One People, One Voice

One of the most beautiful moments from today's Rally in Solidarity with ‪#‎Aleppo‬. We began marching and by the time we got to the Trump tower we found ourselves merging with rallies against deportation, against unfair wages, against discrimination and hate. One moment in the microphone was our classic Arabic chants against Assad, the next moment we joined those from the other rally in yelling 'Sí se puede'. Eventually we were all one loud voice in unison--"The people United will never be defeated". They tied the flags together and we chanted side by side. Truth is on the side of the oppressed and we are one people who stand for justice, no matter who or where.

Words & Numbers

I like words a lot more than numbers. 

I feel at home in words.

I can taste, smell, and feel words. 

Numbers, they never tell me the whole story.

4.6 million Syrian refugees 

11.3% of the world's population hungry 

244 schools damaged in Palestine 

38.8% -Trumps wins primary in Illinois 

2 am. 3 am. 

See, Only words can capture infinity. 

Only words can explain fear.

Only words can pronounce hope.

Only words can be powerful, even when they're not there. 

Numbers they, tell of what's present.

Of what meets the eye. Of what can be multiplied. And subtracted. 

Of what can be defined.

Numbers, they label. 

Blood pressure 120/80

Heart rate 95

But he feels dead, inside.

7 doctor visits. 12 stitches. 

But she's grateful, for another day. 

Words, they have this ability. 

To capture what's on the mind. 

To release what's in the heart.

To enrich what's in the soul.  

They tell of stories untold. 

And of generations long ago.

They turn on candles in the dark.

They form prayers out of tears.

Numbers and words they, work together sometimes. 

They paint with different strokes. And speak different tales.

But words, they remain permanent. 

Even after numbers lose their count. 

And if you were to count God's favors, you would never be able to number them.

For numbers cannot grasp, the amount of blessings that, pour and pour into our lives. 

The amount of times we are given second chances. 

The amount of times that we breathe.

Inhales. Exhales. Sighs and Reliefs.

Numbers will tell you how many. Words will tell you who. Numbers will tell you if you passed. Words will remind you, you are more than that. 

Numbers will say it's 5 words total.

Words will say: You Can Change The World

Numbers will say, that's not accurate.

Words will say, read between the lines. 

Finding the Courage

I’m not a poet

or a spoken word artist

Sometimes my voice shakes

and my words fall out of place

But sometimes I find the courage,

to look injustice in the face

When the silence is so loud 

and all that’s said is to please the crowds

When the news that’s presented “BREAKING”

is only breaking the hearts of those who's story its faking

When everything is painted black and white and anything in-between isn’t given its right

You find yourself searching

Searching for a way to give the voiceless a voice

The choice-less a choice

and the oppressed…a moment of peace in which to rejoice  

I’m not a poet 

or a spoken word artist

Sometimes my voice shakes

and my words fall out of place

But sometimes I find the courage, 

to look injustice in the face

When you see images of children drawing tanks and towers 

instead of houses and flowers

Childhoods scarred in a world that bombards, 

With nothing but sheer dis-regard 

Left as orphans to live alone, not knowing again the meaning of “home”

You wonder what you can do from countries away 

For such children living in eternal dismay

Fighting for dignity and liberty

Palestine and Syria, alone face an enemy

An enemy called ignorance and inequality 

An enemy with no regard for innocent souls 

Who's only goals were freedom with no controls

No limitation and segregation 

No checkpoints and humiliations

No violence…just peace throughout their nations 

I’m not a poet 

or a spoken word artist

Sometimes my voice shakes

and my words fall out of place

But sometimes I find the courage, 

to look injustice in the face

I find the courage to pick up my pen

Write until the ink runs out 

Till I’ve shattered all my doubts

I find the courage to put it on paper

To put it in words, to present “maybe later”

