Muslim woman is ‘powerhouse of lifesaving’ as Israeli EMT

On a recent Wednesday morning, volunteer emergency medical technician Sanaa Mahameed was the first responder on the scene as fire and rescue personnel extricated two injured people from their vehicles following a car crash. Unfortunately, motor vehicle accidents aren’t a rare occurrence. What was unusual about this scene is that the woman tending the wounded was a religious Muslim who modestly covers her hair and neck with a hijab.

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Sanaa Mahameed holds the distinction of being the first female Muslim volunteer EMT in the United Hatzalah of Israel voluntary first-responder network, whose total volunteer force of 4,000 includes about 320 Muslims and 330 women. United Hatzalah international spokesman Raphael Poch describes Mahameed as one of the most active volunteers in Umm al-Fahm, an Arab town in the Haifa district. “Sanaa Mahameed is a powerhouse of lifesaving. She has spent the better part of her adult life dedicating her time to save the lives of others,” Poch said. In addition to her volunteer work with United Hatzalah, Mahameed drives an ambulance for the local EMS organization Kahol-Lavan (Blue-White) and works at a government health clinic in her town. She often serves as the EMT on duty at collegiate and high school sporting events and as the accompanying EMT on school field trips. -- More....

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