Smokescreen: American Hypocrisy in the Middle East Opinion Piece By: S.A. Graphics: Sumaiya Kaiser Let me be clear on one thing. I wholeheartedly stand behind transparency within governments and exposing human rights atrocities. The Iranian regime has a lengthy record of arresting journalists who criticize the government, executions, discrimination, religious and ethnic persecution, and more.…
Directly after the most recent assaults on Gaza and expansion of Israeli settlers into East Jerusalem, the Muslim community has once again stood up for Palestinian rights marking decades of unwavering support. Although the continuation of this trend sounds like a positive development, in reality it’s a problematic position rooted in religious sectarian politics that…
Dear fellow reader, My name is Sami Siddiqui. I am a proud Muslim. I’m also a concerned, appalled, disappointed, and “every-synonym-in-between” Muslim. Whether you’re a fellow brother or sister, I’m certain you will feel the same way two paragraphs from now. At this point, you may be wondering what’s been troubling me lately. Am I…
Within just the past couple of weeks, the Covid-19 pandemic has rapidly transitioned into a Covid nightmare. While Americans continue to celebrate after successful vaccine distributions, devastated families in India mourn the countless loved ones taken from them by a ruthless virus. The devastated country’s second coronavirus wave is shattering world records, producing over 300,000…
Amid the turbulence of the past year, despite an overall decline in the number of hate crimes in the U.S, hate crimes against Asian Americans rose by almost 150 percent. On multiple separate occasions, elderly Asian American people were attacked on the street, including one brutal incident in New York where bystanders stood by and…
In the wake of violent settler colonialism in Palestine, international support has become evermore essential in protecting Palestinian families from further encroachment upon basic human rights. However, with polarized politics and religious zeal involved, a considerable number of people — even progressively-minded individuals — have attempted to make unifying remarks to acknowledge the atrocities while…
(AL DIA News; Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images) Closing the chapter on our longest war yet, President Joe Biden announced that the U.S. plans on withdrawing all American troops from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021. There are about 2,500 American troops in Afghanistan, as well as an additional 7,000 foreign forces (the majority of which…
During a raging pandemic, which has affected millions around the world, what actions should a responsive, sympathetic government take to mitigate the socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19? Mandate mask-wearing and social distancing policies? Certainly. Provide a semblance of universal basic income for fired or furloughed workers? Now we’re getting somewhere. Ostracize an entire religious community unrelated…
In the first year of his term, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate 11 federal judicial candidates. The administration’s recent appointments and nominations, including the selection of Black and South Asian Madam Vice President Kamala Harris, are revered as monuments toward a more diverse government. Other historic picks include Rep. Deb Haaland for…
July 11, 1995. Etched in my mind, that date holds an emotional weight to me, my family, and Bosnians all around the world who heard about, witnessed, and/or knew people who were killed at the hands of Serbian soldiers under General Ratko Mladić. Approximately 8,000 Bosnian men and boys (the majority of whom were Muslim)…