And in that scrambled paper and wrinkled page

I realized that the world is our stage

A place of liberation from our cage

Into a world where we are united and represented

Not disconnected and reinvented 

I used to say Somebody should do something about that

Then I realized I am somebody…

I may not be a poet or a spoken word artist

My voice may shake and my words may fall out of place

But sometimes I find the courage, 

to look injustice in the face

Real Tears of Joy

Tears streamed down his face as he slipped on the new pair of shoes he was handed. One foot in his old, torn shoe and one foot now in a new, black and shiny dress shoe. I had never seen tears of joy so real before. I looked at his old tattered shoe he was still wearing on his left foot—ripped at the edges with mud on the sides. I could tell they had been through so much. I could tell he had been through so much. How I wished I could be in his shoes instead of only being able to hand him new ones. How I wished I could fill the emptiness in his soul as he placed the soles of his feet into their new home. His home, though, he can’t call it a home anymore. He is a Syrian refugee now living in Turkey. I had the honor of teaching children like him during the summer this year. I noticed though that his tears were not filled with the woes of past misfortunes. They were filled with hope for a new journey. And he did not need more than one pair for that. I learned a lot from this boy. True blessings are not the materialistic things we adorn, but the feelings of gratitude that touch our hearts when we remember how much we have been given. Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. Count your blessings. Clichés that become so real when you see real tears of joy.

In Nizip, Turkey Summer Camp for Syrian Refugees

La crisis humanitaria en Siria [Español]

Cuando pensamos sobre nuestro mundo, querremos creer que tenemos ideales altos para la integridad y valor de cada ser humano. Cada persona no es sólo un número en este mundo, sino que es alguien que tiene derechos y un lugar especial en la sociedad. Cuando hay un evento trágico como una guerra, sería irracional concentrarse sólo en el número de víctimas, especialmente si hay personas que están heridas o son forzadas a ser refugiados. Es importante recordar que cada número es una persona, un niño o una niña, un padre o una mujer. Pueden verse historias individuales de las víctimas humanas y el sufrimiento de la gente en angustiosos detalles en miles de fotos y videos que son tomadas durante la guerra, y este debería ser el foco principal, no una lista de números. Por esta razón, creo que es más importante discutir maneras de ayudar a Siria a través de ayuda humanitaria que a través de la intervención militar.


Cuando el Presidente de Siria, Bashar Al Assad, utilizó armas químicas contra su propio pueblo, el principal debate entre los líderes era el número de víctimas y si la intervención militar era necesaria. Tanto, si cuatrocientas personas o cuatro mil personas murieron, lo que es importante es encontrar una manera de prevenir la pérdida de otra vida inocente. Unos siete millones de personas necesitan ayuda humanitaria en Siria y se estima que la mitad de la población del país se desplazará al final del año (Ibrahim). Las mujeres y los niños fueron los más afectados de esta guerra. Más de un mil niños son refugiados y muchas veces no tienen padres que los cuiden. Creo que debemos centrar nuestra atención en ayudar a esta gente de maneras humanitarias. Hay debate desde ambos lados en contra de y por la participación militar de los Estados Unidos en Siria, pero yo pienso que hay maneras de salvar las vidas de la gente en Siria sin usar la fuerza. Una manera en que los Estados Unidos puede ayudar a Siria sin utilizar las fuerzas armadas es permitir que más gente entre en el país, dar más ayuda humanitaria, y proteger las instalaciones médicas que están en Siria.


El aumento de los refugiados de Siria está creando una crisis interna y regional también. Los números están aumentando muy rápidamente y no hay un plan efectivo. Algunos países han aceptado refugiados, pero esto ha creado más tensiones regionales porque causa pérdidas económicas para los que aceptan una gran cantidad de personas. Por ejemplo, Turquía ha gastado más de 1,5 billones de dólares en asistencia humanitaria y protección de los refugiados con sólo un pequeño porcentaje de la financiación de UN (Ibrahim). Para resolver este problema, los Estados Unidos debe aumentar el número de refugiados que acepta de Siria. Si los países con menos de diez millones de personas pueden aceptar miles de refugiados, seguramente los Estados Unidos puede también. También, yo pienso que las universidades deben proporcionar becas para los estudiantes que llegan a los Estados Unidos sin mucho dinero. Un profesor de la Universidad de Oklahoma dijo que un niño educado puede ayudar a su familia con sus dificultades y sus problemas en el campamento de refugiados; es la manera más eficiente para mejorar la sociedad y es mejor que las bombas (DePillis).


Aparte de permitir que más gente entre, los Estados Unidos debe enviar más ayuda humanitaria a Siria. UNICEF reporta que hay muchos casos de desnutrición y uno de cada cinco de las familias no come comida siete días del mes (Georgieva). El acceso a los alimentos es un problema creciente y están aumentando las enfermedades transmitidas por el agua. Los Estados Unidos contribuyó mil millones de dólares en ayuda humanitaria a Siria. Esto no es nada y hay personas que necesitan más ayuda. Muchos hombres y mujeres están sufriendo de problemas psicológicos. La depresión y la ansiedad afecta a las refugiados tanto como el hambre y la sed, y es muy importante encontrar maneras de ayudar a los refugiados a recuperar su dignidad y su sentido de valor. El envió de psicólogas así como de médicos puede ayudar con esta problema.


