February 11, 2011. Crowds in Tahrir Square erupt in celebration. “Egypt is free, Egypt is free,” they exclaim. In Tunisia, it takes one man to douse himself in gasoline to strike the powerful match of revolution. In Egypt, it takes the will power of millions and the brutal dictatorship of one man to ripple in…
Jordan High School, located in South Central LA, is one of two sites served by MAPS. It’s also one of the lowest performing schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, leading to a dramatic intervention So, when it was announced that the public high school would change into three distinct charter school campuses next…
Relieved by the end of my first round of midterms, I open the web browser, instinctively navigating to the CNN homepage. There it is: a painful, daunting headline. Come on, this can’t be happening. Please tell me it isn’t true, but I guess disappointment is my forte. “Teenage suicide bomber kills at least 27 in…
Egypt’s recent success in conquering its oppressors has ignited a wave of realizations that determination mixed with unity and a dash of patience results in one sweet slice of change. Libya, Yemen, Algeria, Bahrain among others have used the mother of the world as an inspiration and an example, and have taken the first steps…
The most mentioned antagonist in the Holy Qur’an is Pharaoh. About him, Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an: …surely he was arrogant, one of the extravagant (44:31). However, the discussion of Pharaoh within the Qur’an is not a mere historical account; instead, it serves as an educational tool in which human beings can ascertain a…
Yes, it is time for Mubarak to go. And the people of Egypt not only want to make sure Mubarak makes his exit from Egypt, but for his entire regime to leave. As the Egyptian government has shut down all internet and social media services, limited cellular and SMS/text messaging communication, and tried to limit…
Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is the second largest school district in the country. The schools range in academic performance but with the budget restraints that have hit the state of California, the disparities between the schools have only increased. Those schools that lacked resources have only slipped further and further away from what…
What is da’wah? The word da’wah is an Arabic word that literally means “invite (to something)”. Even though this word or derivatives of this word can be used broadly, in Islam it is commonly used when Muslims extend a direct invitation to non-Muslims to accept and believe in the message of Islam by declaring that…
Religion plays a major role in the life of a prisoner. After being thrown into prison, many inmates turn to religion for faith, guidance, and support to help them get through their incarceration. The largest convert populations in prison are Muslims. Although the numbers of Muslims in United States prisoners are unknown, it is estimated…
Muslim-Americans go through grueling tests of faith and tolerance in a variety of situations including “random” security searches at airports and threats of desecration to our holy book. As devastating as these difficulties are, there is another nerve-wracking situation that nearly every Muslim encounters. It happens daily in classrooms, café shops, and sporting events, and…