Arab Parents

My experience with my Arab parents in one image

Growing up in America with Arab parents is, well, certainly an interesting experience. From a young age, I've been raised to have different values and mindsets than my American peers. My mom always reminded me not to forget about my culture, faith, or where I came from. Of course, I completely understood where she was coming from, seeing so many people from so many different cultures completely letting go of their background, and even feeling ashamed of it. I wasn't like that at all, while I definitely did deal with identity issues in middle school and beyond, I always felt a strong sense of Arab and Muslim pride in me, even if it was hard to find it at times.
Arab parents are nothing less than strict and well-- pretty harsh, but hey, that's the cultural norm. Any
Arab child is familiar with the muhtrug, which even the thought of brings up both tears of laughter and fear. Being an Arab teenage girl, I am expected to do my best in school (well, I mean most families expect that), dress modestly (no shorts, tank tops, dresses, etc. yeah it's quite a bother), not be out at night, and not hang out with boys. While this doesn't seem too harsh, when put upon a rebellious girl who wants to experience teenage life as it is, some problems arise. Often when I'm out with friends, I am expected to be back earlier than my other friends, my clothing choices are sadly limited, and I often have to cancel out on outings with my male friends.
I of course know why my mom enforces these rules. As I stated earlier, she wants her children to have a strong sense of their faith and culture, however when enforcing these strict rules on her children, there's more of well, a tendency to rebel. Which I have done many times, and got caught. Of course nothing morally bad, but merely going against my parents' rules and wishes.
Anyway what I'm trying to get at, is no matter how strict the rules are parents will enforce on me, I will likely go out and experiment with teenagehood anyway-- like talking to boys, wearing dresses, and staying out past curfew, and that's merely apart of life.

International Adoption in America

Since I was young, I knew I'd adopt. Not because I'm infertile (as far as I know I'm think I'm capable of bearing children), not because I believe the population is exploding and that we should regulate how many children people can bear, because I definitely believe in personal freedom. I wanted to adopt because-- why bring children into this world when there are so many children already brought into this world just in need of having a loving supportive family and home? 

Adoption can be a beautiful thing, however, it is a very controversial and difficult process. We must take into account the financial aspect that comes with adoption, the many months and years an adoption process goes through, the kind of psychological and traumatic issues the child has, the family the child comes from, and your family values and what they assume to get out of adoption. To put it bluntly, the process of adoption is not a walk in the park, and in some ways definitely not as easy as having your own biological children. 

Over the years, a significant amount of adoptees come into families that are abusive and treat them differently from the biological children. Coincidentally, a lot of these families are extremely religious evangelical conservatives who adopt older children and have big families. Take Hana's (and many other Ethiopian adoptees) stories as an example. They pressure many mothers to give up their children "to give them to a better family." And it's not just evangelicals who do this either, many people in their home countries coax mothers with large amounts of money to give up their babies for adoption, and many of these mothers come from poor impoverished backgrounds. 

The adoption black market, where children are traded around underground, is also an issue as well. Many adoptive parents decide that they don't want their children anymore, so they sell them underground. One case of this was the Illinois couple Nicole and Calvin Eason, who decided to adopt a 16 year old girl named Quitta, and later decided they didn't want her anymore so they sold her off, shortly after she went missing.

To adopt in the most ethical way possible, you need to make sure your potential adoptee comes from a well known and trusted adoption organization, you are capable of dealing with the many struggles and difficulties you may face while dealing with your child, and making sure the family the adoptee comes from wants personally to give the child to a better family. These facts aren't to scare people away from adoption, they are just the mere realities you must face if you want to adopt. 

Diversity in America: Good or Bad?

America: The Country of Immigrants they call it. We are known to be a land of sanction, freedom, and opportunity. That's what we're supposed to be built on, right?
Fast forward a good, say, 300 years later and many die-hard patriots (you know, the ones who live in the heart of the South, drive pickup trucks, and plaster the Confederate flag whenever they can) are frightened for the future of America because we are one of the most ethnically, religiously, and racially diverse countries. We are continuing to be the Land of Immigrants, however this time, many of us aren't white.

In 2012, minority births outnumbered white births in America,

and having started just this year, minorities have outnumbered white people in U.S public schools. So, what does this mean for the future of America? What will we look like, say, 20 years from now? Are the great liberties and freedoms our forefathers worked to build diminishing with the aliens coming into our country every day and taking our jobs?

Well, no, not really. First, off, immigrants are not stealing jobs from U.S. citizens, in fact, if we threw out every illegal alien in the country, our economy would plummet, because they are in fact, taking jobs no one else will take. From dishwashers, maids, garbage truck workers, meat and dairy factory workers, and many other unappealing careers, these are really most of the jobs illegal immigrants take, because well, what other job would they be able to get? And really, who else would take these jobs?

Second, diversity is more good than bad. While diversity can lead to resentment, hatefulness, and the like, it creates a wide variety of influence, ideas, attitudes, and mindsets. Being among a diverse community, you learn about the many lives and experiences of others from all over the world and you are brought new ideas and fresh perceptions. Diverse communities will bring about diverse schools, giving children a wide variety of cultures, which will make them better prepared for the world ahead. Take my friend Annabelle for example. Being friends with Annabelle this year, has brought us both many new experiences and mindsets. For me, it's because she's Catholic, and for her, because I'm a Muslim Arab, which is something she was never exposed to at her past Catholic school. In a recent conversation, she admitted that by being friends with someone not white, she had learned a lot and it had opened her mind to many new ideas. Well, that made me feel pretty flattered.

I digress, being in a diverse community teaches us a lot. We can and DO benefit from these communities in a variety of ways and learn a lot about other beliefs. We are working our way towards more open and diverse minds.

Volunteering Abroad: Is It For You?

The idea of joining the Peace Corps is something that to me- sounds both terribly interesting and excitingly frightening. Spending a year or two volunteering and giving back while making the experience of your life in a far off mysterious country does sound very appealing to someone like me, but you could also see why it would be absolutely terrifying to others.

While it's incredibly difficult to get into the Peace Corps, it's something I definitely aspire to do when I'm older, perhaps after college. With a doing a little bit of research way ahead of my time (hey I'm curious), it sounds like a process I would be willing to do. At least, for now. Because my goals and aspirations will definitely be different when I'm 22, but for now I can always dream. 

