Mariam Veiszadeh | |
|---|---|
مريم ويس زاده | |
| Born | Mariam Zamiri Veiszadeh 1984 (age 41–42) |
| Alma mater | Western Sydney University (LLB,BEc) |
| Occupations |
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| Website | mariamveiszadeh |
Mariam Zamiri Veiszadeh (born 1984) is an Afghan-born Australian lawyer and writer, known for her anti-racism campaigns.
Mariam Zamiri Veiszadeh[1] was born inKabul, Afghanistan, in 1984. In 1988, when Veiszadeh was four years old, her family fled Afghanistan during theSoviet–Afghan War. Her family arrived in Australia in 1990 via India, the Czech Republic, and Germany, and were granted asylum in 1991 under the Refugee and Special Humanitarian Program.[2][3]
Veiszadeh earned a dual Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor Economics degree fromWestern Sydney University.[4]
She is the founder and former president ofIslamophobia Register Australia,[5][6] which describes itself as "a secure and reliable service that allows people from across Australia to report any form of Anti-Muslim abuse", and an official Ambassador for Welcome to Australia and Participate Australia.[7]
A member of theAustralian Muslim community, she has been described as a "typically assertive Australian woman" byABC News.[2]
In December 2015, Veiszadeh was awarded the "Role Model of the Year" and "Woman of the Year" at the 9thAustralian Muslim Achievement Awards.[8]
In 2015, Veiszadeh became a victim ofJoshua Ryne Goldberg, who was later convicted in the U.S. of attempting a bombing on the 14th anniversary of9/11 a few years later.[9] He promoted an illusory friendship betweenAustrali Witness (his pro-ISIL Twitter account) and Veiszadeh, with the objective of smearing Veiszadeh's reputation. He aimed to smear people and organisations he saw as being enemies of free speech, including theHuman Rights Law Centre andAmnesty International.[10]
Mariam Veiszadeh is a lawyer, community advocate and founder of Islamophobia Register Australia.