Olympic Athlete Ibtihaj Muhammad at Voter Turnout Rally

for Voter Turnout Rally in Atlanta on Oct 29, 2016

#VoteLikeAChamp

Olympic medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad, the first American athlete to compete while wearing a hijab, plans to visit Atlanta on Oct. 29th for a free voter turnout rally hosted by a coalition of Atlanta Muslims, including the Georgia Muslim Voter Project (GAMVP), I-PAC Georgia, the Muslim Mix and the Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-GA).

The nonpartisan event, "Make History with Ibtihaj: Atlanta Muslim Election Rally," is scheduled to take place at the Center for Civil & Human Rights from 2:00 to 4:00 pm on Oct. 29th, the only Saturday that all Georgia counties plan to hold early voting. 

Ibtihaj Muhammad, who won a medal alongside her teammates at the Summer Olympics in Rio, plans to speak about the importance of voting, especially for Georgia Muslims. Representatives of the Republican, Democratic, Libertarian and Green Parties are also invited to speak at the event.

“I’m excited to visit Atlanta and encourage voters to show up at the polls,” said Olympian Ibtihaj Muhammad. “My message to Georgia voters is simple:  you don’t have to be an Olympian to be a hero.  Just vote.”

Atlanta Muslim leaders also hope that the event will inspire even more Georgia Muslims to take advantage of early voting.

"Georgia Muslims already play a integral role in our state, serving as doctors, police officers, teachers, and business owners, among many other roles," said lead event planner Saleemah Abdul-Ghafur. "Now we can also play a major role in Georgia's political system by showing up to vote on Nov 8th."

"Georgia Muslims have registered to vote in large numbers this year, but registering is only half of the struggle," said Aisha Yaqoob, executive director of GAMVP, which has singlehandedly registered over 1,000 new Georgia Muslim voters. "We're excited that Ibtihaj Muhammad, who made history and inspired millions around the world, can now inspire thousands of Georgians to make their own history by voting on Nov 8th."

Volunteers from GAMVP also plan to help voters at the rally identify their proper county polling locations.

"For better or for worse, American Muslims have been a major topic of conversation during the 2016 campaign season," said Edward Ahmed Mitchell, executive director of CAIR-GA. "Now it's time for our community to make its own voice heard, loudly and clearly, by voting in record numbers on Nov. 8th."

"Georgia Muslims know that we cannot afford to sit on the sidelines," said Rizwan Hasan, Board Director of I-PAC Georgia, a political action committee founded by Georgia Muslims. "By voting in record numbers for candidates who support freedom, diversity and peace, we hope to influence the our state and our country for the better."

NOTE:    Rally is nonpartisan, free and open to the public

Date: Saturday, Oct 29, 2016 -- 2pm-4pm.

Venue: Center for Civil & Human Rights 100 Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard Atlanta, GA 30313

MEDIA CONTACT: Edward Ahmed Mitchell. 404-285-9530. emitchell@cair.com. (Please email to schedule an interview with Ms. Muhammad during her visit).