Truthout • 7th October 2020

Muslim Solidarity With Black Lives Matter Is Fueling the Push to Defund Police

Police abolitionists have long fought for defunding local police and redistributing that money toward education, housing, food and other necessities as a true means to confront neighborhood violence. It is critical for Muslim communities to envision this model on a global scale and demand that the trillions spent on weapons, some of which are being used by the Israel Defense Forces to colonize more Palestinian land, be reallocated to the needs of the community.

Wear Your Voice • 17th March 2020

Zionism and Hindutva, Two Sides Of The Same Coin

India’s Hindu nationalists and the Israeli right have a remarkable mutual affinity. When bombs rained down on Gaza in 2014, Israelis were seen famously picnicking on hilltops, smoking shisha, taking selfies, and cheering on the mass destruction of Palestinian lives and land. We need not look any further than fascist-supporting Bollywood celebrities, like Priyanka Chopra — who ​had Narendra Modi as a guest at her wedding and endorsed the Indian army, ​calling for an escalation of violence against Kashmir — to understand how deep anti-Muslim rhetoric runs in both nations.

ORANGE Magazine • 19th February 2020

Trump-Netanyahu “Peace” Deal Met with Global Resistance From Austin to Occupied Jerusalem —

While Trump seeks to characterize this plan as a “win” for the Palestinian people, the “Deal of Century” is a recycled approach that simply puts the American Stamp of Approval on the continuation of illegal Israeli apartheid, reimagined as formalized annexation. A “peace” plan that legitimizes and even expands the scope of Israel’s human rights abuses is no plan at all.

Beta Boom • 16th January 2020

Facebook for disasters: meet Meena Palaniappan’s Atma Connect app

Today, Meena envisions AtmaGo becoming the largest pro-social network in the world. Her passion to build resilience and social connectedness for billions of people living in low-income communities—while on the forefront of climate change—is clear.

7th November 2019

Daniel Marcus Talks Filmmaking with His Students, Eating Disorders, and More | Proximity Learning

Nominated for the My Hero International Film Festival and Colorful Colorado Film Festival for Youth, Proximity Learning teacher Daniel Marcus is a beacon of hope in the eyes of young students and film critics.

7th November 2019

An Educator’s Plight for Human Rights – Jade Owhadi’s Story | Proximity Learning

Jade Owhadi was in high school when she learned about Agent Orange (AO) from her French-Vietnamese grandmother. Deeply troubled and moved, she began to dedicate her time to humanitarian work, eventually pursuing a lifetime of grassroots community aid combined with education.

15th August 2019

The Anti-Vaccination Movement: A Regression in Modern Medicine – Proximity Learning

A relatively small – but vocal – community of anti-vaxxers hold a wide array of views, from the theory that vaccines are toxic to the belief that vaccines can cause autism. Although studies have debunked both myths time and time again, some parents remain steadfast in their decision to completely opt-out of vaccines.

14th August 2019

How the American Education System is Failing – Proximity Learning

This year, teacher walkouts and protests dominated the k-12 education sphere, bringing deeply embedded and longstanding disinvestment issues to light. Classrooms, districts, states, and the country as a whole have been severely impacted by the general lack of funding since the systemic disinvestment following the 2008 Great Recession.

The Brown Orient • 30th June 2018

Gray by Rimsha N Syed

My short story published in issue one of The Brown Orient: Early during autumn time about 20 years ago, not a single tree was in sight nor could the billowing of the wind be heard. The stillness and depression of the atmosphere hung over the city like a plague. The elderly people in the refugee camp in Damascus, Syria, where we have been living for the past couple of months, love to tell stories about how beautiful the city used to be.

Brown Girl Magazine • 22nd June 2018

"Cracking India" to "Earth" — A Look at the India/Pakistan Partition Onscreen

The long-lasting treacherous and heart-wrenching effects of the India and Pakistan partition are embedded in the hearts of South Asians everywhere. Whether it was our grandparents or great-grandparents caught in the midst of British colonial sanctioned segregation, the violent legacy of 1947 and beyond comes with trauma, hegemonic nationalism, hatred, and religious-militaristic state ideologies.