Anyway, getting into the Peace Corps is a challenge, to be able to, you must go through a long application process that can take months, medical examinations, and application expenses, as well as travel expenses once you actually get in. Then, through the Peace Corps, you can choose over 140 countries to be apart of ranging from the Caribbean, South America, Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa. You can work in education, agriculture, the environment, health, community and economic development, and youth in development. So there are various opportunities for everyone. You must go through an intense language program that teaches you all you need to know about the language a few months before you begin.
Fortunately, the Peace Corps isn't the only volunteer abroad program you can join. GoAbroad, CrossCulturalSolutions, and Projects-Abroad are a few of the many programs you can go through to volunteer abroad and give back to the global community.
So now that you may be actually interested in it, what exactly do you have to go through when volunteering abroad? Well, from what I've heard, it's definitely not a walk in the park. You are surrounded by a completely different culture, away from your friends and family, surrounded by people who look at you in a strange way. You must deal with a new lifestyle, most of the time not as luxurious as the one you had back home, since you are in developing cities and villages.
All in all, it is said that while this may be very different from what you're used to, it will be an experience of a lifetime. You will be meeting new people, learning new things, passing on your own knowledge, and most of all making a positive difference to the community around you.
With that being said; I can't wait.

Days of Glory: The Forgotten Heroes Of WWII

Rachid Bouchareb, a French Algerian filmmaker, tells the heartwrenching yet amazing story of WWII's forgotten soldiers, who were left scattered in the remains of the many damaged ruins of what belonged to that war.

This film was based off of the many colonized African soldiers who were recruited for the war, and were to ultimately give their lives for France. The movie focuses on 4 main characters, all from different parts of Algeria who are both Berber and Arab: Said, Yassir, Messaoud, and Abdelkader, who are faced with cruel and hateful torments, yet are still there to stand up for a country where the torment comes from: their "beloved" France. 

To put it bluntly: I loved the film. I watched it with the family, because they too, had an interest in what the movie was about. There were many things about my own culture that I learned because of it and it almost made me proud to be an Algerian, because I witnessed the heroic actions and behaviors of people from my own country and the cruel colonization they had to deal with. 

Onto the criticisms; as an Algerian with grandparents and great-grandparents who witnessed what the colonization was like, there were some historical faults with the movie. In it, it was almost as if the characters were excited to fight for the motherland, that they were about to experience a new adventure and make new experiences. In reality, this was not the case. Many Algerians were resentful and did not want to participate in the war, however were forced to because, well, that's colonization. Other than that, I believe it was quite historically accurate and gave a good representation on what it was like to be an African soldier fighting for a war that didn't benefit them, and the blunt differences between the actual French soldiers and Arab soldiers and how they were treated. 

I won't spoil too much for you, but at the end of the film, it took a lot to hold back tears. It was a very emotional experience and afterwards it gave you an account of what happened to these African soldiers after the war. Many were not given pensions for their participation in the war and trials to receive these pensions are to this day ongoing. 

To wrap it up, if you are interested in history and culture, I would definitely give this film a waitch. It was a pretty accurate representation of the life of a colonial soldier and taught me a lot about it. I would give it a solid 9/10.

Whirling Dervishes: The Practice of Spiritual Meditation

Recently, I've taken a great interest in Turkish culture. To the point where every time I bring up anything to do with Turkey and it's culture, my exchange sister laughs because well-- sometimes I can talk about it a lil too much.

Anywho, a prominent part of Turkish culture is this mystical and mysterious practice called sufi whirling. Here's a video:

Any foreigner witnessing this practice might think: "What in the world are these men doing? Are they crazy? Aren't they getting dizzy?"
Just experiencing a one on one spiritual moment with God. So yes, maybe crazy depending on where your religious viewpoints lie.

These men are Whirling Dervishes of the Sufi sect of Islam, they call themselves the Mevlevi Order. Sufi Muslims are those who practice the inner mystical dimension of Islam. They devote themselves to becoming closer to God and embrace His presence in life. They do this by practicing various forms of dhikr (which is what the Mevlevi Order is considered), muraqaba, and making visitations to many historical and spiritual places. These men can not only be found in Turkey, but in many different places in the Middle East, such as Egypt, Syria, etc.

To participate in this kind of dhikr, you probably need to have a strong stomach, something I'm definitely not cut out for. Not only that, but you also must have a strong devotion to Allah and probably have a devoted interest in Sufism. To begin the practice, men wear a white frock with

 a black cape over it, as well as long felt caps with a turban underneath. A sheikh sits in the corner and as the practice begins, each man takes his black cape off and greets the sheikh, then he begins to begin the spiritual ritual by spinning in a 360 degree circle on his left foot.

This leads me to wonder how exactly this kind of ritual might bring one closer to God. Is it the trance that it brings to you when you are in the middle of it? Or might it be testing yourself to your limits? The practice is referred to as Sama- or physical meditation. Meditation gives us a heaping amount of physical, mental, and emotional benefits. It enables us to think clearly, de-stress ourselves, and our happiness and creativity increases.

Whirling Dervishes are a powerful practice that shape the culture of mystical Islam and Sufism. It is a dynamic and energetic ritual that brings a strong presence of Allah to those who practice it. 

Election Day

So today is Election Day-- AAHH! Who will win? 

My parents went out to the nearby church in plan to vote. When they arrived, they never had a chance to hear that they weren't allowed to talk, so of course they did, and the man went up to them and told them they couldn't. afterwards, they obeyed the rules and carried on their voting process without talking. Then, as they were about to put it in the ballot box, they were stopped by the man who explained that their vote would be taken into questioning based on what happened earlier. My parents found this very peculiar. Peculiar enough, in fact, that they went to a government building in downtown Linn County to report what happened. While they were there they met a woman who they explained the situation to. She burst into tears and told them that this was unfair, because she and her son were talking the whole time and nothing happened to them. This was when my parents definitely knew something was up. They told the govt official who said there was not much they could do so at this point the vote might be counted or not. As a family we were all upset and we knew exactly the reason why that man took my parents to vote. It was because of our background and he knew exactly who my parents were votig for. 

It's quite saddening knowing hardships like these still exist. When things like these happen, we are often snapped into the reality that America is far from a democracy when specific peoples' voting rights are not counted, all because of their background. 

