“You have to dream before your dreams can come true.” – A. P. J. Abdul Kalam 9 YEARS AGO from today, on October 9th, 2009, around 9:30 pm, I arrived in Washington DC, after completing my Masters and spending 5 months of job hunting while in my Wisconsin home. I sent over 300 applications and Read More
Category: Current Events
Commentary on World Affairs
A Love Letter to Pakistan – From an ABCD Old Romantic
Dear Pakistan: Bismillah hir Rahman nir Raheem. Assalaamu Alaykum. Inshallah (Godwilling) you are doing well in health and faith. I write to you with the purest intentions but with a few confessions that may startle you. I admit, I am a little nervous to see you again. But in a good way. Even when the Read More
Why I Run the UNRWA DC GAZA 5K…Take 4…
Today I ran in the GAZA 5K in Washington, DC! It was a privilege to be participating my 4th consecutive year in the DC run. Similar to the previous years, it was a beautiful experience. There were about 500 runners that raised over $160,000 for this critical cause! The Gaza 5K raises funds for community Read More
Surviving and Conquering Hate: Reflections on Arjun Sethi’s “American Hate”
“Speaking out is the most basic and vital form of resistance.” – Arjun Singh Sethi I spent some time reflecting on Arjun Sethi’s “American Hate: Survivors Speak Out,” which was published over a month ago. I also had the opportunity to hear Arjun speak about his book at the Politics and Prose in Washington, DC, Read More
I am just like you….
…I am just like you… As a kid, I was guilty of watching a lot of TV. There were six of us, so I won’t blame the rents for needing their space. Do you remember Full House, Saved by the Bell, Family Matters, Growing Pains, Step by Step, the Torkelsons, Doug, Are you Afraid of Read More
Islam and Mental Health: Fighting Stigma while Embracing God…
I’m no scholar of Islam. Although there was a time where I lived and breathed and walked and talked and drank and ate this religion (stealing Yusuf Islam’s words 😊 ) and a time that my greatest dream was to be a scholar of Human Rights in Islam. Dreams change, and sometimes they have to…. Read More
Happy Mental Health Awareness Month!
I had these shoes for nearly five years, come this summer…. I got them during my medical leave that year, a few months after I attempted to take my life and landed myself in a psych ward of a hospital. The shoes became an integral part of my “survival routine,” since then. They have been Read More
Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
One of my favorite poems from the great Maya Angelou. Truly precious and timeless. Sharing this in honor of her birthday yesterday. It has great meaning in my life. And these powerful words touch everyone in a similar way. May her words continue to bring hope and fearless zeal and courage in our lives. Read More