Dire Confusion

Happy beginning of February! I’m busy drafting my prospectus and diving into a fresh, new semester! I’m also checking out Valentine’s Day nail art on Pinterest when I need to take a break from research and/or the news.

Via Instagram

Speaking of the news, my original plans for this blog were to focus on my two main passions, my research and Arabic stuff, which seemed inherently apolitical before the elections. But, as I noted in a previous blog post on my reaction to the election, it’s been really hard to separate the political from the personal.

  

Attending marches have felt healing in the wake of the inauguration and the ban. Calling my congressmen also provides a kind of cathartic relief in knowing that I’m doing my civic duty. Donating what I can to the non-profits that I support also gives me hope that we as a nation can focus on nurturing our communities to weather this storm.

At the same time, despite all this positive energy, I think it’s fine to admit that we’re all a little scared. Okay, let’s be honest, we’re all really scared!

One way in which I’m scared is the fact that this ban on certain muslim-majority countries hasn’t vanished through our legal system yet. I’m hoping that, with our collective support, this unruly executive order will disappear in due course. But, if it doesn’t, it will have very dire consequences on a lot of American families, many of whom are immigrants who are just trying to do what hundreds of thousands of immigrants have tried to do before them.

Some of those immigrants happen to be S’s family. They’re from Syria. If this ban remains, we have to figure out where they can relocate to outside of the United States. After having to leave Syria in the middle of a civil war, the thought of finding a new home is traumatizing. We hope that it won’t come to that, but we just don’t know. There is a lot of confusion about what the ban means and how far it can go, especially since it seems to be changing all the time and different judges are temporarily blocking the ban. Needless to say, however tiring, we’re following the news very carefully.

Besides the very personal way in which this impacts my life, I worry about what this ban means for the values of the United States. The constitution was designed to support a group of people with different backgrounds. It’s true that American history has repeatedly betrayed many groups within its nation, and I hope that this ban does not become a piece of that long list of injustice. If the ban remains, I don’t think that this country’s government can claim any pretense of equal opportunity.

So what’s your take on the ban? Feel free to drop me a line via this post’s comment section, e-mail, or your preferred social media channel. Also, please remember to practice self-care (my favorite new buzz word) because we need to prepare for a very long four years!

Update on 02/05/17: In a very dramatic couple of days, the a judge in Seattle repealed the ban, and when the administration appealed the decision, the court of appeals denied the request. It certainly seems like there's hope that the ban will soon be a very brief moment in history, but I think it's important to stay alert and pay attention to all the ways in which people coming from the affected countries could still face discrimination.

DJ Khaled (a.k.a. Abu Asahd, a.k.a. Khaled Mohammad Khaled)

Hey guys! I hope everyone is excited for the weekend as I am! I’m going to Boston to hang out with S and his family, and I can’t wait!

In the mean time, I figured I would share a bit of information on one of my favorite R&B / Rap artists this year: DJ Khaled.

More than a few of my friends and family are a bit puzzled by my interest in DJ Khaled, so I want to give you a peek into all the cool things about DJ Khaled that make him a fascinating figure:

1.)  He is Palestinian-American. And his actual name is Khaled Khaled, which means that his first name is Khaled and his last name is also Khaled. Perhaps his parents have a sense of humor, or maybe his grandfather’s name is Khaled (because in Arab culture it’s common for the first-born son to be named after the grandfather).

2.)  His perspective on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is unclear. While DJ Khaled certainly seems sympathetic towards Palestinians in interviews, he is certainly not outspoken about the conflict or any politics in general. This is remarkable, to me at least, because I’ve never met a Palestinian who doesn’t have a very strong opinion on the conflict and is not shy to share it. Earlier this year, he participated in an event with Sabra Hummus (which has ties to funding the Israeli army via the Strauss Group) and got a lot of criticism for it from his pro-Palestinian fans, but I’m not sure if he ever responded to that criticism.