Learning a new language

Learning new languages are extremely beneficial when it comes to travelling, your social life, your knowledge, and your future career. Languages open doors to new opportunities and experiences. These are one of the many reasons why we should all learn (and stick with) a new language.
Unfortunately, most of us are American, and with being an American teenager, you should know that the American education system is flawed in many ways, one of them being the lack of teaching languages at an early age.
The problem with teaching languages at the age they begin to teach us (AKA freshmen year in our district) is that our brains have become too developed to pick up a language easily, and it will take us many more years than it would have to learn the language and even become fluent in it. Four years of language in high school is simply not enough to become fluent in a language. It takes many, many years and quite a bit of dedication. Anyway, I'm getting off topic.
Recently, I've become very interested in learning many languages, however a language I am most interested in is Arabic. I really wanted to take a class, but was unable to because the school I currently attend doesn't teach it. So I figured since I already have a lot of background knowledge in the language because of growing up with our mosque's sunday school, speaking a dialect of Arabic, and currently living with an exchange student who's native language is Arabic. I decided to take up the language myself. I've been doing this by using many websites that will teach you Arabic, asking parents and my exchange sister for help, conversing with native speakers via my mosque and the internet, and watching movies, listening to music, and reading in Arabic. I must definitely admit, learning a language is very tough but very rewarding. I feel as though I am learning new things everyday and I like to think about where I will end up in a year. Of course, learning a language on my own is certainly more difficult than taking an hour everyday class with an educated teacher for help, but learning on my own does have it's benefits.
I encourage all of you to take up a language. There are many great sites online to learn just about any language-- even wacky ones like Flemish, Belarusian, and Azeri. Who even knew those were languages? Even getting better at the language you are learning currently, such as Chinese, Spanish, German, or Russian, you can find good sources online to aid you in your quest to unlocking the world of a new language, just find them!
Almost the rest of the world outside America speak two or more languages, so why aren't we?

Paradise Now: Movie Review

Over the weekend, I was able to make the time to watch this movie, Paradise Now, directed by Hany Abu-Assad, which is currently on Youtube. Paradise Now is a movie about two Palestinian freedom fighters who will defend their country to the grave, which is exactly what they decide to do.

Within their group of men who specialize in acts of terror against Israelis, they both volunteer to be suicide bombers, without telling their family. 

Said, one of the two suicide bombers, tends to be a very serious man with a very loving family, a beautiful mysterious new girl in town that he takes an interest in, and a humiliating past that he feels he needs to make up for. He does this by volunteering to become a suicide bomber. His friend, Khaled is filled with more humor than Said, and tends to be very impulsive. But who wouldn't if they decided to become an actual suicide bomber? 

Anywho, when the time comes, their plan goes horribly wrong, and they are almost caught by the Israeli police. Khaled and Said run off, separating themselves from each other. Khaled finds the group he was previously with while Said strays off and loses them after they frantically decide they have to leave to find Said. And so it goes for almost the rest of the movie Said going from place to place trying to find his group while his group is trying to find him, all the while he has a bomb attached around his chest. 

Abu-Assad described the film along the lines of something like this: "The film is an artistic point of view of that political issue. The politicians want to see it as black and white, good and evil, and art wants to see it as a human thing." I completely agreed with this description, because in reality, this issue it quite possibly a very messy one, and most of us have firm views on it, when in reality the opinions we hold on the conflict are much more complicated than we would assume, whether we believe in peace, or one country or the other needing to defend itself, and we must take into account the human stance on it rather than the political. 

I also really liked this movie because it was not necessarily on one side or the other, but it merely gave a fictional insight on the life of someone who had to go through this problem and want so desperately to fight for what they believed in. I would give this film a 4.5/5, because it was a good portrayal of the inside life, and the ending shocked me to where I was thinking about it for days afterwards. 

How to be self confident

"How is this blog post related to human rights?" you may ask. Good question. Well to be an activist you must speak out for things you are passionate about without the fear of letting others bring you down. But more importantly, being a teenager in a high school where you often feel like you don't belong, can often be detrimental to your well-being, so many will often try to change themselves for the hope that things will be better for themselves. This is wrong, but embracing who you are is definitely easier said than done.
First and foremost, fake it until you make it. Look in the mirror every morning and tell yourself; "Damn. I look good today" even if it may not be true.

The Tunisian Revolution and how it ignited the Arab Revolution

In 2010, Mohamed Bouazizi was selling fruits in the small town of Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia. He was a breadwinner for his widowed mother and six siblings. The problem was, he didn’t have a permit to sell his goods. When the police asked him to stop what he was doing, he refused and was then beaten in public. As a result of this public humiliation he marched to the government building and set himself on fire. The Arab Spring began in Sidi Bouzid and spread all across the country of Tunisia. Civilians across Tunisia protested for the fall of President Zine Al Abidine and his regime, who ruled for 23 years. The Tunisian revolution ignited the protest of many other Middle Eastern nations who wanted a fair democracy and for the fall of their current governments regime.

Tunisia had been seen as the Arab world’s best educational system, largest middle class, and strongest organized labor movement, so it seemed unlikely that they would have to be dealing with these social and economic injustices. Primoz Manfreda states, “In an almost Orwellian way, he cultivated and manipulated the country's international image as a modern, technocratic regime and a tourist-friendly travel destination.” Their government was thought to be very limiting and restricting on free expression and political parties, which obviously angered Tunisian civilians. Zine Al-Abidine Ben Ali, president of Tunisia, shaped the world into believing Tunisia was a modern day, tourist friendly nation, however beyond the tourist destinations, lay bleak roads to miserable prospects. To further anger civilians, it was revealed from wikileaks that over half of Tunisia’s commercial elites were related to Ben Ali. After mass protests and uprisings, Ben Ali and his family fled the country. This ended the mass revolution and Ben Ali and his family are now in exile in Tunisia.

For now, the situation in Tunisia isn't necessarily over, but has only gotten better. Progress is being made, but the goal of the revolution has not been fulfilled yet. Nonetheless, the Tunisian Revolution was definitely one that made history and changed the country for the better.

The Execution of Reyhaneh Jabbari

Reyhaneh Jabbari spent 5 years on death row and was executed Saturday, October 25th after she was found guilty of killing a man in self defense who tried to rape her. Despite international campaigns and outcries to spare the life of her death, Iran ignored these pleas and went on with the execution. 

