“Mental Health is a Human Right.” – Laila Mokhiber, Director of Communications, UNRWA USA Dear Fellow Warrior, Recently, on May 31, 2025, I participated in the UNRWA DC Gaza 5K. It was a bittersweet moment to be back again this particular year. The event was at the usual place at Rock Creek Park, in Washington…
Inclusion
The Choice of Return: Reclaiming the Crown
“She remembered who she was, and the game changed.” – Lalah Daliah Dear Fellow Warrior, I wrote this piece in April, America’s National Poetry Month, after returning from my first Pilgrimage to Makkah, during Ramadan. At that moment, I decided to return to wearing the head cover, after precisely two decades. I wore the hijab…
Am I Supposed to Feel Guilty for Letting Genocide Disrupt My Life?
“It is the responsibility of intellectuals to speak the truth and to expose lies.” – Noam Chomsky Dear Fellow Warrior, I can’t. I can’t express how much rage, grief, heartbreak, and sadness that I have right now… and how we are all just expected to keep going. To just… function, smile, perform, “network,” to keep…
To Those Who Only Show Up When I’m Thriving
“Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.” Dr. Brene Brown Dear Fellow Warrior, Another statement I had to make at the close of Mental Health Awareness Month this year was something that had to be said, based on the idea that I am keenly aware dozens of people I know are watching…
To the Muslim Friends Who Punished Me for Surviving
Dear Fellow Warrior, As we closed out Mental Health Awareness Month, I made this statement on Facebook… to my Muslim brothers and sisters, to my family, and to anyone who once called me a friend and has followed my journey online. You’ve witnessed my voice… always active, always striving… across these platforms. Your silence has…
The Underdog Rises: A WOC’s Academic Comeback, Reckoning, & Reclamation
Reflections on My Three-Year Graduation Anniversary, for my Academic Journey, and as a Woman of Color in Academia… “Great spirits always encounter violent opposition from mediocre minds.” – Albert Einstein Dear Fellow Warrior, I write this for Me, myself, and I. And all those who felt invisible in Academia, and deserved better. Three years after…
Your Right to Be Heard
Dear Fellow Warrior, It is true that people think there must be something wrong with you, something you did wrong, because you need to be heard, because you need to express your pain, because you expressed a challenge or a struggle or some harm or injustice done to you or to others. This isn’t just…
Allah is Sufficient
“When the world pushes you to your knees, you’re in the perfect position to pray.” – Rumi “Sometimes Allah breaks your heart to save your soul.”– Anonymous Dear Fellow Warrior, The featured photo is another Arabic calligraphy piece I completed a few weeks ago. I really like this one too. This piece came to me…