3.)  He named his son Asahd, which means “lion” in Arabic. Anyone who knows DJ Khaled knows that the lion is his spirit animal, so his naming choice clearly shows a connection both to his heritage and his love for lions. In Arab culture, parents are called the father or mother of their first-born son (or daughter, if they have no sons), which means that I bet in some circles he’s now known as Abu Asahd. He is really adorable with his son on Snapchat, by the way.

4.)  He Snapchat-ed the birth of his son. This phenomenon is mind-blowing in itself because it shows how, in this moment in time, social media has given the world a window into strangers’ most intimate moments. I’m amazed that his fiancée didn’t take the phone and beat him over the head with it. Anyway, he did update his Snapchat feed regularly, and I did follow it. And I find that how people react to these important moments of life illuminate their values. For example, watching DJ Khaled’s Snapchat, I learned that he’s Muslim because he paused his music in the middle of the birth when it was time to play the call to prayer. This was cool way to see how versatile DJ Khaled is in navigating between two cultures, by partying to his own music while also taking time to connect to his faith during the birth of his son.

5.)  His new book got to the New York Times’ bestsellerlist. That in itself is amazing, because the book’s description on Amazon is vague at best. But, reading the reviews, it seems like a lot of people and especially young men have found a lot of inspiration from his words. DJ Khaled does exude positive energy, so I’m sure that positivity shines through his book as well. I will definitely read his book whenever I have time (after my program in four years?) but anyone else who reads it, please let me know what you think.

Anyway, it’s about time for me to get back to remote sensing of my lagoons’ surface area. Hope you liked the post! Let me know what you think about DJ Khaled and stay tuned for a new post on my research coming up soon!

Update on 1/30/17: DJ Khaled actually posted a series of Snapchat videos yesterday, which consisted of a montage of protests through space and time, including images of Palestinian protesters and America's Civil Rights Movement. It turns out the montage comes from a music video made for Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come." I think this is a political statement, indeed! And its beautiful imagery connect all the human and civil rights, illustrating the importance of showing up and fighting for all rights. To be honest, it's hard for most people these days in the United States to be apolitical if they care, so I'm glad DJ Khaled made a stand. And I wonder if we'll see more artistic political statements from him in the future!

Insha Allah

Hope you all are having a lovely weekend! S is visited me this weekend, and he’s been the best study buddy. Before I head to school, I just wanted to share a song that S played this weekend called Insha Allah by Sting, and I figured that I would give a bit of background on what insha allah means too!

Sting recently released Insh allah as a way to honor Syrian refugees and remember those lost at sea during the treacherous voyage across the Mediterranean. There were decidedly mixed reactions to him singing this song at the Bataclan last month, where he reopened the concert hall almost a year after it was one of the targets of the Paris attacks. I personally appreciate his motivation to elicit a more comprehensive sense of morality by discerning between terrorists and refugees. Plus, his performance connected the victims of the Paris attacks to the Syrian victims who also suffered from ISIS’ influence. In a city that’s still undoubtedly traumatized by those attacks, it’s difficult to distinguish between criticism is sympathetic to that trauma and criticism that is islamophobic.

Anyway, thanks to this beautiful song, Sting is raising awareness to the plight of Syrian refugees and keeping people conscious of the regime-sponsored horrors that continue. Feel free to follow my twitter account if you’d also like to stay updated on current events in Syria.

The phrase insha allah is a great one because it is very versatile with several meanings. Insha allah literally means “God’s will,” and is used as a response to a lot of conversation and questions. I’ve heard it used in response to questions like “Will you do this?” or “Will you come to that?” In my experience, when some people use insha allah, it may have a connotation of wanting to do that thing or to go there, but not being 100% committed yet. It could also mean that the person wants to do that thing or go to that place, and very well intends to, but life is never certain so you never know what might or might not happen.

Insha allah could also be used when someone is talking about a future goal or something that they really want. In that case, when someone talks about their hopes, a friend might respond by saying insha allah to mean that hopefully it’s the will of God and that it’s meant to happen.