In 2007, Jabbari met a man named Morteza Abdolali Sarbandi, a 47 year old intelligence ministry worker. They met in a cafe to discuss a business deal for her to help redesign his office since she had been an interior designer. He convinced her to come to his apartment and while there, he had tried to rape her. To defend herself, she grabbed a pocket knife and stabbed him in the back. Sarbandi's family however, insisted it was premeditated murder since she bought the knife only 2 days ago.
Jabbari was arrested and put into solitary confinement where she was not allowed access to her lawyer or family and in 2009 it was decided she should be executed by the Tehran court. She claimed she had only stabbed him and someone else in the house killed him, however this was proven to be untrue later on.
Amnesty International, United Nations, European Union, and the Gatestone Institute contended for her life to be spared, and a global campaign postponed her original date of execution of April 14th 2014 to later on when it attracted 20,000 signatures. However on September 29th, it was announced that her execution was inevitable but would be halted for the time being. Campaigns were launched on social media and many humanitarian groups demanded that the victim's family take back their wish to execute her. Jabbari's family was never able to get a reprieve from Sarbandi's family so the plans for execution continued. Unfortunately, this past Saturday, Reyhaneh Jabbari was executed by hanging at dawn at the Gohardasht Prison, north of Karaj.
After her death, a recording she made for her mother before she died was revealed and it ensured she wanted to be an anonymous organ donor.

This event was an example of the flawed justice system in Iran. Instead of further investigating the case, she was put on death sentence from the request of the family of the victim.
Personally, I believe that it is not the best idea to put the decision in the victim's family, because when someone close has done such a thing, someone would rather not believe it and try to find an explanation in any possible way, therefore laying the blame on the other side. This side being Reyhaneh Jabbari killing for her self defense.

Arguing is tiring

Today, I was apart of three arguments. One took place this morning in pre-calc when the girl in front of me, was explaining to me that she supported Israel and Jews should have a right to their holy land, another was during SMART Lunch, when in AP Physics, a very conservative Christian was trying to explain to me that abortion is not okay under any circumstances, even when it risks the mother's life. And then yet another in German, when we were again-- arguing about abortion.
When I start talking about something I'm very opinionated on, I go off on a tangent, and my mouth becomes an engine going at it until it runs out of gas. However, a lot of the time, I become exhausted on arguing about the same things, and sometimes I just want take a long nap until my face isn't so red from the anger and my heartbeat has slowed down.
I think I will do that actually.

David and Fatima: A movie review

David and Fatima is your modern day Romeo and Juliet, with a dash of belly dancing, deserts, IDF soldiers, and suicide bombers, aka today's Palestine/Israel, depending on where your viewpoints lie.
Fatima is an 18 year old Palestinian Muslim who is planning on becoming a doctor. Her parents expect the best out of her and that she should be an obedient Muslim.
David is an 18 year old Israeli Jew who loves and wants to pursue a career in photography, but must face reality that he will soon be drafted into the IDF. Unlike other Israelis, he sympathizes with the Palestinians and would like to learn more about their lives and culture and does this by taking pictures. His parents also expect him to serve in the IDF, be an obedient Jew, and become a lawyer or a doctor.
One day, Fatima and David bump into each other, and their lives change for better or worse.
It turns out, their families know each other because they ran into each other when they were both born (coincidentally, Fatima and David have the same birthday), and Fatimas father helped deliver David.
From then, comes a rare relationship between an unlikely mix.
After a while, reality seeps into their love, and they must confront the fact that neither of their family, or religions accept their relationship. It's your typical forbidden romance.

I give this movie a 2/5. I liked it because it had an interesting plot and story, however if I made the movie, I'd change a lot of things about it.

First and foremost, the acting was awful. Just--awful. The accents were obviously fake, and with a quick google search of the cast I found out the main characters weren't even Israeli or Palestinian. Heck, the actress behind Fatima wasn't even Arab or Muslim.

The Arabs were painted over as barbaric, violent, misogynistic men, and oppressed hijabis who needed saving. It was evident when Fatima explains to David about honor killings, and describes that luckily, her father is more open-minded about her life, which is different than most Arab fathers. As if honor killings are the norm in Arab households? Also, Fatima's mom is painted as a woman who is powerless under her husbands control, and that she shouldn't disagree with him or get in his way. 

Fatima's potential fiance was often violent as well, and very pushy towards Fatima. When they went out on a date, he ordered that she take off her hijab, and as the powerless Muslim girl that she is, she does so. Then, at the end (SPOLIER ALERT!!!!!) he shoots David with a keffiyeh on. It gave the impression that Palestinian freedom fighters were more like terrorists.

What I did like about this movie however, was it's bridging it's gap between the two cultures, and showing that they have more in common than would be thought and I appreciated the fact that the movie did in fact show a sympathy for Palestine. The naive teenage girl in me was also awestruck by the "love overcomes all obstacles" type of theme going on within the movie. 

I really did like the idea of the movie, and would definitely watch a better remake of this, however this specific movie did not depict the Palestinian struggle well and it was obvious that it did not have much background knowledge on the lives of Palestinians and Arabs, as well as the diversity in the mindset of Jews. It was quite all around unrealistic in a way that could've been avoided. 

Why have we not heard of the injustices of Burma?

Burmese Muslims, according to the UN, are the most persecuted minority in the world, where there were 5 million Muslims recently and now only 3 million.
So what happened to the other 2 million?
In the media, we rarely hear of the situation in Burma (formerly known as Myanmar before the country gained it's independence) on the Rohingya Muslims; these Rohingya Muslims are refugees and outcasts in their own home. They aren't considered citizens, they can't marry, are only allowed two children per family, cannot enter school, have jobs, worship freely (Mosques are closed during Ramadan and Friday prayers are not allowed), or travel freely; these rules however, do not apply to their Buddhist neighbors. They are very often victims of violence and crime and are seldom given justice by police and the government. (I think we've heard something similar to this before) As a result, many try to flee Burma, to Bangladesh where their ancestors are from, however are seldom able to get in, since Bangladesh will not allow them in. As a result many are sent back to sea, with no country to go to, and as many as 90,000 of them have died because of this.

