Rashida Tlaib and Fatima Elabed

They say it takes a village to raise a child. Fatima Elabed has raised 14— seven boys and seven girls. She is the mother of former State Rep. Rashida Tlaib and prominent activist Rachid Elabed. 

Tlaib said humor was her mother’s secret to achieve the difficult task of caring for so many children.

“My mom has a smile that brightens up the room; she has a magical smile,” Tlaib said. “No matter what she was going through, even when she cried, she was laughing. She always tried to find the happy side of whatever issue she was going through.”

Fatima Elabed grew up in a West Bank village in Palestine, where she lived through political and economic turmoil and witnessed the Israeli occupation. 

Tlaib said her mother is connected to her history, heritage and language. Compassion and empathy are traits that were passed to Tlaib by her mom.

“She can very much relate to other people’s struggle and that’s something she instilled in all of us,” Tlaib said. “She’s a humanist. She can feel others’ pain.”

Tlaib is a mother of two boys. She said her mom is also a great “sitto” (grandma). 

Happy Mother’s Day to Tlaib and her mother.