Why I Claimed the title, “The Warrior KQueen,” and Why I Continue to Embrace it in the New Decade of my life. “She wasn’t looking for a Knight. She was looking for a Sword.” – Atticus Dear Fellow Warrior, I hope you had a fantastic summer. August is over, and we are now in the…
A Tribute to Allah: Honoring Survival and The Ultimate Spiritual Transformation
“To Him We Belong. And To Him We Return.” – (Quran, 2:156) Dear Fellow Warrior, There is no perfect end of the year. No perfect close. It just needs to close. You need to cross that finish line. Because time never stops; it is the only resource that will always remain scarce. So I didn’t…
Punished for Surviving: A Suicide Note (Poem #3)
“What are the words you do not yet have? What do you need to say? … And there are so many silences to be broken.” – Audre Lorde Dear Fellow Warrior, I wanted to share this piece before the end of the year. After more than ten years of suicide prevention and mental health advocacy,…
A Special “PhD Wedding” Anniversary: Hooded, Hijabi, & Unapologetic
“You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anybody.“ – Dr. Maya Angelou Hasbiyallahu wa ni’amal wakeel. Dear Fellow Warrior, Recently, I shared a critical moment on social media, and I wanted that moment to be here, at its rightful place here as well. This past week, on December 16th, I honored four…
My Social Media Achilles Heel: Jealousy, Visibility Politics, and Divine Reorientation
“When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” – Audre Lorde Dear Fellow Warrior, I am increasingly mindful of the difference between quiet presence and silent extraction. Several years ago, as soon as I finished my…
A Warrior Breaks Away to Find Another Way
“You either walk inside your story and own it, or you stand outside your story and hustle for your worthiness.” – Dr. Brene Brown Dear Fellow Warrior, I didn’t expect it to take this long to write to you again after my last message. However, this is difficult because I understand now why it has…
Heartfelt GoodBye to Facebook Community
Dear Fellow Warrior, On my birthday this year, July 9th, I wanted to gift myself an exit from my community on Facebook, and ultimately from the way I showed up on all my social media platforms. Not because anything was wrong with it. It just wasn’t working for me anymore. It wasn’t serving me, and…
A Love Letter to My Ajnabi
“Eh Ajnabi, Tu Bhi Kabih, Awaaz de Kahin Se” I’ve written many letters in my life. This one is different. This one is for the ghost of a love I never met, and for the woman I have become because of it. Thank you for reading. Dear Ajnabi, Where do we begin when we don’t…
Defining Moments and Personal Milestones: A Mid-Year Video Update
“My Voice is Not an Apology.”– Nayyirah Waheed “The woman who does not require validation from anyone is the most feared individual on the planet.”– Mohamed Najumi Dear Fellow Warrior, I filmed this video last month, shortly after my last poetry performance on June 10th. It took me some time to edit… someday, I’ll have…