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.…
The world of Pakistani TV is rife with melodramas of the “shaadi, mohabbat, talaaq” (wedding, romance, divorce) variety, but every so often a unique voice dares to break the mold. Parizaad, written by Hashim Nadeem and directed by Shahzad Kashmiri, is a thriller with hard-won moments of heart. The titular character is a downtrodden soul…
When you think of TikTok, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Is it the slowed, reverb versions of already overplayed songs? Or maybe it’s the exaggerated dance routines or wanna-be-Hollywood acting? If you thought of any of those things, you’d be correct because so did I (let’s face it–some of it is cringy).…
“O Mankind: We created you from a male and a female; and made you into tribes and nations that you may get to know each other. And verily, most honored before God is the most virtuous.” – Quran 49:13 Islam is the world’s fastest-growing religion. With a population of 1.6 billion, Muslims are spread across…
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…
Islam is the world’s second-largest religion with over 1.9 billion followers from various unique backgrounds and geographical locations. Islam promotes unity and fosters the establishment of tight-knit communities across the world. A religion this vast brings with it an inevitably diverse array of cultures, values, and backgrounds. Yet, many individuals fail to recognize that culture…
We all aim for success. But what does success really mean? What should it look like? Every community defines success using its own set of criteria. In collectivist cultures as found in Asia, success is often determined based on how organized and harmonious society is as a whole. By contrast, other primarily western cultures like…
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…
In today’s reality, the idea of what constitutes a beautiful woman is that which was initially defined by the West–tall, slim, and fair. There is no denying that Western beauty standards are based on a particular kind of beauty catered to white femininity that only serves a select few. Women of color have tried everything…
Good conversations and genuine connections are a simple pleasure that many have not been able to enjoy over the past year. With quarantine keeping everyone cooped up, many have turned to podcasts for that missing piece in their lives. People from all fields have started their own podcasts with a variety of interesting topics to…