So what does Sting mean by saying insha allah in his song? I think he means to do several things. He wants to evoke the Syrian people’s amazing resilience by nodding to their ability to have so much faith and hope. He also may want to evoke the first meaning of insha allah I mentioned, which always considers how life can be precarious and fragile.

Listen to the song and see what you think!

It’s certainly been a weird week…

And that’s an understatement, by far. I usually try to stay positive and use this blog to create good energy, but this week has been a real struggle, balancing my concerns for the future of my family and friends with understanding the full implications of the election’s results. So, I’ll take a deep breath, and run through a few concerns that we face. There are a lot of issues out there for minorities and underprivileged groups, and they’re all valid and important. However, for the purpose of this blog, I’ll focus on a few that particularly concern my interests.

First, I’ll talk about the islamophobia that occurred during the election. Popularity for the president-elect in the polls, although we all now understand how faulty they can be, suggested that his popularity surged after the tragic San Bernardino shootings. This past June, on the campaign trail, the president-elect said that he wanted a ban on all muslims entering the United States. Unfortunately, he has never fully backed down on that claim. His advisor, Kris Kobach, is now supporting a registry of muslims. 

Photo courtesy of S from Harvard Arab Weekend.

Based on the facts, there is an unmistakable, growing fear of Islam in the country. The most fearful are supporting anti-islamic discrimination. During this year’s Harvard Arab Weekend, several speakers addressed the country’s islamophobia, showing statistics like a mind-blowing 1,600% increase in hate crimes against muslims since 9/11 and eight states banning sharia law when most Americans have no idea what sharia even means. The president-elect is shamelessly playing off of that fear, taking advantage of ignorance and endangering a group of Americans that have a legal right to practice their religion.

This fear is already affecting my husband’s family. They’re living in a country where their right to exist is threatened daily. When my mother-in-law receives a death threat simply by going to the grocery store in a hijab, no one can say that liberty and justice equally serves the people of this country. Along with that, some members of Sam’s family are legally here on a temporary protected status as refugees that could be easily revoked. We are diligently monitoring the next administration’s immigration policy. As Syrians, returning to their country would pose many different risks to their safety and well-being. If they lose this status, they would also lose a second home that they’ve worked so hard to build, and would need to find a third home in a world that is increasingly hostile to refugees.

Mann & Kump (2015)

Along with all threats against minorities, there is a world-endangering threat against biggest issue of our century: climate change. The threat is inaction, as the president elect vows that he doubts the veracity of claims by climate change scientists. He hasaccordingly hired Myron Ebell, one of the most popular climate change contrarians, to direct the transition in the EPA. This appointment has many implications, including less funding for climate-related research and policies that only further put the country and the world on a faster path to harmful greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere. Plus, since the president elect also vows to cut federal spending, the easiest targets are likely things that may not result in instant gratification, like scientific research.

Through my program, I know some of the most prominent climate change scientists. They share a serious concern for the future of their work. I also share their concern, not only for their future, but for mine as well. With less funding and political support, America will lose its standing as the world’s leading producer of innovative research.

My mentor gave some sage advice on how to react to this past week’s events:

“We are watching a stunning response to the deep inequities and injustices of economic globalization. It has appeared world-wide, and recently, of course, all over europe and the middle east. It makes very clear, that our essential work is to build institutions and safety nets and communities which can include everyone, absolutely everyone. A huge task, and with will and cooperation, we can do it.
I urge you now: do NOT follow out all your terrifying narratives about what might come from this. It is a waste of energy and it will exhaust you and make you powerless.
Stay curious! Stay present, in this moment. Watch what unfolds and how. We do NOT know the consequences of such a massive expression of rage and misery. Tend to your own communities, and support calm and thoughtfulness.”

Intellectually, immigrants are our most valuable import, and research is our most valuable export. Both of these things give the United States so much value on the international level, and yet both are at risk. Together, let’s support ourselves, remain diligent, and do what we can when we need to fight for what we care about.