My Facebook news feed has been buzzing with critiques of Mona Eltahawy’s latest article, “Why Do They Hate Us?” When the original piece was published in “Foreign Policy”...
Within the past month or so, a couple of friends were telling me about the racism and sexism they continue to experience in social justice spaces. Yesterday, another friend was telling me about her e...
As many of you have already heard, some racist “Hunger Games” fans were quite angry when they learned black actors were cast for the roles of Rue (pictured above), Cinna, and Thresh. Blo...
Their cold-hearts cast you out. Here, beneath motionless skies where all that would shine is tinted in monochrome. The taste of winter air slithers into your lungs and exhales as a trembling sigh – c...
Malcolm X was assassinated on this day, February 21st, in 1965. Like so many people in the world, Malcolm X’s life and commitment to social justice has had a profound impact on my life. Altho...
The other day I was reading a brilliant article on “People of Color Organize!” and this part stood out to me especially: Silence – You are in a group of people, you’ve just heard so...
As 2011 comes to an end, I wanted to share some thoughts that have been on my mind lately. Due to the dangerous intersections of race, gender, class, sexual orientation, and other positionalities, i...
I know I mentioned to a few friends that I was taking a brief hiatus from blogging, but since it is the month of Muharram, I wanted to share a few thoughts about Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet...
Salaam everyone! Just wanted to wish you all a very happy Eid-ul-Adha! May this be a blessed time for you and your Loved ones. May Allah’s infinite blessings fill your hearts on this special ...
I really Love these posters that speak out against cultural appropriation, stereotyping, and racism during Halloween. The campaign was launched this year by Ohio University’s Students Teaching ...
Contrary to popular belief, it's not always about this guy. If you’re going to advocate for social justice and organize in your community, you need to be actively resisting the potential r...
Islamophobes think they have it all figured out. After they read the works of anti-Muslim pseudo-intellectuals and propagandists, they become self-proclaimed “experts” on Islam. The mes...
Today, the so-called US “justice” system found all ten of the “Irvine 11″ Muslim students “guilty” on misdemeanor charges of conspiring to disrupt and then disrupt...
I know it’s been more than two months since I’ve written a blog post. I didn’t even write anything for Ramadan or Eid! How did that happen? I had a dream the other night where a friend asked me wh...
You know it’s serious when I write a trilogy. I wanted to write this piece around the time Osama bin Laden was found and killed by US special ops forces last month in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Whe...
Whenever I have discussions about men “misinterpreting” women, within the heterosexual context, I remember a Sufi parable I once read about a dervish and a princess. The story is part of...
A lot has happened since I wrote my last blog post. I’ve been busy with a few projects, so I haven’t been able to blog about some of the important issues in the world right now (France...
By now, every Pakistani and Indian knows about the epic Pakistan vs. India Cricket World Cup semi-final that will kick off Wednesday in Mohali, India. Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has...
1.) Top Ten Ways that Libya 2011 is Iraq 2003 Alexander, of The Ruh of Brown Folks, writes an excellent rebuttal to Juan Cole’s claims that the recent western imperialist invasion of Libya is &...
This is a very overdue post, but two weekends ago, I had the honor to be invited to this year’s Banana 2: Asian Pacific American Bloggers Conference in Los Angeles. I felt very grateful to spe...
A recent online discussion sparked a heated debate over the idea of platonic friendships. A video was shared about Steve Harvey, author of “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man” (I don’...
Salaam/Peace everyone! I’m honored to announce that I’m nominated for “Best Writer” in this year’s “Seventh Annual Brass Crescent Awards.” My two-part essay ...
In most American history classrooms, children are taught that in 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue and “discovered America.” In this narrative, Columbus is portrayed as a daring explo...
Advocating for the eradication of masculinity is not reactionary, nor is it self-hatred. It is a diligently honest and critical examination of the fundamental concept and construct of masculinity, h...
The Orientalist defines the Oriental. This is but one way the late Palestinian-American activist and scholar Edward Said described the relationship of power and domination between the West (the Occi...
Last Friday night, my Facebook news feed lit up with updates about President Obama’s support for the hotly-debated Cordoba House Islamic Center in New York. My Muslim-American friends, especial...
This post is a couple of days late, but I wanted to take the time to wish everyone a happy Ramadan. May Allah fill this month with blessings for you and your families. For those who are unfamiliar ...
You are no longer following . Undo?