“Where are you from?”

“I’m from Minnesota.”

Thinking this thought out, naturally.

But I realized now that he wasn’t satisfied by that answer.

In the winter of 2017, my family and I made the journey for Umrah. We travelled with our favorite Ustadhs - Abdel Rahman Murphy through Qalam. Sheikh Haseeb Noor met us in Medina with his lovely wife, Najia. One of my favorite parts of the trip was during a visit to the museum of 99 Names of Allah.

It was in Mrs. Gray’s fourth grade class at Illinois Park School that I remember being asked for the very first time, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” As the daughter of immigrant parents, it was grilled into me to become a doctor. Some of my fellow classmates would say astronaut, teacher and maybe one of the boys would yell out “President!”

Muslim Men versus Muslim Brothers

There’s a difference

Do you know what it is?

A few weeks ago, I stood up at Brooklyn Park’s City Council meeting and addressed a room full of elected officials, city staff, and fellow residents about a discriminatory and limiting catering policy at the Community Activity Center (CAC).

What has made me fight is the question I ask myself, “What if I don’t?”

My emotional journey through the holy lands of Jerusalem.

How hate drives me to continue showing up, speak out, and build relationships in my city.