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Ayesha Syed is a human rights activist and future lawyer. She is an enthusiast who is passionate by all that this world has to offer. In her story, Ayesha describes a candid guilt for the complex emotions she experienced regarding her parents’ identity while growing up, her eventual reconciliation with it, and how she takes pride in her individuality […]

Layalee Beirat is a young women who is originally from Palestine and lives in a suburb of Chicago. She enjoys spending her time volunteering at Islamic Relief and Pious Projects, and dedicates her passion to help Syrian refugees. She aspires one day to be a pharmacist. Here, she shares her narrative on being the first

Ayyan Zubair is a student at Stony Brook University. A native of the community, Zubair graduated from East Meadow High School in 2015 and is a member of the Long Island Muslim Society.   I grew up in Long Island as the son of two Pakistani Muslim immigrants. Currently, I attend Stony Brook University, where

Shaheen Pasha is an assistant professor of journalism at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. This article originally appeared on the The Dallas Morning News. You can follow Shaheen on Twitter: @profpasha Like many Americans, I woke up on Sunday to a steady stream of horrifying news alerts on my phone. The mounting death toll at

Hamza Khan is a citizen and political activist based in Montgomery County, Maryland. Since 2001,  Hamza has advised, worked on, or consulted for over a dozen Democratic campaigns at the county, state, and national levels. Hamza has formally studied Arabic, Farsi, French,  Hebrew and Japanese–and continues to practice them in his spare time. In 2014,  he

Rahima Sajid shares her narrative of faith, and how her studies in Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies, Political Science and  International Studies helped shape the course of her journey as a Muslim American.    Recently I slumped into one those moments where it feels like you hit rock bottom. All my anxieties and fears came pouring

Valerie Razo is a student of Political Science and International Relations. She is passionate about issues pertaining to social justice and politics. Valerie is interning with MALA for its “Elevate Y/our Journey” project.   It is important to be informed about Muslim culture and heritage. I am fortunate enough to have international students in my community of Palos Hills

Fardosa Mohamood is born and raised in Louisville, KY. She is a junior in high school taking honor and AP classes. Writing is her favorite outlet and she can often be found reading books. Her favorite subject is English. Here, she shares a profound and personal poem, “Imagination”  based on her own journey as a

Zerina Spahic spent her formative years throughout Europe and the United States. A war victim, her first-hand knowledge of the struggles refugees face post-conflict have been instrumental in guiding her activism on gender equality and the right to development. She completed her Graduate degree in International Law at the University of Leicester in England. In

Noor Abaddy, a US Citizen from Jordan, shares in a candid interview the various dimensions of her identity, and the solid platform she stands on today. A speaker for the Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta and the Interfaith Speakers Network, she chronicles how her experiences have helped shape her views on diversity, inclusivity, and tolerance.