MWP Spotlight: Fatima Shahnza Iqbal-Zubair
Meet Fatima Shahnaz Iqbal-Zubair. MWP spoke with Fatima about the impact she has already made in the lives of her students as a high school teacher at Jordan High School in Watts and the impact she hopes to have if she wins and becomes the Assemblywoman for Califonia’s 64th District.
November 20th, 2019
Walk us through your career, Fatima.
I went to college thinking I was going to become a doctor. It’s all I thought I would become since I was little. I got accepted into medical school in the Caribbean. Medical school wasn’t an easy journey. After two years, I realized that things I love always come easy to me, so maybe this wasn’t something I was in love with. Since I was told I was always good at explaining difficult concepts in an easy way to others, I decided to work as a private tutor. I did this for about 3 years successfully, establishing a solid full-time business as a private tutor for test prep, and Science, and I was ranked one of the top 3 tutors in the nation with my company. Tutoring has mainly taken me to wealthier areas (naturally, who else could afford a tutor?). It was during this time when I really started noticing the exorbitant wealth of some houses and places in LA and the places in LA where it was clear government didn’t give two hoots about. There would be occasional instances where I would get to tutor low income Latinx and Black students in low-income communities and even though I grew up middle class, I felt completely at home with the authenticity and realness that I experienced while in their presence, and a genuine appreciation for what I taught them. I knew these were my favorite students to teach.
I then worked as a crosscountry coach for a boys and girls high school team (drawing on my competitive running experience from high school and college) and took both teams for the first time in their history to double league titles, second place finishes at regionals and two individuals to State. I knew teaching in a low income community was what I wanted to do — in a community like this, I wanted to learn everything I can, and bring as many resources as I can.
The best parts of my life were when I worked as a teacher at Jordan High School at Watts for 3+ years. I was at peace and my students (the smartest in the world) were my world. I served as Department Chair for 2 years, brought the first Robotics team to Watts (that was award-winning), Team 6904: TeraWatts, and brought new curriculum to the school. I served as New Teacher Mentor, was on the School Advisory Council and the Instructional Lead Team. I spent more time at school that I did at home (even with a young child at home), and I have no regrets. Before Watts, of course I knew of what low income Latinx and Black students and families go through daily, but after being a close mentor to my students, having long conversations with their families, being in their homes, and realizing their struggles and fears (which were amplified after Trump was elected), I realized the systemic racism that they were subject to. I branched out into the community and started doing environmental work, joining the Leadership Council at the Watts Rising Collaborative, a collaborative that is creating sweeping environmental, economic and social changes to Watts. Around this time, I also took on the role of commissioner under my current State Assembly member. In all these roles, I asked the difficult questions, and I made sure to hold public officials accountable. I felt at home with the activists in the community, but like them, I felt a disconnect between grassroots work and what the government (at every level) was able to deliver. It grew to a point where I could no longer serve as commissioner as I felt like my Assemblyman really didn’t care about the questions we asked or if we challenged the status quo. I’m now running to replace my current Assemblyman as the next Assemblywoman of the 64th.
How has your Muslim identity influenced your career and your stance on issues of homelessness, environmental racism and education reform?
My Muslim identity has taught me that every human deserves basic human rights and that it is my duty to always speak truth to power and rise up to injustice when I see it. It has also taught me to always look beyond myself, my feelings and my ego, and understand that we are really nothing special in this whole universe that God created. Why is my son or my husband more important that someone else’s son or husband? The truth is, objectively speaking, my son or husband isn’t more important that your son or husband. This has led me to fiercely care about and fight for homelessness, environmental racism and education reform to make sure that basic human rights are met for all, especially those at the margins of society who may not have a voice or the privilege of time and money to lead a fight for these rights.
Only 4 in 10 American Muslims voted in the last presidential election even though most are registered to vote.
What would you tell Muslims about the importance of voting and why it is important that they play a bigger role in government?
I’m going to get really honest. It has been my experience that too many Muslims will sit around talking and complaining about the actions of government here and all all over the world, and especially about the interference of the American military in other countries, but honestly if you don’t exert your civic duty and vote, then you don’t have the right to an opinion. If you aren’t an engaged voter, there is no better time to start than now. With hate crimes against Muslims having risen by exorbitant levels, a Muslim ban, a government that is leading endless, profitable wars against Muslim-majority countries and that does not call out the human rights violations of Israel’s occupation, our voices need to be collectively heard to exert any real change. The beauty of America is that when masses of people rise up, change has happened and does happen. Muslims, if you want to see changes, RISE UP!
What prompted you to run and have you felt that your Muslim identity might be a deterrent to voters?
This past summer, I learned the extent to which my Assemblyman was taking money from fossil fuel companies, oil and natural gas companies, tobacco companies and more. His votes reflected that he had no issue perpetuating systems of racism in one of the poorest districts in California. I remember standing in my living room, being brought to tears thinking of my students and how unfair this was to them. My district is heavily blue and noone has seriously challenged him in the past few years in the district. The time was right. The political climate called for someone like me to run. I see my Muslim identity as a strength and not a deterrent. I believe Muslims, especially Muslim women, are a big part of what the resistance looks like today. To any voter that it may appear to be a deterrent, I see it as an opportunity to awaken the conscience of another and educate, so in that, it’s really still a strength.
What are some ways that Muslim women can use their voice to advocate for issues that are important to them?
Muslim women can use their voice to advocate for issues that are important to them in any way and in any form that is possible. I don’t want to indicate specific ways because that implies that there are limited ways for Muslim women to use their voice. Don’t just be yourselves, be yourselves, unapologetically AND always, and your voices will be heard loud and clear.
