It is a shared experience among Muslim Americans that many of us were unable to identify with Muslim characters on film and television programs we watched while growing up. This is not merely an accident or coincidence. Muslim characters have been portrayed as one-dimensional, backwards, and violent ever since the creation of the American and…
Hijab Day volunteer Hajar Azzam (right) with a Hijab Day participant (left) on Bruin Walk (Photo credit: Marya Ayloush) The Orientation It is a Thursday morning, and Bruin Walk is filled with students wearing colorful headscarves and pins reading “SOLIDARITY with my SISTERS in HIJAB.” This marks the start of Hijab Day, an annual event…
Last week, three black Sudanese Americans were killed “execution-style” in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Their names were Mohamedtaha Omar (23), Adam Mekki (20), and Muhannad Tairab (17). All of them were members of a diaspora community from East Africa. Regardless of their shared affiliations, Omar and Tairab were Muslim, while Mekki was Christian. According to Fort…
Zayn Malik shocked the whole world when he left One Direction, the biggest boy band of the decade, in March of 2015. The world was left to wonder what the reason was behind his sudden departure, Zayn later addressed via a Facebook post: “I’d like to apologise to the fans if I’ve let anyone down,…
The luxury brand Dolce and Gabbana started off the new year by launching their first line of hijabs and abayas. While they designed these garments with modesty in mind, the fashion brand made sure that their signature flair is visible through their use of details such as intricate embroidery, large flower prints, and bold polka…
Fourteen people were killed and 22 were injured during the shooting at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino on December 2nd. The two shooters, Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, identified as Muslims, which fueled a lot of anti-Muslim hate. Since the shooting, hate crimes against Muslims across America have been rising. Republican presidential…
