INDIA / Austin (Texas), U.S.A.:
Indian American Zohaib “Zo” Qadri has become the first Muslim elected to the Austin City Council in Texas after winning 51% of the vote in last week’s runoff election against Linda Guerrero.
He will replace Council Member Kathie Tovo, who reached a term limit. Qadri is scheduled to be sworn in on Jan 6.
“Representation matters,” said Qadri, who will represent District 9 which includes downtown Austin, the UT Austin campus area, and portions of Central and South Austin, on the council.
“When I saw folks who looked like me — whether it be in the media or on the news — it was always in a negative light … a villain or the butt of a joke,” he was quoted as saying by KUT, Austin’s NPR station.
During the campaign season, Qadri gained a lot of support among students, and election results showed he polled well in and around UT’s campus.
“We wanted to make sure that every precinct, every neighborhood, every constituency was reached out to,” he said after winning the election on Dec 13. “Whether it be longtime Austinites or young folks who have just moved to the city, I believe everyone deserves to have a voice in City Hall.”
Housing has been at the forefront of every City Council race on Austin’s ballot this go-round — particularly in Central Austin’s District 9.
Qadri said he wants to accurately represent the majority-renter city, and tackle issues including the climate crisis, housing affordability, and public health and safety.
The first-born child of immigrants, Qadri moved to Texas at the age of 12 with his parents and two younger sisters, his website says. After deciding to follow in the footsteps of his mother who worked in a pathology lab and his father who was then an oncologist, Qadri began to pursue an education in science at the University of Texas at Austin.
He switched paths midway to study the structures of political decision-making. He received a Master of Public Administration degree from Texas State and a second graduate degree from Rice in Global Affairs.
Qadri worked on the political campaigns of Beto O’Rourke and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. A local activist and volunteer, he has worked with the Texas Homeless Network, Austin Latino Coalition, and No On Prop B. He also serves on the advisory committee for the Travis County Democratic Party.
source: http://www.americanbazaaronline.com / The American Bazaar / Home> Politics / by Arun Kumar / December 22nd, 2022