ISLAMABAD – Pakistan-born Mehreen Faruqi has created history in thepolitics of Australia.
She has became the first Muslim woman to be appointed to the AustralianSenate.
The Green Party member parliament for New South Wales was selected to filla vacant seat. Following the win, a confident Faruqi told* BBC*link that she would use herrole to push for a “positive future for Australia where we are stronger forour diversity”.
Faruqi built a life in Australia after migrating from Pakistan in 1992. Anacademic by profession, she also boasts a doctorate in environmentalengineering.
This is the second milestone for the Pakistan-born politician – for she wasalso the first Muslim woman to hold a political office after beingelected to the state parliament in 2013.
In her speech in the NSW parliament, Faruqi recalled enduring racist andsexist trolling during her tenure as MP “not because of what I’m doing butbecause of who I am, where I come from, and the colour of my skin”.
Faruqi has also been critical of Fraser Anning’s use ofHolocaust-associated term in the parliament.