29-year-old Afghan-descent Labor Party Senator Fatima Payman was expelled from the Labor Party after twice crossing the Senate floor to support the Green Party’s resolution advocating for Palestine recognition. In her stance, Fatima urged the ruling Labor Party to honour its promise. She argued that if the Labor Party truly supports a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, it must first recognize the state of Palestine. Notably, a few weeks ago, Labor Party Foreign Minister Senator Penny Wong stated that her government supports a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine issue.
Senator Fatima Payman hails from Western Australia. Born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1995, she is the eldest of four siblings. Her family fled to Pakistan to escape the US-led military operations in Afghanistan. Fatima’s father arrived in Australia as a refugee by boat in 1999. Initially detained, he was later granted a refugee visa. He worked tirelessly as a kitchen hand, security guard, and taxi driver to support his family and secure their visas. In 2003, when Fatima was five, she, her mother, and her siblings joined her father in Australia.
Fatima received her education in Australia, attending an Islamic school in Perth and later graduating with a degree in pharmacy. As the eldest sibling, she worked hard and excelled academically. She first joined the youth wing of the Labor Party in Perth and formed the United Workers Union. Fatima also worked as an electoral officer for Western Australian Labor Party politician Pierre Yang before........