So who is behind this genocide? Well, believe it or not--Buddhist monks, the ones who are believed to be entirely made up of peaceful and humble people. While this is true for 99% of Buddhists, the small group of Buddhists in Burma, run by Monk Wirathu, call for the persecution and extermination of Muslims in Burma and Rohingya. They burn mosques, mob Muslim areas, and even run concentration camps. Doctors Without Borders used to send aid and work in these camps, however were kicked out by the Burmese government, so there is virtually no medical aid to these Muslims.

Government officials have claimed that they "will not tolerate this kind of situation," however little has been done to help the Rohingya Muslims and the government might even encourage it by denying that Rohingya exists and calling these Muslims illegal immigrants from Bangladesh even though they are native to their land. The general feeling towards the Muslims in Burma by everyday Burmese citizens are hatred, racism and disgust. They regard them as violent jihadists, and if they aren't kicked out they will take over Burma. 

So basically, life is hell on earth for Burmese Muslims, and the conflict in Burma is basically on the brink of a full blown genocide. So why is the world ignoring the cries of these poor victims? Well, most people assume that because Burma has recently gained it's independence and is heading towards a democratic state that things are going well, and the international community only focuses on the positive reforms being made in Burma. Underneath these democratic reforms however, lies brutal violence against Muslims.

So what can we do to help? Well, various petitions are being spread all over the internet. You can find these here, here, and here. Donating money to humanitarian groups to send to refugee camps, and tweeting, blogging, or telling your friends and family is a step in the right direction as well. 

The situation for the Burmese Muslims are only getting worse if the international community does not step in and help, we need more international outcry and we need more people to get involved, and right now there is almost none of that.

Rape jokes aren't funny

We've all heard them before. Heck, we might've even chuckled at them, engaged in them or even took part in them. It's just harmless humor, right?
Wrong.
Rape jokes promote rape culture, which has become a growing problem across the world. Rape culture is defined as a culture that is "surrounded by images, language, laws, and every other day phenomena that validate and perpetuate rape." It can be found on TV, books, media, music, the internet, etc. It is so ingrained in our culture that people begin to view rape as "just the way things are," rather than a legitimate problem that needs to be fixed.
Rape jokes are especially harmful to past victims of rape and rapists. They infer that rape is a typical thing and that they should just "get over it," and tell rapists that rape isn't a big deal, who can continue to rape women. I don't know about you, but if someone began to joke about something as psychologically and potentially physically altering as rape, I wouldn't be too happy about it either.
Rape jokes ingrain the idea into many survivors' heads that it may have been their fault, and that just because they were forced to engage in sexual activities that they didn't want to do, doesn't mean they were raped or sexually assaulted, however the literal definition of rape is engaging in sexual activities without consent.
Rape is a very serious problem, and should not be joked about or glorified in our media. 1 in 6 women will be raped in their lifetimes and that is a terrifying issue we need to face.
Bottom line: Never joke about rape.

On "Slacktivism"

You've heard it before, those "darn slacktivists," or "those lazy armchair activists," hiding behind their computers and whining about minute things rather than actually going out and making a difference!
In my opinion, this is just ridiculous, and I believe there is no such thing as a lazy activist-- or at least being lazy and being an activist are two completely different and unrelated parts of someone's personality. While retweeting a tweet of something you feel passionate about is definitely different from going out and putting money and time into that same thing you retweeted, the long term affects of "slacktivism" can make a lasting affect on many activists and causes by spreading the word and shedding a light on it.
Let's take the ice bucket challenge as an example. Many people sat behind their computers and complained about these participants (do you see the irony?), claiming they weren't doing anything to help the cause behind ALS, and that they should just donate money if they really cared. To give proof, the ALS Association made almost 100 million dollars last July compared to the 2.6 million dollars they made the July before, mostly because of the recent newfound knowledge people gained about ALS, and the fact that pouring cold ice on your head represented the feeling people with ALS get. Many ALS patients were also incredibly grateful for this internet trend and expressed their gratitude through videos and ice bucket challenges themselves.
The idea of online activism being lazy is rooted in ableism, classism, and not to mention offline activism is fairly dangerous for many people with mental health problems.
For many physically disabled people, going out and participating in protests or events is a challenge, therefore being able to participate in causes online is something many physically disabled people appreciate and use. Being mentally ill will put restrictions on our engagement with offline activism as well. For example those of whom with social anxiety will have a hard time going out and participating in large gatherings and events.
Also, not all of us have the money to donate, to use public transportation to get to places, and many of us come from families that don't believe in the same things we do and restrict us from engaging in real life activism.
Online activism overcomes many of these barriers and lets all kinds of people of all ages participate.
Online activism isn't lazy, it's revolutionary.

Source

Social Media Empowers Us

These days, social media has increasingly become a part of our everyday life, that we often forget it's tremendous effects it has on our culture and outcomes.

Social media is often seen as a place where we can post pictures of our dinner, tweet gossip, follow our favorite celebrities, and take various pop culture quizzes (Buzzfeed, anyone?). While that may be true to an extent, social media is also a way of liberation and empowerment.

As a young freshmen who was new to the social media world, I was amazed at how I could connect with people from all parts of the world. Scrolling through my twitter feed, I read updates from people, whether celebrities, or everyday citizens from different parts of America, Brazil, Norway, or Japan witnessing events circulating the news, or making history, I could read about their everyday lives, experiences, and the things they shared on the internet. On Tumblr, I followed blogs such as stfuconservatives, humanrightswatch, thepeoplesrecord, and also read stories about everyday people and their many experiences. Some intriguing and inspiring, others devastating and heartbreaking. I also read online magazines such as Rookiemag that introduced me to the world of feminism and teenage activism.

Throughout social media, I was introduced to new people, opinions, queries, and ideas. I began to question societal norms around me, (like why are women portrayed on TV like they currently are? Why are minorities always targeted and depicted differently in the media than white people? Why are the statuses of girls and boys different even if they've behaved the same way? etc.) I enjoyed sharing with my friends these new found ideas and things I learned over the internet. They then, soon began to follow suit, whether through me or others. Growing up, it was nice having friends with like-minded ideas. Granted, I of course had friends from all ends of the spectrum, but it was always nice having those few who I could share and collaborate my ideas with.

