Lahore se ta'alluq rakhny wali Fauzia New Jersey ki pehli Muslim or Paki...

ARY NEWS

Lahore se ta'alluq rakhny wali Fauzia New Jersey ki pehli Muslim or Paki...   #mayor #pakistan #newjersey #bakhabarsavera #arynews

Transcript

00:00 Now a good news, a news that we feel proud of.

00:04 We are going to talk about Fauzi Idrees Janjua.

00:07 He has earned the honor of being the first Muslim and Pakistani mayor in New Jersey, Mount Laurel.

00:19 He was already running community services, he was a community organizer and public servant.

00:26 He played a big role in the community.

00:30 Now he is the mayor of this township.

00:36 She is a mother of four and a school teacher.

00:39 She has a lot of experience in this field.

00:42 It's great that she is a housewife and a school teacher.

00:46 But she has a family to take care of.

00:49 She is also involved in politics.

00:51 Just think about the diversity in America.

00:54 She is a remarkable woman.

00:56 She is related to Chakwal.

00:58 Her father is from Chakwal and her mother is from Lahore.

01:02 They settled in America in the 70s.

01:05 It's a great honor.

01:07 After many years, a democrat became the mayor.

01:12 Fauzi Idrees Janjua is with us.

01:14 Thank you so much Fauzi.

01:16 Congratulations to you.

01:17 Very good morning from our team.

01:20 Welcome to Bakhawar Savera.

01:22 Can you share with us, because you are the first South Asian woman who has been elected as the mayor of New Jersey.

01:32 Or town mayor in New Jersey.

01:34 Can you share with us your initial reaction when you realized that you had won?

01:40 Assalamu alaikum.

01:43 Everything that I've done in the past four years since being elected to council,

01:50 I knew it would eventually lead up to me being mayor.

01:53 But it was still a very surreal experience.

01:56 I knew that one day I would become the mayor.

02:01 But when it happened, it was a very surprising and strange thing for me that I became the mayor of this city.

02:12 It was a very surreal experience.

02:15 Fauzi, you have been serving the community for a long time, since a very young age.

02:21 What were the leadership qualities that made you feel that you are in the future?

02:28 What did people see in you that made them elect you?

02:31 I never had a desire to become a politician or a politician.

02:39 I just wanted to help people in need.

02:45 I've been doing this since I was a child.

02:48 I used to teach prisoners in college.

02:54 I used to teach poor kids in inner city.

02:59 I just wanted to help people.

03:02 I was very interested in community service.

03:05 There are a lot of nursing homes in America.

03:09 I used to give classes to the elderly in nursing homes.

03:12 I was interested in this work.

03:14 But then someone saw that I was doing community service.

03:17 I did a lot of work during COVID.

03:20 I used to cook with my family and children.

03:23 We used to distribute food to people in the streets during COVID.

03:27 Because people didn't want to go out during COVID.

03:31 We used to fulfill this need.

03:34 I didn't want to become a politician.

03:37 I didn't want to work for the government.

03:42 I didn't like recognition.

03:45 I came here because there are not many Muslims.

03:48 I got this opportunity from God.

03:53 I should do this.

03:56 I should move forward.

03:58 Your journey must have been difficult.

04:03 What motivated you to become a politician?

04:08 What were the hurdles that you faced?

04:11 What did you want to overcome?

04:14 You are an inspiration to women.

04:18 What else do you want to do?

04:21 What are the activities that you have been doing?

04:28 What do you want to do as mayor?

04:30 My biggest goal is to end misconceptions about Muslims.

04:37 I want to end misconceptions about Pakistanis.

04:42 My motto is to unite communities through service.

04:48 I want to unite people through good work.

04:51 I want to unite people through politics.

04:59 In America, many people are divided.

05:03 Racial lines, religious lines.

05:06 President Trump said a lot about Muslims.

05:12 People didn't say that before.

05:15 I want to end these things.

05:18 There is a lot of negativity in our country.

05:21 America is a great country.

05:23 But there is a lot of division and negativity happening right now.

05:27 I hope that I will be involved politically.

05:30 I will help fix those problems and bring people closer.

05:35 You mentioned that you want to change the mindset of Pakistanis.

05:42 You also want to change the mindset of Pakistanis.

05:46 Not everyone is the same in the community.

05:48 You want to change that.

05:51 This is important for you.

05:53 You are right.

05:56 I am a native of this country.

05:59 But I have never forgotten that I am Pakistani.

06:03 I have never forgotten that I am Pakistani.

06:06 Pakistani morals and ethics are very important.

06:13 Many people who are not born here, forget their roots.

06:23 They should never forget their identity.

06:26 They should never forget their values.

06:31 People forget these things easily.

06:35 Many people want to be like Americans.

06:40 But we can never be like Americans.

06:43 We can be integrated in society.

06:47 We are part of the American society.

06:50 But we are not white.

06:52 We are Pakistani.

06:54 We judge people based on their identity.

06:58 Some people think that if they are white, they will be white.

07:03 But that is not true.

07:05 You have to always remember who you are.

07:08 When was the last time you came to Pakistan?

07:11 I have been to Pakistan only four times.

07:16 I went to Pakistan in March 2020.

07:20 I came to Pakistan 17 years later.

07:24 Before that, I did Hajj.

07:27 I did Hajj for my parents.

07:29 I did a job after graduation.

07:31 I saved money and did Hajj for my parents.

07:35 I went to Pakistan to make clothes for my wedding.

07:39 I did all my wedding shopping there.

07:42 I came to Pakistan 17 years later in 2020.

07:47 I came with my sister.

07:49 I have four sons.

07:51 I want to bring them to Pakistan.

07:53 They never came to Pakistan.

07:55 I want to show them.

07:59 We don't have any relatives in Pakistan.

08:02 Everyone has come to America.

08:04 I don't have anyone there.

08:06 But I want to bring my children to Pakistan.

08:09 I want to show them to the people of Pakistan.

08:13 We will host you.

08:15 You said you have four children.

08:19 You have a family.

08:21 How do you manage your work-life balance?

08:25 Politics is a full-time job.

08:28 It's not easy.

08:30 I am a teacher.

08:32 I am a teacher.

08:34 I am an elected official.

08:36 I am a politician.

08:38 I run a non-profit.

08:40 I am very busy.

08:43 I have four children.

08:45 They play basketball.

08:48 They do different sports.

08:51 It's not easy.

08:54 It's a very robotic life.

08:57 It's a very hectic life.

08:59 In America, we have to cook food.

09:02 We have to wash our hands.

09:04 I do everything.

09:08 You were born there.

09:12 You were very helpful in Pakistan.

09:14 You cook dishes.

09:16 You shared food during the pandemic.

09:19 Do you learn Pakistani dishes?

09:24 Do you cook Pakistani dishes?

09:27 I cook Pakistani dishes.

09:31 My third son loves to eat parathas.

09:35 I cook parathas for him.

09:37 I cook what I can.

09:40 It takes a lot of time to cook Pakistani food.

09:43 It's easy to eat Italian food.

09:48 It's easy to bake chicken.

09:50 I cook Pakistani food on weekends.

09:55 That's great.

09:58 Thank you so much.

10:00 I am very happy to talk to you.

10:02 You should come to Pakistan.

10:04 You should come to Karachi.

10:06 We will invite you to the studios.

10:08 You will reach the highest position.

10:13 Why not?

10:15 I want to strengthen our relationship.

10:20 I want to strengthen our relationship.

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