First hijab-wearing judge takes oath to join bench at US Court in New Jersey

Nadia Kahf

US attorney Nadia Kahf has been appointed to the New Jersey Superior Court, becoming the first hijab-wearing judge on the bench, local media reported.

Kahf, a Syrian-origin family law and immigration attorney from the township of Wayne, took the oath of office on Thursday with her hand on a copy of the Quran, the Muslim holy book, according to local news website North Jersey.

She will serve as a Passaic County Superior Court judge after New Jersey's Governor Phil Murphy nominated her a year ago, according to local media.

Though Kahf is not the first Muslim woman to serve as a state judge, she is the first to wear a hijab on the bench.

She is also the legal adviser to Wafa House, a nonprofit domestic violence and social services agency based in the city of Clifton, and chairwoman of the Islamic Center of Passaic County. — Agencies