Meet Fozia Janjua, Deputy Mayor of Mount Laurel
Fozia Janjua is a first generation Pakistani American born and raised in San Francisco, California. Fozia is passionate about building strong communities through mentorship and service. She began her lifetime of volunteerism at a young age, and co-founded a non-profit, Community SJP, for mutual aid. She is married to her husband Safeer and the mother of four boys. Currently Fozia also teaches first graders at Westfield Friends School.
Q: What does your identity mean to you?
A: I wear my identity on my sleeve. I’m a first generation Pakistani American and I’ve learned, over the years, that no matter how much you try to integrate and assimilate, you are defined by the way you look. My identity, my South-Asian-ness, is the first thing that people see when they see me. When they get to know me they get to know about my religion because Islam is a big part of my life. I’m very proud of that identity, it’s something I want my kids to be proud of. Sometimes you see that people that are politically involved will change their name like Nikki Haley and Bobby Jindal. Well, I’m Fozia Janjua and I make an effort to make sure that everyone pronounces my name the way it’s supposed to be pronounced.
Q: What are some of your key goals for the Muslim community in South Jersey?
A: Over the years I’ve noticed that our narrative as Muslims and as South Asians is being written for us and we don’t really have a voice about what’s being said about us in the media. In order for us to counteract that we have to have a seat on the table, and, not just have a seat, but have a voice and not just be a token person on the table. For me, just being a Muslim Pakistani person on the council shows other Muslim and Pakistani people that they too can be part of local government, they too can have a voice and they too can make a difference.
“My hope is to inspire other people to go beyond what I’m doing and really get involved locally and be able to shape our own narrative. When things are being said about Muslims in the news, we need to have people out there having people say, “No, that’s not what Islam stands for.””
Q: What policies have you implemented or supported to fulfill these needs or concerns?
A: One small thing I’ve done since I’ve been on council is have resolutions to recognize Ramadan and Eid as holidays. That’ s something that has never been done in our town, you know, just letting people know there are Muslims that live in our town and in our surrounding areas. And these are holidays that they celebrate.
Q: What advice would you give to young Muslims who are interested in getting involved in politics or community organizing, and how can they best make a difference in their communities?
A: I would say don’t hesitate to get involved. Take baby steps, get yourself known. Whether it’s working or helping an elected official whose values align with yours get elected by canvassing for them. Start early and start at the basic grassroots level. Let people see the dedication, let people see who you are, and then eventually you can grow into higher elected positions. Look into your local community, find out who the members of your party are, and ask what you can do to help them.
“Local politics affect us more on a daily basis than national politics. We are in charge of if your taxes get raised or not and when your garbage gets picked up, if potholes are filled or not. I would urge anybody interested to reach out to me and to other Muslim elected officials and talk to them to see if you can help them in any way. But the first step is just to put yourself out there whether it’s a big step or small.”
– Fozia Janjua
