#TweetYourThobe: Arabs celebrate a historic moment as Palestinian-American Rashida Tlaib is sworn in at Congress

Arabs across the world donned traditional dress on Thursday, as Democrat Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib was sworn in, making her the first Palestinian-American woman to serve in Congress.

Tlaib, the daughter of Palestinian parents who moved to America, won a decisive mid-term election victory for the Democratic Party in November.

She joined Somali-American, Ilhan Omar, to become the first Muslim women elected to Congress.

Tlaib said last month that she intends to put her Palestinian heritage on display when she is sworn into Congress - on Thomas Jefferson's Quran, no less - by wearing her traditional thobe dress at the ceremony.

— Rasha (@RashaMK) January 3, 2019" style="color:#fff;" class="twitter-post-link" target="_blank">Twitter Post With the first #Palestinian and Muslim Congresswoman @RashidaTlaib . We out here wearing our Palestinian thobes at the Swearing In, y’all. #tweetyourthobe pic.twitter.com/XcO1JUAYsM — Rasha (@RashaMK) January 3, 2019

On Thursday, Palestinians across the world gathered around their TV sets to watch the BDS champion and Democrat Congresswoman as she was sworn into office.

Palestinian-Americans used the hashtag #TweetYourThobe to show their support for Tlaib. 

— Dena Takruri (@Dena) January 3, 2019" style="color:#fff;" class="twitter-post-link" target="_blank">Twitter Post Congresswoman @RashidaTlaib is wearing a traditional embroidered Palestinian thobe as she’s sworn into office today on Thomas Jefferson’s Quran. A proud and historic moment. #tweetyourthobe pic.twitter.com/XaOCOGLIEA — Dena Takruri (@Dena) January 3, 2019

— Maysoon (@maysoonzayid) January 3, 2019" style="color:#fff;" class="twitter-post-link" target="_blank">Twitter Post I'm so proud of @RashidaTlaib Time to #TweetYourThobe! #InaugurationDay https://t.co/rJvCxtMWPW — Maysoon (@maysoonzayid) January 3, 2019

Palestinians across the world also wore their thobes to celebrate the historic moment.

— رضاب ياسر مرزوق (@RidaabMarzuq) January 3, 2019" style="color:#fff;" class="twitter-post-link" target="_blank">Twitter Post #tweetyourthobe I have decided to share some of my fave and most recent pics of me in my #Palestinianthobe #Palestinian #palestine #🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/oUU9lo7UA2 — رضاب ياسر مرزوق (@RidaabMarzuq) January 3, 2019

— Lena Khalaf Tuffaha (@LKTuffaha) January 3, 2019" style="color:#fff;" class="twitter-post-link" target="_blank">Twitter Post Good Morning and Congratulations @RashidaTlaib ❤️ This thobe, over 100 years old and from Beer ElSabe3, was a wedding gift from my mother-in-law. Yalla, #TweetYourThobe pic.twitter.com/bU6e4pKlZo — Lena Khalaf Tuffaha (@LKTuffaha) January 3, 2019

— Shezza Abboushi Dallal (@ShezzaADallal) January 3, 2019" style="color:#fff;" class="twitter-post-link" target="_blank">Twitter Post Today @RashidaTlaib will be sworn into Congress wearing a Palestinian Thobe just like the one I’m dancing Dabkeh in below— count one young Palestinian woman with a lump in her throat thinking about how far our people have come. #TweetYourThobe pic.twitter.com/mZ0lxGBTgR — Shezza Abboushi Dallal (@ShezzaADallal) January 3, 2019

Tlaib has said she intends to shake-up Congress, and rein in the US' "most pro-Israel" president in history, Donald Trump.

The Democrat has already stated her support for the pro-Palestine Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement and said she would lead a delegation to the occupied West Bank.

"Calling out the oppressive policies in Israel, advocating for Palestinians to be respected, and for Israelis and Palestinians alike to have peace and freedom is not antisemitic," she tweeted in December. 

"We all have a right to speak up about injustice any and everywhere."

In an exclusive interview with The New Arab earlier this year, Tlaib said backing from Arab-Americans helped drive her on during her relentless campaigning.

One woman told her: "Please win, my kids are struggling with their identity, with who they are. They need to see somebody who has the same face in a position like Congress, to say 'yeah, we do belong here'."

She also said that she would fight for the rights of all her constituents - regardless of their background - particularly in the era of Trump politics, where divisions and racism have re-surfaced.

— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) January 3, 2019" style="color:#fff;" class="twitter-post-link" target="_blank">Twitter Post This is it. You officially have a new Congresswoman who is ready to fight for you. Being accessible to every single resident from day one is how I serve you. My door is always open to you. #13thDistrictStrong https://t.co/NYHS7P99PM pic.twitter.com/JUhtkX6LPc — Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) January 3, 2019

The BDS champion also had a treat for her sons on Thursday, giving him permission to join her in making history by becoming (maybe) the first people to "dab" in Congress.