Rowaida Abdelaziz
Rowaida Abdelaziz is an award-winning investigative journalist who reports on immigration, politics and social justice issues. Her groundbreaking investigations have led to policy changes, reopened hate crime cases, and reunited families.
While at HuffPost, Rowaida spearheaded the newsroom coverage of Islamophobia. In 2016, she was the lead reporter for the Islamophobia Tracker, a HuffPost project that documented the spike in anti-Muslim rhetoric across the U.S. She has also written numerous stories on the Middle East and covered the refugee crises in Gaza, Syria, Yemen, and other parts of the Arabic-speaking world.
Her reporting has been recognized internationally and has won several awards, including the 2024 Wilbur Award of Excellence and the 2022 Goldziher Award. In 2021, the Investigative Reporters and Editors also awarded her the prestigious Journalists of Color Reporting Fellowship. She was also a finalist for the Religion News Awards and her reporting was won the Best Digital Reporting from The Global Muslim Film Festival.
Beyond journalism, Rowaida serves on the advisory council of the Islamic Scholarship Fund and mentors aspiring reporters through the Marie Colvin Network. When she’s not chasing a story, Rowaida is on the hunt for a good coffee or spending time with her friends and family.
Speaker Topics
Islamophobia, Muslim Culture, Social Justice Issues, Women’s Empowerment
Why did you join UPROAR?
For too long, women have been dismissed and overlooked despite having the credentials and expertise. It’s time to elevate Muslim women’s voices who face a litany of challenges, including xenophobia and sexism. I’m proud to join UPROAR to amplify women’s voices and their visibility in order to claim their rightful place in their respective fields.
How do you define the word UPROAR?
To passionately and courageously disrupt the status quo.