Sin duda, una de las mayores causas de la muerte es debido a una enfermedad crónica. Muchos sufren de enfermedades renales ya que no tienen acceso a la insulina o diálisis (DePillis). Estados Unidos necesita encontrar una manera de asegurarse de que la ayuda humanitaria llegue a los refugiados, sobre-todo porque Assad ha impedido que mucha de la ayuda llegue a los campos. Esto puede hacerse a través de negociaciones con Rusia y con nuevas resoluciones del Consejo de Seguridad. El enfoque militar no es la mejor solución en este caso.


Espero que cuando pasen los meses, habrá más énfasis en la humanidad y menos en la guerra. La gente de Siria sólo quiere libertad y dignidad de vivir su propia vida sin un dictador violento. Han pasado más de dos años, y Siria necesita ayuda humanitaria. Los Estados Unidos puede ayudar con la situación sin el uso del ejército. Puede aceptar más refugiados en el país, puede enviar más ayuda humanitaria y puede influenciar a Rusia para proteger los médicos de los campos de los refugiados. El daño que se ha hecho va a necesitar mucho tiempo para ser reparado, pero no podemos ignorar a las personas que necesitan nuestra ayuda. Cada persona tiene el derecho de vivir y de ser feliz.

Ego Amongst the Dead

Narrated Abu al-Darda: “Worship God as if you see Him, and count your ego amongst the dead, and beware of the supplication of the oppressed." (Quoted by al-Tabarani) In this hadith, we can learn a wide variety of things varying from conquering the ego to detaching from the world and its desires. In the first line we see what is described as “ihsan” or worshiping God as if we see Him. This level of spiritual excellence is not something easily achieved. In order to see God everywhere, one must not see oneself anymore. This means, we must extinguish our concupiscent desires and detach from the world in a humbling manner. Only by eliminating our egos and remembering our graves, can we begin to journey on this path towards “ihsan”. Before reaching this level, we must perfect the levels before it. Preceding “ihsan” are the levels of “Islam” and “Iman”. Islam involves the basics: practicing the five pillars sincerely and testifying that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad (pbuh) is his Messenger. In order to reach “Iman”, a deeper degree of acknowledgment is required. “Iman” is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in divine destiny, both the good and the evil thereof. In all of this, the Muslim is aware that life is a test: that we will be held accountable for our actions and that the Angels on our shoulders record all of our deeds. The level discussed in this hadith however, is the highest level of spiritual excellence: worshiping God as if you see Him. This means you are aware that although you do not see Allah (swt), He sees you.This is the level of righteousness, the level of perfection, the level of doing and saying the ultimate good, the level of I'hsan. As Muslims, we must always strive to reach this level of Faith. And the easiest way to do so is to detach from the world and “count our ego amongst the dead”. By doing so, we forget our selfish desires and we focus on praising the One who created us, the One who sees all that we do. Whoever purifies his character will extinguish jealousy, hatred, greed, anger, pride and all the other maladies of the soul from his heart. Once the heart is pure, it will illuminate all that you see and do. With the recent events in Syria and all over the world, many have asked, “what can I do?!” and “why is there so much hate?” Eliminating these evil things, believe it or not, starts with you. If you want to eliminate all that his dark in the world, cleans your heart until it is able to provide light for the darkness and hope for despair. If you want to eliminate the hate in the world, start by loving for your brother what you love for yourself. Dua is a powerful tool that can help you reach this level of “ihsan”. We must remember to pray for the oppressed, detach from the world, and purify our hearts from impure desires…surely then we will find peace.      

Faith and Hope

The Syrian regime has killed babies. It has starved families. It has blown up mosques. What it doesn't realize however is that God is not confined to the mosques, He is in the heart of every believer. Nothing can take away the Faith of the people. And that is the strongest weapon. Marching at one of the rallies downtown side by side with my brothers and sisters, it didn't matter that I couldn't feel my hands or feet because I COULD feel something that was truly beautiful: the love in each heart that chanted for a free and peaceful Syria. And that love and determination is what will create change, InshAllah ♥