On Wednesday June 5, Glen Greenwald published in the Guardian that the NSA has been collecting metadata from tens of millions of Americans through Verizon Wireless. This information was then superseded by a series of articles containing dates when PRISM collection began for each telecommunications provider, follies within FISC, and biopics of the leaker and former CIA technical assistant and NSA employee Edward Snowden. The leak has served as a catalyst for a national discourse on how to balance the oft-opposing values of liberty and security. As nations around the world like Turkey, Syria, and Russia grapple with their governments to secure their freedoms, Americans have yet to take any large scale action against this encroachment on the first and fourth amendment.

Daniel Ellsberg, famed leaker of the 1971 Pentagon Papers, commented that “there has not been in American history a more important leak than Edward Snowden’s release of NSA material.” During Ellsberg’s intelligence career, the political unrest in America was so prevalent that Abbie Hoffman led a movement to levitate the pentagon. Since that time, however, the credibility gap between the government and the American people has widened, and the effects of that distrust are now manifest in the populace’s complacency towards expected government surveillance.

In 2006 USA Today reported on similar abuses through AT&T and Bell South, and although Senate Intelligence Committee members Mark Udall and Ron Wyden have been cautioning against the dangers and breadth of government surveillance, and calling for the American people to “evaluate” the PRISM project, there has yet to be any significant steps in modifying, let alone dismantling, the program.

Senator Feinstein, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, contrastingly asserts that the NSA’s intelligence gathering has helped thwart acts of terror on US soil, and that in leaking information deemed critical to US security, Edward Snowden has committed “an act of treason.”  Pro-surveillance sentiment has been echoed in British Foreign Secretary William Hague’s rhetoric that law abiding citizens have “nothing to fear.”

Much estranged from the 60’s radical methods of protest, the most divisive response to the leak seems to be a petition on the White House’s We the People website stating that “Edward Snowden is a national hero and should be immediately issued a [sic] a full, free, and absolute pardon for any crimes he has committed or may have committed related to blowing the whistle on secret NSA surveillance programs.” 24 hours after its launch, the petition had over 25,000 signatures.

During the 2009 Iranian elections and the Arab Spring, protestors utilized social media and internet activism to effectively coordinate mass demonstrations against the ruling parties. On May 30 the US State Department lifted sanctions on the sale of telecommunication devices to Iran, presumably to foster reoccurring activism during the June 14 Iranian elections. This action to promote democracy underscores the irony in surveillance that the ACLU deems “Orwellian.”

In these instances, uproar in the cyber world has transcended technological confines to real action and tangible changes. In the NSA leak, however, online activism has expectedly become a counterproductive cop out, as activists feel heightened political efficacy without actually instituting any political or social change.

The public’s apathy is tangible; the average American voices sentiment suggesting that none of us are categorically surprised by news of the NSA surveillance program. We all still remain idle despite the growing proof of the scope of surveillance.  The court order signed by Judge Roger Vinson of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court contained a provision allowing data to be monitored regardless of whether the contact “originated or was terminated” abroad (enabling for blanket spying on American citizens), that there is a massive lack of oversight in enabling agencies to put citizens under surveillance since FISC has only rejected 11 government applications in its 34 year existence, while approving upwards of 20,000, and that the NSA has failed to produce “evidence showing that the NSA’s dragnet collection of Americans’ phone records has produced any uniquely valuable intelligence.”

The sole institutional impact of the leak is thus far limited to the 3.5% decrease in stock trading of Booze Allen Hamilton after it was revealed that Snowden was a former employee.

Ironically, the leak was revealed the day before a meeting between President Obama and President Xi Jinping of China on cyber-attacks.

The leak has invoked some substantial reactions from abroad. Once Snowden was said to be in Hong Kong, officials within Russia’s Kremlin said that in the event of a US extradition request, they would consider granting Snowden political asylum. Such an offer would be embarrassing after the West’s frequent condemnation of human rights abuses in Russia.

Despite the media frenzy around the topic, no one has broached the dark and disheartening implications of these discoveries: Should programs like Prism go unreformed, our government will only continue to develop newer, more comprehensive methods of mass public surveillance. Should we continue in this current state of apathy and political immobility, we run the risk of allowing these programs to become entrenched into our system of governance until they can never be dismantled- until they become accepted and commonplace within American society.

Two hundred years ago founding father Benjamin Franklin, astutely aware of the threats of this mentality, warned, “those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

By Shaiesha Moore

“Lord,” said David, “since you do not need us,
why did you create these two worlds?”

