Aboushi ran in the crowded June 22 election race for one of the nation’s most powerful prosecutorial offices CHICAGO: Despite coming third in a field of eight candidates seeking to become Manhattan District Attorney, civil rights attorney Tahanie Aboushi called her campaign a “success” because of public awareness she has raised about issues facing Arabs, Muslims and people of color. Aboushi ran in the crowded June 22 election race for one of the nation’s most powerful prosecutorial offices, a post previously held by Cyrus Vance Jr., the son of the former US secretary of state who served under former president Jimmy Carter. African American attorney and former federal prosecutor Alvin Bragg won the Democratic Party nomination, defeating second place runner-up Tali Farhadian Weinstein, who fled Iran with her Iranian-Jewish parents following the 1979 revolution, and Aboushi, who was born in Brooklyn to Palestinian immigrants. “I think it (the campaign) was positive. It was something that visibly people saw first. Oh, she is Muslim. She wears a hijab. She is Palestinian. OK, great. But my story and my work is something that preceded my appearance for along time,” said Aboushi, who is Muslim and wears a hijab. “So, people knew who I was, who I am. People have seen my cases, have seen where I have been in the community. So, everybody is like, ‘we know Tahanie.’ It would be great to have something different. Every single Manhattan District Attorney has been a white male since the beginning of its time. And out of eight candidates, the three people of color took the top response. I think that is something that is quite telling about what a place like Manhattan is ready for. Not only policy, but somebody that comes from a different background.” Aboushi said that the campaign “was tough,” not because of her race or religion were a “hindrance” in the election, but because other candidates had more financial resources. One was a billionaire with unlimited resources, she said, on top of the fact that the contest was crowded with eight candidates. “We were up against a lot but we did it in a positive reception,” Aboushi said, adding that her race and religion “allowed for a conversation” about what needs to be done to represent everyone. Aboushi said that it is important for Arab and Muslim Americans to run for public office, adding that they should be assessed based on the issues they advocate and their commitment to society as a whole. She said that being Palestinian, Arab American and Muslim allowed her to speak to issues that many of the other candidates could not address directly. “Whether you like it or not decisions are made and you are not at the table. Your voice is not heard. There is always value and benefit and making sure you are at the table,” Aboushi said. “Just like you said you have been doing this for 45 years and it is a slow rise, but there is a rise. I think Arab Americans need to have their voices heard much louder. And we are impacted by these policies so we need to make sure that we are a part of shaping that conversation to create policies that are going to work for all of our families.” One of the biggest issues in the election contest, she said, was the issue of police accountability. “My work is impact litigation. I’ve changed the NYPD patrol guide. I meet with their top brass. We have worked on changing their policies. Because the focus is not on whether or not you like police, it is ‘are we doing right by the people?’” Aboushi said. “Are their rights protected? Is the conduct appropriate? And how do we continue to make it better? And I think it was important to address the systemic racism — why the overwhelming majority of people criminalized and incarcerated in our system are people of color. And that was something that I wanted to address. And it starts with policing, because police are the introduction before the District Attorney’s office comes into play.” Aboushi said that she was in her early teens when terrorists attacked New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. She said that she was left horrified, outraged and angry because of the events that day. But she added that she worked to help all Americans understand that the attackers did not represent Arab culture or the Islamic religion. She said that racist attacks against people who were or looked Arab and Muslim in the aftermath of the attack saddened her, because they were “scapegoated for the wrongdoing of a handful of people.” “As much as we love this country, we shouldn’t be afraid to criticize her,” Aboushi said, adding: “We are American. “We shouldn’t be afraid to push for better policies. This country has always been in a state of changing laws, changing rules to make sure we live in a fair, equal, just and equitable society. That means looking at things we are not doing right and making sure we can do them right and do them better.” Aboushi received endorsements and was backed by many prominent figures and groups, including US Sen. Bernie Sanders, entertainer and rapper Snoop Dogg, police associations, Arab American and Jewish progressive groups, and Hollywood actress and activist Cynthia Nixon. She said that she has not ruled out running for public office again in the future.