Muslim girl to attend Trump's first address to Congress

CHICAGO: Donald Trump’s first joint session address to the Congress on Tuesday is generating a lot of debate as to what to expect from a president whose presidency has been the most unorthodox and unconventional.

Soon after coming into White House, Trump imposed a ban on seven Muslim countries from travelling to the United States which triggered protests and condemnation from around the world.

Since then we have been hearing about the incidents of detention and questioning from noted Muslims inside America at different airports. The address would also be the first to be attended by a Muslim girl on invitation of US Rep. Bill Foster.

According to a report in Chicago Tribune, 17-year-old, Samia Abdul-Qadir was invited after the Naperville North High School junior participated in Foster's recent community discussion at the Islamic Center of Naperville on the local effects of the president's attempts to ban travel from several Muslim-majority countries.

Abdul-Qadir told the 150 people in attendance about how a fencing teammate once told her she "looked like a terrorist" because she was wearing a hijab. "It pierced my heart," she said.

Abdul-Qadir, who placed third in foil fencing in the Midwest regionals and advanced to the national competition last fall, will attend as Foster's guest. Each member of Congress is allowed to invite someone to the president's annual address, which is called the State of the Union after the president completes his first year in office.

"I've always been taught that America's strength comes from the spirit of inclusion and diversity," Abdul-Qadir said in a statement from Foster's office. "I don't think it makes America any safer to single out a group of people because of their religious beliefs. It goes against this country's core values."

Foster said America thrives on the innovation, culture and diversity that immigrants bring, and no one should have to live in fear that these opportunities will be taken from them.