Rashida Tlaib will wear a Palestinian Thobe when she's sworn into Congress

The Palestinian-American revealed her outfit of choice on Instagram with the hashtag #ForMyYama

FILE - In this Nov. 6, 2008 file photo, Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat, is photographed outside the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich. The Michigan primary victory of Tlaib, who is expected to become the first Muslim woman and Palestinian-American to serve in the U.S. Congress, is rippling across the Middle East. In the West Bank village where Tlaib’s mother was born, residents are greeting the news with a mixture of pride and hope that she will take on a U.S. administration widely seen as hostile to the Palestinian cause. (AP Photo/Al Goldis, File)
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Michigan Representative-elect Rashida Tlaib will wear a traditional Palestinian gown when she’s sworn into the US Congress on January 3.

She revealed her plans to wear a burgundy and black hand-stitched Thobe on her Instagram feed, posting the details with the hashtag #ForMyYama (Arabic for mother). She wrote: "Sneak peek: This is what I am wearing when I am sworn into Congress. #PalestinianThobe #ForMyYama":

The traditional hand-embroidered gown is viewed as a symbol of Palestinian identity and often represents the place that its wearer is from. Each village or town has its own style and stitch that is uniquely woven into the dress.

Tlaib is the daughter of Palestinian-American parents from Beit Ur al-Fauqa and Beit Hanina, villages in the West Bank near Ramallah. She is the oldest of 14 children.

In this Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018 photo, Fadwa Tlaib, an aunt of Rashida Tlaib points to a young Rashida in a 1987 picture with her mother Fatima and brother Nader, at the family house, in the West Bank village of Beit Ur al-Foqa. The Michigan primary victory of Tlaib, who is expected to become the first Muslim woman and Palestinian-American to serve in the U.S. Congress, is rippling across the Middle East. In the West Bank village where Tlaib’s mother was born, residents are greeting the news with a mixture of pride and hope that she will take on a U.S. administration widely seen as hostile to the Palestinian cause. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)
Fadwa Tlaib, an aunt of Rashida Tlaib, points to a young Rashida in a 1987 picture with her mother Fatima and brother Nader, at the family house, in the West Bank village of Beit Ur Al Foqa. AP

The 42-year-old ran unopposed in the general election and her victory party saw her draped in a Palestine flag as her mother broke out in celebratory song.

Tlaib is a vocal critic of US president Donald Trump. She made history in November as one of two Muslim women elected to Congress, the other being Ilhan Omar from Minnesota.

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