Since the beginning of Fall quarter, many students of the MSA at UCLA looked forward to the numerous events held during the Spring quarter. Some of these events included Ramadan, Islam Awareness Week, Spring Forward, College Day, and the End of the Year Banquet. Despite fundraising for months and holding numerous preparation meetings, all of…
“What is your race? Check all that apply.” If you’ve ever filled out some questionnaire, you’ve checked the boxes. If you hail from a country in the Middle East/North African region, you probably (against every bone in your body screaming at you to check anything, literally anything else) checked “White.” Sometimes the forms go as…
COVID-19 does not care about inequity, and neither does society. The COVID-19 outbreak is altering our approach to education. Students are quarantining at home and undergoing virtual instruction through Zoom, all while universities prepare for future decisions, including but not limited to: refunding students for university housing, organizing online summer sessions, easing college admissions requirements,…
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “If you hear of a plague in a land, then do not go into it. If it happens in land where you are, then do not go out of it.” Source: Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim So what is some wisdom we can take from this? Do…
Water is an important resource. It’s used for wudu in Islam, baptism in Christianity, ritual washing in Judaism, and spiritual rebirth in Hinduism. In all world religions, water is essential. It is an entity of cleanliness and purification. However, today, many countries with minority populations lack access to clean water. With water pollution affecting irrigated…
As we rang in the new year, tension between the United States and Iran gained the attention of media sources internationally after the death of prominent Iranian military general, Qasem Soleimani. The Iranian commander was killed on January 3rd as the result of an American airstrike that hit the Baghdad International airport under the orders…
On Jan 3, 2018 the history of the U.S Congress changed forever as the swearing in ceremonies for the 116th House of Representatives commenced. In the sea of representatives that has more female representatives than ever, two women stood out to me as trailblazers for Muslims and women in politics. With backgrounds similar to many…
When I entered the conference room on the top floor of UCLA’s Student Activities Center, the hard work had already started. There were two long tables set up across the room flanked by over thirty student volunteers lined up and preparing sandwiches. There was an uplifting and inviting sense of collaboration that these people exuded.…
“We die once, but we revive a thousand times” Turkish Proverb Photo by Ibrahim Kalın (Turkish President’s Spokesman and Chief Advisor(1)) Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi Arabian Washington Post journalist, disappeared after he entered the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018. After several days filled with conspiracy theories, on the 23th of October,…
The Presidential War on Press Freedom of Press is often held as the cornerstone of democracy. It is one of the unspoken principles that any threat to its freedom is enough to send people in frenzy and is perceived as a threat of individual freedom. One of the prime examples of press dismantlement was…