Lifestyle

Every time I walk into a Planned Parenthood clinic, I feel a little on edge. I could blame it on the location, and how it’s hidden away out of the public eye. Or on the protesters, who are often standing outside with signs. Or even on the high level of security, which makes me go…

Nearing the one month anniversary of Trump’s election affords us a minuscule amount of time before his January inauguration and takeover and the Affordable Care Act—Obamacare—is in jeopardy, as are women’s health resources in general. Trump’s aggressive pro-life attitude publicized in his campaign promises to defund the nonprofit Planned Parenthood (PP), the largest player in…

People are always taken back when I say, “I wish I could go back in time, and go to culinary school.” Although it’s never too late, I practice my passion in my own kitchen. Thanks to my husband, he purchased a new cookbook for me called “Palestine on a Plate: Memories from My Mother’s Kitchen” by Joudie…

I remember crying in my room countless times as a teenager for a sign from God. I was trying to find who I was from age 6 to 18. There were so many times I gave up and didn’t care much for my life. Eventually, I gave up on finding out who I was. I didn’t look…

It’s been almost two weeks since President-elect Donald Trump won the elections–and I’m not the only one who is still feeling down. Many of us are still angry, upset or afraid. I wrote a self-care post here, in case you missed it. Throughout the past couple of days, I thought of Amani’s book: “Muslim Girl:A Coming…

From time to time, a non-Muslim will ask me if I have been wearing the hijab for most of my life. When I answer that I started wearing it at the age of 20 without telling my parents, and that my mother does not wear the hijab, I see their eyes widen in surprise. My…

Yesterday morning, we woke up to the news that Donald Trump won the general election, making him the 45th President-Elect of the United States. Muslims (as well as Hindus, Sikhs, Mexicans, African Americans, the LGBTQ+ people, disabled people, sexual assault and harassment victims, women, and pretty much any other marginalized community you can think of) have…

It is day two of waking up to knowing that the President of the USA will soon be Donald Trump. Some of us are still processing this nightmare, others are still in denial and some are moving forward. It’s OK to be angry. It’s OK to be upset. It’s OK to be scared. Many of…

The United Arab Emirates, better known as Dubai, is a rapidly growing country. Dubai is like the America of the Middle East. There are people here from more than 75 different countries, so moving here wasn’t such a culture shock. English can get you by pretty much anywhere, plus they had all my favorite restaurants and…

Written by Neghena Hamidi. — Some nights my father would drive home and talk about the Soviet invasion in Afghanistan — a war that displaced 6.3 million Afghans to neighboring countries such as Pakistan and Iran. He would talk about his service in the fire department in Kabul, and how some nights he would find…

Written by Sumaira Mian. — Note: This issue extends outside of the Muslim community — but is focused specifically on Muslims in this article to bring forward an inter-community issue to light. Can Muslims be an ally to the LGBTQ community? When posing this question, I’m usually met with three types of responses from Muslims: The first are…

Written by Layla Elabed Disclaimer: While this may not be true for all individuals and families, this was my experience and the experience of many young women I have talked to. What happens when we call our daughters “aroosas”? “Aroosa” translates to bride in Arabic, but is often used has a term of endearment towards little…

In Islam the hijab presents itself as a symbol of modesty and faith. Most widely known as the headscarf, the hijab can be represented in a multitude of ways. In this case, I refer to the hijab as how many understand it to mean – the headscarf. I was 6 years old when I first…

It has taken me more than one year to compose this post. Graduating from a good university with a B.A. in Biology and on the Pre-Health track is a moment that I have not wholly internalized. Graduating from the institution that provided me a home, a family, stirs and swells my stomach with desperate frustration. I have…

“God must be punishing me for a past sin, by giving me a child like you.” “Shut up! I’m your father, you loser.” “Talk to me like that again, and I’ll beat you to a pulp.” “Jannah (Paradise) lies under the feet of your mother. Until I forgive you, you’re going to Hell.” These are…