An ode to those who stayed. An ode to those who suffered. An ode to those who slept. An ode to those who prayed. An ode to those who stood. To the youth, the students, the alumni, the faculty. To the refugees, the immigrants, the eyewitnesses, and the delegators.  To those who resided in peace on a land they have a right to inhabit. Who were charged and pushed, intimidated and injured. We thank you. As students of the land in which we once remained, with a constitutional right to engage in peaceful demonstrations as part of a public institution, we arrived and stayed firmly put with no in ..read more

What happened last night was nothing short of a travesty. Last night, a group of pro-Israeli agitators arrived on UCLA campus and violently attacked student protestors demonstrating at the Dickson Court Solidarity Encampment spearheaded by Students for Justice in Palestine. The assailants were seen covering their faces with white masks to conceal their identities as they used pepper spray, tear gas, bear mace, fireworks, and bludgeons to afflict burns, cuts, and other severe injuries.  Make no mistake about this: the Zionist demonstrators came with the clear and express purpose of enactin ..read more

College students across the United States have taken a stand against the Palestinian genocide, including here at UCLA. Over 34,000 Palestinians have been killed with over two-thirds being women and children.  Pro-Palestenian encampments have provided a visible platform and community for dialogue and advocacy to push for conversation and movement towards social justice with the overarching goals of divestment from companies involved in the Israeli occupation of Gaza. Each and every one of us joining the encampments is making a difference. On April 28, 2024, footage showed Palestinian child ..read more

In 1953, Iran’s democratically-elected government led by Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh had been overthrown yet again to restore power to Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran. The final months of Mosaddegh’s government were nothing short of chaotic. Economic tensions flared as the British embargo tanked public approval and sparked political violence among dissenting government factions and the working class. As the Cold War began to dominate the global stage, fears of Communist ties within the Mosaddegh regime led to several assassination attempts on his cabinet – prompting the gove ..read more

Picture this. You are standing in a courtroom–possibly in neon orange gowns you had to wear while spending the night in county jail. Frazzled and drenched in sweat, you rise with your right hand up before a sea of onlooking jurors. Apparently, you are to testify your innocence for a crime you know you did not commit–but not just any crime. Murder–one of the highest capital offenses of all.  For a moment, you re-lived one of the most terrifying moments in Adnan Syed’s life. In 1999, Syed, a mere teenager, was accused of murdering his classmate and girlfriend Hae Min Lee. Despite his pleas ..read more

Following the events of October 7th, 2023, protests have erupted all over the world, with large numbers of people showing up to support the call for a ceasefire amidst the Israeli government’s relentless bombardment of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. In the United States, universities have become hotbeds for discussions, protests, and students organizing to raise awareness and proceeds for Gaza. However, the passionate efforts of students taking action have been met with targeted attacks and harassment of pro-Palestine students. These incidents underscore a pervasive pattern of discrimination a ..read more

restless in the night vigilant to what might come to harm when darkness arrives, i toss and turn on the pink sheets of my bed that hug me  when loneliness wraps and strangles me ~ a claustrophobic turn, the gold within the fairy lights blend into the air,  my sight blurry from the river my crystallized eyes begin producing. i stare blankly into the beige ceiling wondering how i ended up lost in the angelic city, for some days when failure becomes my companion for each meal,  i can only ponder what my true purpose is in this world meant for the materialistic, something must be in ..read more

“I think it is a human thing, it’s an ethical issue, it’s a moral issue, not to turn our backs on the people of Afghanistan and not to allow them to be prisoners of this country. Because the violence and the devastation is going to spill over and it already has”.  I sat down for an interview with Berkeley Professor and author of “Islam Explained” Ahmad Rashid Salim— a man of Afghan descent specializing in Middle Eastern studies.  After the 6.3 magnitude earthquakes late last year killing over 2,000 people— 90% women and children— and the distressingly slow recovery process, it was cl ..read more

“Kafir!” One Instagram comment reads. Another reads, “All here to see the curse.” Is it true? Could Mohamed Salah’s rough patch be a result of a Christmas curse? If so, what could this mean for his future? Mohamed Salah is arguably one of the most revered faces in Muslim, Middle Eastern, and soccer communities worldwide. Salah, an Egyptian-Muslim player, belongs to Liverpool Football Club, and he holds the record as their highest-paid player in history and their highest-scoring current player.  In the Africa Cup of Nations 2023 (AfCoN), which is presently taking place, Mo Salah has been p ..read more

Down the bleak cascade,  I see something wither,  Smaller and Smaller,  It comes and goes past  Down the hurricane, As time flows,  Nothing remains constant.  I feel as if the world is something similar,  Nothing remains as is,  Everything shifts,  And with time comes becomes bright again,  Hope I see something another,  Until then,  All I see is black in a world that is supposed to be blue ..read more