Lets take a look at the Arab and Middle Eastern uprisings back in 2012. It's said that a big factor that ignited these uprisings was social media. People began taking videos and pictures of what they witnessed, and uploaded them to Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter. Anonymous pages began to spread information, current events, and news on Facebook. An Egyptian activist once said, "We use Facebook to schedule the protests and Twitter to coordinate, and Youtube to tell the world." By doing this, more and more people in Egypt and around the world knew what was going on and were inspired themselves to join the revolution. Without social media, the Arab Uprisings would be much different.

Meeting like-minded people through social media has become a big thing nowadays as well, and I'm not just talking about dating websites; I mean artists collaborating with other artists, teenagers from all over starting online Zines together. Journalists and aspiring writers getting their voices out through Facebook and Twitter, and ordinary people meeting each other and developing friendships through blogging and tweeting.
For example, last year I met a girl from Muscatine through Twitter. We quickly became friends through our love for Andrew Jackson Jihad and intersectional feminism, and decided to meet up in downtown Iowa City one Saturday. It ended up being a thrilling and exciting experience and to this day we are good friends sharing our ideas through Twitter and the internet.

Anyway, to wrap this whole thing up, social media, when used the right way, can enlighten us, teach us, and shed a light or provide a new perspective on things we've never thought about. And most of all, social media inspires us and empowers us.

Why you should volunteer

The purpose of this blog is not only to shed a light on the current and historical injustices of the world, but to also encourage others to speak out and make a difference, and volunteering is certainly one way to among other ways.
Volunteering can connect you with others and holds your community together. Whether it's working with animals, in soup kitchens, or making food for homeless shelters, such as Waypoint, the help you give impacts your community and others around you.
Not only is volunteering good for your community but also good for you. Volunteering broadens your network, group of friends, and community. Not to mention it increases your social and relationship skills. Volunteering increases self confidence, combats depression and gives you a sense of pride and identity, because you're accomplishing things and making differences.
Places you can volunteer include animal shelters, parks, food pantries such as soup kitchens and Green Square Meals, local libraries, Habitat For Humanity, museums, political campaigns, retirement homes, and hospitals and clinics.
So get out there and see what's in store for you. Volunteering not only helps others around you, but it also helps you expand your horizons and learn about yourself and the community around you.

Playing For Change

Recently, while mindlessly scrolling through videos on YouTube, I came across a channel called Playing For Change. These videos demonstrated people filmed from different parts of the world playing one song together.

The video shown above was Stand By Me, originally by Ben E. King.
These videos really made me think about the power of music and how it plays a role in humanity and peace. The people included in the video varied from region, ethnicity, language, and race, however they all came together to play and enjoy the universal language of music.
Playing For Change was born in 2002 by founders Mark Johnson and Whitney Kroenke, to "hit the streets of America with a mobile recording studio and cameras in search of inspiration and the heartbeat of people." Since then they've been travelling around the world and have created a global family. They also began a non-profit organization called Playing For Change Foundation, which is dedicated to building music and art schools for children all around the world.
This got me thinking to how exactly music empowers people, and how we can use that to bring down differences and unite through music.
El Sistema is a music program in Venezuela that brings students from poor socio economic backgrounds to learn and play music. It watches over hundreds of youth orchestras and around 500,000 children and is financed by the Venezuelan government. El Sistema was began by Jose Antonio Abreu, a classical music enthusiast and former economist who believed everyone regardless of economic or social background should have free access to music. It has brought the children together through music, and has arguably brought down crime, drug use, and more of these children are continuing their education which they may not have done otherwise. There is greater attendence, better test scores, and more overall motivation in these Venezuelan schools.

Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra, an orchestra a part of El Sistema

So, in conclusion, something that we perceive as a normal typical hobby can have tremendous effects on the welfare and outcome of many people, and brings us together regardless of background.

On being a Muslim feminist.

As talked about in an earlier post regarding peace in Islam, the media loves to portray the wrong side of Islam, and this portrayal includes how women are treated within Islam.
In the West, both feminism and Islam have very negative connotations to it that drive people away. Many people who are secluded within their own bubble like to call feminists "bra burning man haters" who only want to become superior in society. These same people also like to call Islam a terrorist and extremist religion that oppresses women.
It's especially infuriating when feminists degrade Islam by saying that women in Islam "need to be saved" or when Muslims claim that feminists are radical women who only want to degrade men and let go of their traditions. So is there really an in between? Is it possible that one can coincide with Islam and feminism and appreciate both?
The answer is absolutely, and here's why.
Islam is a religion of over 1.5 billion people, within it, there is a history of over 1,000 years, spanning across many cultures, people, and languages. So of course it is natural that the people who identify with Islam will vary, and so will their beliefs. The same can be said with feminism, which has been around since the beginning of time. To box an entire group of people into one stereotype- claiming that they are terrorists or hairy lesbians-  is rather ridiculous.
Let's look at Femen for example. Femen are a group of women, founded by Anna Hutsol, who claim themselves to be feminists and are globally known for organizing topless protests for a variety of causes. One of these causes, is their view on Islam as an oppressive and misogynist religion. Femen has declared "Topless Jihad Day" on April 1st, 2013, where they rally in front of Tunisian embassies and mosques.

Many protests are known to show women drawing unibrows, beards, and wrapping their heads in towels while drawing the Crescent star (the symbol for Islam) on their chest.

This is not liberation and does not help Muslim women at all. In fact, it's quite racist. Femen boxes Muslim women into one stereotype reinforcing that they are voiceless, enslaved women who need saving. 

Many Muslim women have spoken out against Femen, and Femen's reaction is quite hypocritical, calling them "brainwashed, stupid, and enslaved," as if according to Femen, Muslim women can't have a voice of their own.

Now you may ask, "are you forgetting Saudi Arabia? Afghanistan? Pakistan? What about what's going on with women there?" Of course the hardships women face there are something that needs to be pointed out. However culture and religion are two different things, and the hardships the women face there are cultural issues, not religious issues, that happen all over the world regardless of religion. Many people like to point out the status of women in these countries, however no one talks about the many women who had prominent political positions in Muslim countries, such as Benazir Bhutto, Lala Shevket, Khaleda Zia, Sheikh Hasina, Rawya Ateya, Tansu Ciller, and many other women. Not to mention the many Muslim feminists and Muslim female organizations that shaped the notion of modern day intersectional feminism today. 

