Salman Bhojani considers his May victory for a Euless City Council seat a miracle.

The 38-year-old lawyer, who ran unsuccessfully for council last year, said this time around was even tougher.

Weeks before the May 5 election, Republican state Rep. Jonathan Stickland of Bedford published several Facebook posts describing Bhojani as "a dangerous man" and "a Muslim, lawyer and lifelong Democrat who supports raising your taxes."

Bhojani, the first Muslim elected to public office in Euless, said the days that followed were a struggle.

Some voters asked if he planned to bring Shariah law into Euless. Others said they refused to vote for him because he didn't eat pork. And some called his wife, Nima, a terrorist and other names at a polling location.

Some of the name-calling and cynicism took place in front of the couple's 9-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son, he said.

"There were so many odds against us," Bhojani said. "To my knowledge, I don't know anyone who not only had to run against their opponent but also against your own state representative. It is truly a story of David versus Goliath. How do you even fight that fight?"

But Bhojani said those challenges gave him a new outlook on why he wanted to win the Place 6 seat in the city of 55,000 residents.

"I don’t think success was to win. It was a goal to win," he said. "Success was displaying our values and telling people that Muslims can be contributing citizens of America, and they are good people as well. They are people who care about America."

State Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, presented Salman Bhojani a gavel after Bhojani's swearing-in ceremony last month. (Louis DeLuca / Staff Photographer)

Swearing-in ceremony

On May 22, state Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, swore in Bhojani and presented him with a gavel from Texas House Speaker Joe Straus and himself. Bhojani also received a special congratulatory message from U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Dallas.

Anchia said that he and Bhojani became friends while both worked for the Haynes and Boone law firm nearly five years ago and that Bhojani invited him to conduct the swearing-in.

"I'm really proud of the people of Euless for this outcome," Anchia said. "He's just a terrific guy."

Bhojani's mother, Yasmin Bhojani, and father, Abdul Sultan Bhojani, also were there to witness the swearing-in. His father said he was hesitant about Bhojani's plans to run for office because politicians usually are viewed negatively back home in Pakistan.

But after seeing his son campaign, he decided his son could make a big impact in Euless, he said.

"I'm very proud of him," he said, smiling. "I feel like I'm on seventh heaven."

Hani Elhassan of Euless, who also attended the ceremony, said he was happy to see more diversity among the city's representatives.

"These are the type of people that we need to get on the City Council," said Elhassan, who voted for Bhojani.

Bhojani recites the pledge of allegiance before his swearing-in. (Louis DeLuca / Staff Photographer)

Mopping floors to elected office

Bhojani moved to North Texas with his family after finishing his health and sciences degree in Montreal. He abandoned his plan to go into medicine after finding he didn't have the stomach for it.

Because finances were tight at home, he said, he began working long shifts cleaning gas stations.

"Even when I was getting married — after my court marriage — I went in and did a 12-hour shift at the gas station," Bhojani said.

The couple eventually bought four gas stations but decided to pursue a different path after their son was born.

"When my son was about 2 years old, I thought about what if he got up one day and asked me, 'Dad, we don't consume alcohol or cigarettes, so why are we selling that?'" he said.

A friend advised him to pursue a law career, which later led him to Anchia, who four years ago planted the idea of running for office, Bhojani said. He said he saw running for City Council as a way to give back to his community — a teaching that is at the core of his Ismaili Muslim faith.

"We are encouraged by the Aga Khan, our spiritual leader, to do a lot of community service inside the community as well as outside of the community," he said. "We're encouraged to build bridges with other communities."

As a council member, Bhojani said he wants to engage Euless residents and connect them with the city services they need.

"I want more people to come in and use these services because they're the ones who are paying for it," he said. "If I can get more participation from them, then it would be a win-win for everybody."

Bhojani is sworn into the Euless City Council's Place 6 seat. (Louis DeLuca / Staff Photographer)

Faith and family

Bhojani credits his faith for getting him through his campaign. He said Stickland's comments left his campaign with a lack of morale, so he decided to meditate to help him overcome the stress.

That was when he decided to ignore any negativity and instead highlight the positive things that diversity can bring to Euless.

"When you really take in deep breaths and get more oxygen to your brain, you relax and you think about what’s at your core," Bhojani said. "It wasn't negativity. ... It was about the whole journey."

He credits his wife for encouraging him to move forward during the most difficult times.

Nima Bhojani admits it wasn't easy to face negative comments from opponents online and in person, but she said her husband's supporters gave them the strength they needed.

"The toughest thing was to face the people who showed hatred. I asked myself, 'Are these my neighbors? Are their kids the ones my kids play with?'" she said. "But there are a lot of good people out there, too."

Bhojani's father-in-law, Pyarali Merchant, gave him a hug at last month's ceremony. (Louis DeLuca / Staff Photographer)

She also was concerned that her children were being exposed to negative remarks about their father.

"I asked [her husband], ‘Why do you have to do this? My kids are listening to this,'" she said. "My son would come from school, and he would check the newspaper and Facebook. He would see what people were commenting. He is 12, almost 13, so he is aware of everything."

Nima Bhojani said she's hopeful the community will be more accepting now that her husband is on the council, but she's concerned that peace will be disrupted if her husband decides to run again in three years.

But he isn't worried about that now.

"We will fight that battle when we get there," he said to her, smiling.