraheem Samirah Joins District Smiles As Senior Dentist In Tenleytown DC". PressCable. MarketersMEDIA. February 11, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  12. Sebastian, Dave (April 19, 2016). "Palestinian student advocates protest festival celebrating Israel Independence Day". The Daily Free Press. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  13. Ahmed, Shuaib. "Ibraheem Samirah". va.onair.cc. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  14. "2019 February 19 Special: Official Results". Virginia Department of Elections. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  15. Douglas, Catherine (February 20, 2019). "Democrat Ibraheem Samirah Wins 86th District Seat". Reston Now. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  16. "Ibraheem Samirah". Ballotpedia. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  17. Cline, Nathaniel. "Shin unseats Samirah for Democratic nomination in 86th House District race; to face Herndon teacher Julie Perry in November". Loudoun Times. Retrieved June 9, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. Nathaniel Cline. "Shin unseats Samirah for Democratic nomination in 86th House District race; to face Herndon teacher Julie Perry in November". LoudounTimes.com. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  19. @IbraheemSamirah (February 8, 2019). "Dr. Ibraheem Samirah today released the following statement in response to online attacks about his position on Isr…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  20. @IbraheemSamirah (October 20, 2021). "I stand with @SunriseMvmtDC in taking the strong stand against Zionist Supremacist co-opting of enviro-justice orga…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  21. @IbraheemSamirah (October 20, 2021). "The Zionist Supremacist state rejects land/water rights to millions of Palestinians, Syrians & Jordanians. It's Mos…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  22. "Anti-Semitism: What it is, what it isn't and why it matters". The Hill. November 3, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  23. "Virginia Delegate Faces Islamophobic Questions At First Town Hall". Anti-Defamation League. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  24. Leahy, Norman (November 14, 2019). "Bipartisan excess threatens to engulf Virginia politics". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
  25. "HJ 615 Constitutional amendment; Virginia Redistricting Commission (first reference)". Lis.Virginia.Gov. February 23, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  26. Armstrong, Zach (January 21, 2020). "Bills to make voting easier advance in Virginia legislature". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  27. "Priorities". Samirah 4 Delegate. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  28. Capps, Kriston (December 20, 2019). "With New Democratic Majority, Virginia Sees a Push for Denser Housing". CityLab. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  29. Sisson, Patrick (December 26, 2019). "Virginia latest place to make single family zoning ban a political fight". Curbed. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  30. Britschgi, Christian (December 31, 2019). "Virginia Bill Would End Single-Family-Only Zoning in the Old Dominion". Reason. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  31. Yglesias, Matthew (December 27, 2019). "The telling conservative backlash to a Virginia zoning reform proposal, explained". Vox. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  32. Watson, Kathryn (September 30, 2019). "Democratic Virginia state delegate interrupts Trump's speech". CBS. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  33. Samirah, Ibraheem (August 2, 2019). "Why I Disrupted Trump's Speech at Jamestown". The Atlantic. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
  34. "Samirah wins Democratic nomination for 86th House of Delegates District special election". Loudoun Times-Mirror. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  35. "2019 November General: Official Results". Virginia Department of Elections. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  36. "2021 June Democratic Primary". results.elections.virginia.gov. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
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