Both Islam and feminism are very broad topics that are meant to be explored, questioned, and researched. I personally believe that Islam is a feminist religion and was the first religion to advocate for rights women didn't ever have in history before, such as the right to own private property, to work, to consent to marriage, and more. Of course there may be some things in the Qu'ran that I may not uphold to my values, however being a Muslim feminist is a beautiful thing and I very much cherish that. To be a true feminist, you must advocate for the rights of all women, and to be a true Muslim, you must advocate for the rights of all people, regardless of gender.

Khaled Hosseini: Short Biography

Khaled Hosseini is the author of the Kite Runner and a Thousand Splendid Suns. He was born in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1965.
Hosseini's father was a diplomat in the Afghan Foreign Ministry and his mother taught Farsi at a high school in Kabul. In 1976, Hosseini and his family were relocated to Paris and planned to return to Kabul in 1980, however Afghanistan was being occupied by communist Soviet troops so his family sought asylum in the United States instead. Hosseini graduated from high school in 1984 in San Jose, California and went to Santa Clara University for a masters in biology, which he earned in 1988. Afterwards, he enrolled in the University of California, San Diego, where he earned a medical degree in 1993.
Hosseini became a practicing internist between 1996 and 2004.
In March 2001, while practicing medicine, he began writing his first novel, The Kite Runner, and was published in 2003. The Kite Runner quickly went on to become an international bestseller and literary classic and spent over a hundred weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list. His second book, A Thousand Splendid Suns, was #1 on the New York Times bestseller for 15 weeks, and nearly an entire year on the Bestseller list.
In 2006, Khaled Hosseini became apart of the United Nations Refuge Agency and was named a Goodwill Envoy. Inspired by the trip he made to Afghanistan by the UNHCR, he started the Khaled Hosseini Foundation, which provides humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan.

For you a thousand times over.

Recently, I finished Khaled Hosseini's heartbreaking yet deeply moving novel, the Kite Runner. One thing is for certain that it was hard for me to put it down. I laughed, I definitely cried, and this book certainly moved me enough to pass on lessons and morals to me that will follow me for the rest of my life.

The Kite Runner is set in 1975 Afghanistan all the way to early 2000's America and follows the lives of Amir, a Pashtun Sunni, and Hassan, a Hazara Shi'a, two inseparable boys, who, despite their religious and ethnic differences are best friends that share a love for flying kites.
Amir is the son of a wealthy merchant and Hassan and his father are their servants, yet the two parents are basically brothers to each other and the same can be said to Hassan and Amir.
On the day of a local kite fighting tournament in the winter of 1975, the relationship between Hassan and Amir are shattered, and in replace of it a dreary, painful year. Not to mention during a time when there is political havoc amongst the many ethnicities in the country of Afghanistan.
Years later, Amir and his father flee Afghanistan for America where he spends the rest of his life in, but the life in Afghanistan is still there waiting for him.

If I could rate this book out of 5 stars it would be 5. However, I am not a book critic and didn't look for anything in the book to criticize. Perhaps if there was anything in this book to criticize it could have been the anger I felt for Amir who at many times would be very narrow minded and only think of himself.

I'd spend hours sitting in my room reading, the tales of the exotic lives of people in Afghanistan, the inspiring yet heartbreaking loyalty Hassan had for Amir, following the life of Amir and the many people that shaped him, and learning about the happenings of Afghanistan from an Afghan perspective all resonated within me and deeply moved me.

I recommend this book to everyone. The storytellings of this book, the unique characters, and the morals and lessons in this book will be unforgettable. This heart-wrenching yet inspiring book is one that I will always recommend and most of all, always remember.

Treatment of Women in Afghanistan by the Taliban

The Taliban was a predominantly Pashtun group of Islamic fundamentalists who ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. The Taliban began to rise to power in the early 1990's, fighting against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, and were backed by the US Central Intelligence Agency and the Pakistani counterpart, the Inter-Services Intelligence directorate or ISI. The Taliban was joined by younger Pashtun men who studied in Pakistani madrassas or seminaries. The word Taliban is actually Pashto for "students."
At first, the initial post-soviet Taliban movement attracted a lot of support by people in Afghanistan, by promising to impose stability and order after many years of Soviet occupation and conflict.
However, this overwhelming support didn't last long. Especially for women, who were affected the most by Taliban rule.

Women in Afghanistan being beaten by a member of the Taliban

 While the Taliban were in power, they were notorious for their sexist treatment of women.
Women in Afghanistan were required to wear the burqa, this was because the Taliban believed that "the face of a woman uncovered is the source of corruption for a man not related to them." The requirements of the burqa was that the veil had to cover the whole body, their clothes couldn't be thin, decorated, or colorful. Women couldn't wear perfume or dress like men either.
Child marriage was very common and even encouraged by the Taliban. Over 50% of girls were engaged by 12 and 60% by 16. Most girls married far older men and over 80% were from rural underdeveloped areas and were arranged or forced. Many parents have their daughters bartered into marriage to repay debt or resolve disputes. Many older men (in their 60's) will pay a high price for child brides. Child marriage increased the rate of illiteracy, abuse, and physical and psychological trauma. Not to mention the increased health problems for young girls who were pregnant or gave birth.
Women in Afghanistan weren't allowed to work, and suddenly doctors, professors, engineers, and teachers became beggars on the streets. Women weren't allowed to go out in public, unless accompanied by a mahram (close male relative). A woman who was badly beaten by the Taliban for going out by herself said "my father was killed in battle... I have no husband, no brother, no son. How am I to live if I can't go out alone?"
The punishments for women who went against these rules were often times public, and held in sports stadiums. Some examples of punishments were women having their fingers cut off for wearing nail polish, public stoning for adultery, public beatings and whippings.

Public execution of a woman known as Zarmeena in Kabul's Ghazi Stadium. She was the mother of seven children and was found guilty killing her husband in his sleep after allegedly being beaten by him

Despite the Taliban slowly losing power since 2001, women have continued to have it hard. However, it is safe to say that it is getting better. Since the fall of the Taliban, new constitutions in Afghanistan were written to give women more political rights. Women have since even been appointed to hold prominent positions in government. Literacy among girls has improved as well, with the increase in number of girls attending schools by 30%.

