Mariam Veiszadeh
{{Short description|Afghan-born Australian lawyer}}
{{Use Australian English|date=May 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Mariam Veiszadeh
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| native_name = مريم ويس زاده
| native_name_lang = Pashto
| birth_name = Mariam Zamiri Veiszadeh
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1984}}
| birth_place = Kabul, Afghanistan
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| alma_mater = Western Sydney University
{{small|(LLB, BEc)}}
| occupation = {{hlist|Lawyer|Activist}}
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| website = {{URL|https://mariamveiszadeh.com/}}
}}
Mariam Veiszadeh is an Afghan-born Australian lawyer and writer, known for her anti-racism campaigns.
Early life and education
Mariam Veiszadeh was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1984. In 1988, when Veiszadeh was four years old, her family fled Afghanistan during the Soviet–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.{{cite news|last1=Wray|first1=Nicholas|last2=Esposito|first2=Brad|title=12 Muslim Australians Who Crushed It In 2014|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/nicholaswray/muslim-australia|accessdate=6 January 2017|work=BuzzFeed News|date=16 December 2014}}
Veiszadeh earned a dual Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor Economics degree from Western Sydney University.{{Cite web |url=https://mariamveiszadeh.com/about/|title=About|date=2012-07-10|website=Mariam Veiszadeh|language=en|access-date=2020-03-05}}
Advocacy
She is the founder and former president of Islamophobia Register Australia,{{cite news|date=25 February 2015|title=Religion and the Racial Discrimination Act: Don't Muslims Also Deserve Protection?|language=en-AU|publisher=ABC News|location=Australia|url=http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2015/02/25/4186872.htm|accessdate=6 January 2017|quote=Mariam Veiszadeh is a lawyer, community advocate and founder of Islamophobia Register Australia.}}{{cite news|title=Sonia Kruger's Muslim migration comments 'breed hate' |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-18/sonia-kruger-muslim-migration-comments-breed-hate-commissioner/7638070|publisher=ABC News|location=Australia|date=18 July 2016|language=en-AU}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.islamophobia.com.au/about.html|title=Islamophobia Register – about us|website=Islamophobia Register Australia}}
A member of the Australian Muslim community, she has been described as a "typically assertive Australian woman" by ABC News.{{cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/freedom-of-religion-is-a-really-great-thing-20120917-2627p.html|title=Freedom of Religion is a Really Great Thing|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|last=Price|first=Jenna|date=18 September 2012}}
Recognition
In December 2015, Veiszadeh was awarded the "Role Model of the Year" and "Woman of the Year" at the 9th Australian Muslim Achievement Awards.{{cite web |url=http://www.amust.com.au/2015/12/mariam-bags-two-awards-at-amaa/|title=Mariam Bags Two Awards at AMAA|date=23 December 2015}}
Trolling campaign
Veiszadeh became a victim of Joshua Ryne Goldberg, who was later convicted in the U.S. of attempting a bombing on the 14th anniversary of 9/11.{{Cite news|url=http://claytodayonline.com/stories/clay-county-man-enters-guilty-plea-to-bomb-charge,9711|title=Clay County man enters guilty plea to bomb charge|work=Clay Today|access-date=2018-01-01|language=en}} He promoted an illusory friendship between Australi Witness (his pro-ISIL Twitter account) and Veiszadeh, with the objective of smearing Veiszadeh's reputation.{{cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/unmasking-a-troll-aussie-jihadist-australi-witness-a-20yearold-american-nerd-20150909-gjil47.html|title=Unmasking a troll: Aussie 'jihadist' Australi Witness a 20-year-old American nerd|last1=Potaka|first1=Elise|last2= McMahon|first2=Luke|date=12 September 2015|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald}}