Brown Girl Magazine • 19th June 2018

The Long Standing History of Ahmadi and Shia Apartheid in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD — In the latest of mob attacks on minority Muslim sects in Pakistan, Sunni extremists demolished a historic mosque belonging to Ahmadis in the city of Sialkot. The plan was orchestrated by Hafiz Hamid Raza, a member of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Inshaf, during the night and early morning. No worshippers appeared to have been inside the mosque during the attack, and there have not been any reports of casualties.

San Antonio Express-News • 31st May 2018

Political atmosphere makes life tough for Muslims

It has been a disastrous year in politics for Muslims across the nation. Ironically, the Muslim community has become a punching bag in a country that separates church and state.

ORANGE Magazine • 31st May 2018

Saudi Women's Plight for Freedom Rights

A longstanding misogynistic decree that banned women from driving in Saudi Arabia was lifted on Sept. 26 by King Salman, but anyone who thinks that this decree won’t be met with active resistance is fooling themselves.

ORANGE Magazine • 31st May 2018

Seven Skin Care Products for and by People of Color

Just like clothes and underwear, one size does not fit all. Although hundreds of bottles line the shelves in the skincare aisle at your local store, the majority of skincare and makeup companies sell products that are tailored to benefit Eurocentric skin tones.

ORANGE Magazine • 31st May 2018

Ten Things 20-Something Desi Girls Are Tired of Hearing

Between nosy relatives, overbearing men and patronizing parents, South Asian or Desi women have heard it all. The backhanded compliments and subtle racist remarks have shaped us into the unapologetically self-loving beings we are. Grab a mango lassi, get ready to relate, and remember that ain’t nobody like a Desi girl.

31st May 2018

Student's family affected by Trump's travel ban - The Daily Texan

Between dealing with consultations with immigration lawyers and patiently waiting for his family’s green card approval, Syrian-American Omar Said was devastated by the effects and implications of President Donald Trump’s travel ban, and decided not to stay silent.

31st May 2018

Students to launch website addressing mental health stigmas in South Asian cultures - The Daily Texan

The first time South Indian UT alumnus Abhi Ravinutala witnessed the anguish of mental illness, he wanted to talk to his parents about it but feared how they would receive him. In a community that praises conformity and honor, Ravinutala realized that for some South Asians, the way of talking about your problems is simply not talking about them at all.

HuffPost • 8th September 2017

Fear Begins For DACA Recipient: ‘I Started Worrying About My Status As Soon As Trump Was Elected’

On Tuesday morning President Donald Trump ordered an end to the Obama-era executive action, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which shields nearly 800,000 undocumented immigrants who entered the country as minors from deportation. DACA protects “dreamers” from deportation, but also allows them to receive higher education, obtain a valid driver’s license, and legally secure jobs.

Brown Girl Magazine • 29th January 2017

President Donald Trump Reinstates Anti-Abortion Rule Endangering the Lives of Women Globally

Conservatives welcomed a policy that prevents U.S. foreign aid from aiding nongovernmental organizations (NGO) that administer abortion services, distribute contraception or even advise patients on family planning. Trump has previously stated that he will appoint Supreme Court justices in favor of overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, potentially making abortion illegal in 33 states in America.

Brown Girl Magazine • 13th January 2017

Girl, YES: 11 Feminist Achievements From Women of Color in 2016

Part of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), chairman Ing-wen was voted into power by a landslide, earning 56.12 percent of the votes,” Sakhuja said. “This committed woman transitioned from full-time law professor to head-turning politician in less than a decade. Spending the majority of her time in policy work, Tsai has been on the forefront of “two-state” research as well as being the head of the Mainland Affairs Council.