By Rokia Hassanein“Feminism is not a Western invention. Feminism is not invented by American women, as many people think. No, feminism is embedded in culture and in the struggle of all women all over the world.” This quote pops into my head every time someone tries to discredit and shame Arab and Muslim women’s feminist activism as…
By Rokia HassaneinThis week brought a huge win against religious discrimination in Tanzin v. Tanvir. The 8-0 U.S. Supreme Court ruling said that the Muslim men could sue the FBI over the FBI’s retaliation of placing them on the no-fly list after they refused to spy on their communities. In individual situations, the FBI asked Muhammad Tanvir,…
By Rokia HassaneinDiana Spencer, the Princess of Wales, was known as “the people’s princess” for a good reason. She was compassionate, relatable, and exemplified humanity that will keep her legacy alive forever. In this season of “The Crown,” a young Princess Diana, played by Emma Corrin, makes her debut. I was delighted to see more people, especially…
By Rokia HassaneinAs I continue building on my activism, I’ve had to defend several ways I advocate for equality and how I identify. Perhaps none of them get more raised eyebrows than when I say I’m a socialist. Yes, the favorite villain of America politics, and perhaps the most misunderstood political concept. But socialism isn’t just misunderstood…
By Rokia HassaneinYesterday, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee started confirmation hearings in a rushed effort to appoint Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court to fill the seat left vacant by late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. This reckless effort is happening despite continuing speculation about Barrett’s nomination announcement event being a coronavirus superspreader that…
By Rokia HassaneinMUSLIM GIRLS ARE GETTING A MUSLIM GIRL SUPERHERO ON THEIR SCREENS. Now that I have your attention, Disney has cast Iman Vellani to play Ms. Marvel (not to be confused with Captain Marvel) in an upcoming series that will be streaming on Disney’s service. Ms. Marvel tells the adventures of Kamala Khan, a Pakistani American…
By Rokia HassaneinWe lost a giant when U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away Friday, but her legacy will keep her memory alive in our quest to ensure the laws in America truly reinforce or are changed, to allow justice for all. Ginsburg accomplished a lot for American women, but the obstacles she experienced with…
By Rokia HassaneinEarlier this week, MSNBC’s Joy-Ann Reid made some blatantly Islamophobic remarks when she compared white supremacists to Muslims who get radicalized in war-torn Muslim-majority countries. “When leaders, let’s say in the Muslim world, talk a lot of violent talk and encourage their supporters to be willing to commit violence including on their own bodies in…
By Rokia HassaneinTrigger warning: this post includes mention of suicide and violence. When Sarah Hegazi was imprisoned, tortured, and eventually exiled from Egypt because she raised the LGBTQ pride flag at a concert in 2017, her courage sparked controversy and inspired many. Hegazi is one of the reasons I dared to take rainbow LGBTQ+ gear while visiting…
