Dr. Mehreen Faruqi is the Greens Senator for New South Wales in the Australian Parliament and the first Muslim woman to hold public office in the history of Australia. She is a civil and environmental engineer and lifelong activist for social and environmental justice. Mehreen tells us about migrating to Australia from Pakistan, how she made a home and then a political career down under, and how things changed in Australia post-9/11. We cover the rise of right-wing populism, the influence of media on government, dealing with Islamophobic abuse and harassment, how environmental justice is inextricable from racial justice, and why grassroots politics is the best way to make change.

References:

Buy Mehreen's excellent memoir, Too Migrant, Too Muslim, Too Loud, here.

Watch her first speech to the Australian Senate, which went viral. Transcript here.

Love Letters to Mehreen, her tongue-in-cheek response to hateful messages.

Mehreen calls out right-wing Murdoch media outlet Sky News, and it is so satisfying.

Follow Mehreen on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram @MehreenFaruqi.

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Hosts and Producers: Anisa Khalifa and Khadija Khalil

Editor: Anisa Khalifa

Consulting Producer: Paroma Chakravarty