Child marriage is more unlikely to happen, since the government has set laws in place that girls under 17 are not to be married (however not all who marry under 17 obtain marriage certificates). Women are more likely to be employed, only if male relatives permit it, and some feel that employing women takes jobs from men. Also, the number of women who burn themselves to death has decreased from 350 cases per year to 70.
These may seem like small changes from a western perspective, however they are real and only getting better.
Education of women within Afghanistan, not merely support from the west, needs to happen to help women get the rights and justices they deserve. Educated men are also very important as they are more likely to support choices for women, appreciate, and feel less threatened by their educated wives, daughters, and relatives.

Afghan women today

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton standing with Afghan female politicians.

Sources:
Life as an Afghan Woman
Taliban treatment of Women in Afghanistan
Some of the restrictions imposed by Taliban on women in Afghanistan

How I was introduced to human rights and social justice issues

From a very young age, I was always interested in learning about helping others. I also loved to learn about different cultures from all around the world. I remember watching middle eastern news such as Al-Jazeera and Press TV with my parents and pestering them with questions to the point where they would sigh in exhaustion and send me to my room to read a book or do something more elementary school girl-like. Not that my parents forced their political beliefs down my throat or brainwashed me into believing certain things, because they definitely didn't. I just often overheard their political conversations and watched the news with them, only half paying attention because I honestly couldn't keep up with the dense issues they often talked about. 

My interest in social justice didn't come until later around 8th grade and freshmen year when I joined a social blogging platform called Tumblr. Tumblr and I became inseperable. I spent almost every day on Tumblr reading about others' lives, reblogging pleasing pictures, and liking hilarious posts. Naturally, I also came to learn a lot about the world especially many oppressed people in the America, including women, LGBTQ+ advocates, and other minorities. I at first thought that these people were making a big deal out of it and complained about very minuscule things. But after a while, I came to realize that when thought about, these issues are actually very significant in affecting the bigger picture. I slowly became introduced into the world of progressivism, feminism, and LGBTQ+ rights. 

Learning about the flaws of the world often made me angry, sad, and upset that changes in the world aren't happening fast enough. I will admit that I still sometimes get angry and upset about the realities of the world. But it is important to know that change comes very slowly, and that it also comes with many people making the effort, instead of sitting around waiting for others to do it. If you are just being introduced to social justice issues and human rights, you should be reminded that you should always stick up for what you believe in, and fight for it too. While we may think we are just one average human in the world of billions of humans, it is also important to remember this quote by Libba Bray, "And that is how change happens. One gesture. One person. One moment at a time."

Islam means peace

Shocking I know.
But really, something needs to be said over the growing ignorance over 23% of the world's population, aka Muslims. If you've been watching national news within the past two decades, you probably know what I mean.
In the news, Islam, terrorism, and extremism have many times been said in the same sentence. Let's take this for example, when you hear the word "jihadist," you probably picture a terrorist in a turban with a gun in his hand. Which is fair to assume considering that's what the media calls them. But in reality, "jihad" in Arabic simply means the "struggle." When westerners use the word jihadist to describe a terrorist, they're giving a negative connotation to a very common word in Arabic.
Being a Muslim in the west is no doubt a jihad. (Do you see what I did there?) Especially after the unfortunate events of 9/11, where terrorist groups hijacked four planes and flew them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and killed 2,977 victims in the attacks.
Personally, I believe no group of people have been affected more by 9/11 than Muslims. Before 9/11, hate crimes against Muslims went from the second least reported to after 9/11 when it became the second most and went up by almost 1600%. Not to mention the approx. 145,000 Iraqi civillians killed due to military occupation by the west from 2003 till now, but we'll save that topic for another post.

Being a Muslim female, especially a hijabi Muslim female is a struggle, or as I said before, jihad. Many love to ask "are you bald under there?" or "what are you hiding under your hijab?" and the favorite "do you shower with it on?" I personally don't wear the hijab, but witnessing what many of my relatives and friends go through is definitely one that gives me some insight on being a hijabi. Many see wearing the hijab as a sign of oppression and restriction, when in reality, it is freedom, choice, and becoming stronger with your faith. Don't get me wrong-- becoming a hijabi is definitely a long process and a jihad, which is why I know I'm not quite ready for it just yet, but for many, it is a long process well worth it.

There are very many misconceptions about Islam, mostly brought on by the media, however it is my, and many other Muslims goal to shed a light on the reality of Islam and how it is a peaceful, non-violent religion that endorses feminism and women's rights. Muslims are just like any other kind of people, and the incredibly minute minority that call themselves Muslims do not represent us.

A very brief history of Palestine and the conflicts with Israel

Palestine is a country located in the Middle East. It borders Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt. Well known and religious cities in Palestine include Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

The Palestine vs. Israel issue is definitely considered a complicated and controversial subject. People who support Israel are considered "Zionists." The definition of Zionism is the movement for the protection of a Jewish state currently known as Israel. It was a political organization began by Theodore Herzl in 1857.

The United Nations imposed the Partition Plan of Palestine that decided it would break Palestine and Israel in half. 

The Arabs nor the Israelis were very happy with this, and so went many wars and conflicts the Arab-Israeli War of 1948, where Palestinians rejected the partition plan because they felt that they deserved the right to all of their land, and not just half. After the war, the 1949 Armistice Agreements established separation lines between the two. Israel controlled areas originally designated for Palestine, Transjordan controlled the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, and Egypt controlled the Gaza Strip. The Six-Day War was fought between June 5th-10th in 1967, with Israel being victorious and seizing control of the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria. The U.N. Security Council called for Israel's withdrawal from territories occupied, based on Resolution 242, the "land for peace" formula. 

In 1974, the Palestine Liberation Organization was recognized as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. The intifada was another resistance organization and uprising that was sparked by more than 20 years of military occupation, oppression, and confiscation of land. Between 1987 and 1983, over a thousand Palestinians were killed and more thousands injured, detained, or imprisoned in Israel or deported from Palestinian territories. 

Peace negotiations started in 1993, with the Oslo Accords. It was the first direct, face to face agreement between Israel and the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) and was signed and intended to provide a process for relations and affairs between the two parties. However, in 1995 when Prime minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated. Since then, many peace proposals, including the Camp David Summit (2000), Taba Summit (2001), the Road Map for Peace (2002), and the Arab Peace Initiative (2002 and 2007) have made no success. 

Many issues remain to be settled between Israelis and Palestinians before an independent state of Palestine is formed, but negotiations are ongoing.