By Rimsha Syed Photo by Austin American-Statesman Over the past month, Austin has witnessed a rise in antisemitism. Community leaders are rallying behind Austin’s Jewish residents following a string of antisemitic incidents - including arson at a synagogue. The incidents come as nearly 1 out of every 4 Jews in the US indicate experiencing antisemitism … Continue reading Jewish communities in Austin, San Marcos, and San Antonio targeted by neo-Nazi groups
This year marked the 20th anniversary of September 11. To document this day, IDCL and I-AMM hosted an event to commemorate the tragic losses and reflect on the long-term consequences that have shaped the lives of Texans over the past twenty years. Our panelists Dr. Habiba Noor, Dr. Banafsheh Madaninejad, Ramish Nadeem, and Dr. Roy … Continue reading Reflecting on 9/11 Twenty Years Later
Cat (Sketches from Life), Shen Zhou The day before the interview, I grab a journal and simply jot down a few questions that I definitely want to ask and leave some space in between each to write down follow up topics when I conduct the actual interview. There are times when people jump from topic to … Continue reading Interviewing: Our Experience
By Zoya Zia On a cool Wednesday evening in April, a diverse group of Texans gathered in the Asian Culture Room at the University of Texas at Austin to discuss what being a Texan means to them. One after another, they rose to the occasion and let a mic serve as a medium to share … Continue reading An Open Space: #ThisTexan Mic Night
By Josephine Van Houten Since the 1780’s, America’s leaders have referred to the country as a ‘melting pot’ of different cultures, religions, and backgrounds. In a country as large as the United States, a shared identity is essential for a sense of unity, however, we should not ignore the religious and ethnic differences that … Continue reading Why We Shouldn’t Feed the Melting Pot
By Tiffany Puett First published at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tiffany-puett/texas-and-the-politics-of-exclusion_b_8594446.html Last Friday night, several armed terrorists coordinated attacks around the city of Paris that left 129 people dead. The terrorist group ISIS, or Daesh, has claimed responsibility. The day before the Paris attacks, suicide bombers with ISIS affiliation killed 43 people and wounded 239 more in Beirut. The attacks … Continue reading Texas and the Politics of Exclusion
By Lauren Horn Griffin As I scrolled through my Facebook and Twitter feeds yesterday, I was immediately bombarded with the distressing image (or references to the image) of a Syrian toddler washed up on a Turkish beach. The commentary, without exception, was filled with words of grief and sympathy—even calls to action. Mothers, grateful for … Continue reading The Distance Between Syria and El Salvador
IDCL Director Tiffany Puett has a new piece on the Huffington Post about recent Islamophobic protests at the new Arabic Immersion Magnet School in Houston, TX. As she argues: Better education about the diverse cultures and religions represented in Houston and greater Texas is essential for creating a public square that makes room for the … Continue reading Houston Arabic Immersion Magnet School Faces Bigots
