“Should you be paralyzed by fear? I encourage you to look to Palestinians in Gaza, who, in the face of annihilation, turn the hum of drones into music for children, trash into makeshift weights to work out. Who turn tents into classrooms, who strung Eid lights onto the rubble of what once was their homes.…
The first time I walked down the Tongva Steps, I knew it could also be my last. I toured UCLA for the first time as an anxious senior in high school on Accepted Students Day. My head spun with doubt, yet my heart throbbed with possibility as I contemplated being a UCLA student. The unexpected…
As the leaves turn brown and the wind begins carrying away the last remnants of summer break, the transition between seasons is yet another reminder of the beauty of Allah, the most glorified and the most high “Subhannah wa ta’alla” (SWT)’s, creation. With the 2025 Fall quarter swiftly propelling forward, UCLA’s Muslim Student Association (MSA)…
“I came for a black coffee (somehow got a fig honey matcha latte), stayed for the energy, and left wishing every fundraiser felt this effortless.”— Baara Abu Ghalyoun (Student of Biology) A pop-up home café nestled in a small university apartment, Café 504 radiated a warmth that came not just from the coffee, but from…
As the new school year begins and we welcome new members to our Islamic community, it is important to revisit the topic of inclusivity, especially in our tight-knit Muslim Student Association (MSA). In an environment where diversity, equity, and inclusion are values being silenced, it is important for us not to be complicit and instead…
“Pause, breathe, and look around you silently for a moment. Let your heart say Subhan Allah” – UCLA Undergraduate, Sezen Musa Early Friday morning, members of UCLA’s Muslim Student Association (MSA) embarked on a lengthy, eight hour road trip to Utah for a two-night retreat. While driving across four states may have seemed arduous, the…
Trigger Warning: Mentions of violence on the Palestine Solidarity Encampment at UCLA. I attended the Palestine Solidarity Encampment with the idea that this is the best I could do for the people of Palestine. To physically show up would be my best shot at being an ally and an activist for the Palestinian struggle. And…
“I would say there are prominent communities that exist in the MSA, and mine isn’t one of them.” We have come a long way in developing and creating safe spaces on campus for our social identities, whether rooted in race, religion, or major. But at what point does creating a safe space for oneself start…
Editor’s Note: the author of this work has requested that their identity be concealed for the purpose of openly sharing their first-hand accounts of the police’s brutalization of pro-Palestinian protesters. The author does not wish for their accounts to be retroactively traced back to their identity and misconstrued with other activities that did not involve…
An ode to those who stayed. An ode to those who suffered. An ode to those who slept. An ode to those who prayed. An ode to those who stood. To the youth, the students, the alumni, the faculty. To the refugees, the immigrants, the eyewitnesses, and the delegators. To those who resided in peace…