Muslim lawyer in race for Va. Senate

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A Republican immigration lawyer from Falls Church is seeking to become the first Muslim to be elected to the Virginia General Assembly.

Kamal Nawash, 33, a Palestinian Arab born in Bethlehem, says he is running for state Senate because he believes he can foster understanding between Muslims, including Arabs, and other Americans.

"I just think there's a serious gap of misunderstanding," Mr. Nawash says. "I really believe I can do a lot to bridge the gap. This is something that inspires me."

Mr. Nawash is running in the 31st District, which includes north Arlington, Falls Church and parts of Fairfax County.

He hopes to deny a third term to state Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple, a Democrat and Presbyterian who has represented the district for eight years.

Since September 11, Muslim activists in this country increasingly have talked about the need for them to enter the political stage on the local, state and national levels to combat stereotypes and preserve civil liberties.

In Virginia's primary elections early this month, another Muslim leader, Afeefa Syeed, director of the private Al Fatih Academy in Herndon, won the Democratic nomination to run for the Potomac seat on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors in November.

Mr. Nawash's only prior political experience is an unsuccessful run for the Virginia House of Delegates in 2001. At age 9, he moved with his family from Bethlehem to the United States when they settled in New Orleans.

He attended college in Louisiana, then law school in Michigan. He moved to the Washington area in 1996 with no job and no contacts. After studying for a year at American University, he was hired as the legal director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) in the District.