Reality replied: “O prisoner of time,
It was a secret treasure of kindness and generosity,
and I wished this treasure to be known,
so I created a mirror: its shining face, the heart;
its darkened back, the world;
The back would please you if you’ve never seen the face.”

–Rumi, “Be Lost in the Call”

Today, when Westerners read about Afghanistan we only see the back of the mirror. The world has shaped Afghanistan into a country of fear, in need of humanitarian assistance and “democracy,” the home of terrorism and radical Islam. As Western media paints this country, the birthplace of poets like Rumi, as a dark abyss, Afghans around the world attempt to right the wrongs of these depictions.

The author of bestselling novels, The Kite Runner (2003), A Thousand Splendid Suns (2007) And The Mountains Echoed (2013), Khaled Hosseini, is an Afghan-born American who uses his spellbound words, charming characters, unsettling yet addicting storylines to entertain and inform Western audiences about life in Afghanistan. Hosseini’s novels take place during a pivotal time in Afghanistan’s history: 1950s to the present day. This time period encompasses the Soviet invasion, Bush’s War on Terror, and the rise of the Taliban. Hosseini craftily intertwines this era of destruction into the lives of his characters.

In his first two novels, The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, the characters lives are devastated by the terrors of the Taliban, mujahedeen veterans turned warlords, and the mental, emotional and physical degradation of women. His characters begin as children and mature into adults in this horrific world. As the lives he created witness the destruction and rebirth of Afghanistan, we, the readers, gasp, cry, and smile as Hosseini takes us on a journey into the abyss.

While Hosseini’s stories are page-turners, there’s a major flaw in his literary world of Afghanistan. Hosseini lived in Afghanistan for a total of eight years during his early childhood, eventually escaping with his family in 1980 to San Jose, California before the Soviets arrived. What does this physician and humanitarian know about becoming an adult in a country where bombs light up the sky, where warlords take over the cities, and the Taliban publicly executes women?

Hosseini’s life has provided him the luxury of the American dream, and while he may have heard stories, send money to relatives, and create a foundation to help his motherland, it is impossible to truly know the life of a man, woman, or child 7,429 miles away. What’s interesting, however, is that one of Hosseini’s characters describes his gift perfectly, “A magician, with a pen for a wand, able to move an audience by conjuring emotions [he] had never known [himself]. Was that even possible?”

Unlike Hosseini’s first two novels, his third novel, And the Mountains Echoed, has a different tone. Hosseini has matured as a writer, and while there is still drama, death, betrayal and all the other gruesome elements he is known for, it is more subtle. And the Mountains Echoed is built around a pair of siblings in an imaginary Afghan village in 1952. As expected, the siblings are devastated by many of Afghanistan’s horrors. The old Afghan folktale in the beginning of the novel serves as a framework for the larger narrative. The novel is comprised of nine individual yet intricately intertwined stories. A major theme in this novel is forgetfulness.

For example: in one tale, a young doctor whose family fled to the U.S. returns to reclaim abandoned property in Kabul. He visits a hospital there, grows fond of a wounded little girl, promises to send for her and get her the best medical treatment America can offer. When he returns to California, he becomes overwhelmed with work and his role as a father and a husband and eventually forgets his promise, until the little girl has “become something abstract to him, like a character in a play…something best forgotten.”

This is the first character I have ever been able to connect with in a Hosseini novel. This is a more realistic situation that many people who have travelled to the dark side of the Earth have experienced. The shock of this discovery is what kept me attentive when reading this novel.

I also discovered that in each tale there was an aura of survivor’s guilt. Many writers leave traces of themselves in their work. I believe Hosseini has finally come to realize that his first two novels were unintentional tools of exploitation. And that his third, and probably final, novel is his way of realizing that you can go back, look at the damage, try to conjure up memories of your time there, before the war, but you will never really understand the lives of the people who lived during or after the war. Sure write their stories down, or what you think their stories should be however, you’re just a magician entertaining the audiences in your adoptive countries. And your birth country eventually becomes a subject and no longer a home.

As God in Rumi’s poem, “Be Lost in the Call” said to David, “The back would please you if you’ve never seen the face.” Anyone can write about experiences they’ve never experienced. However, it will always leave the reader with a distorted view of reality.

Going out to eat, ordering in, and even grocery shopping for a home cooked meal are all things easily taken for granted by those without dietary restrictions. With so many different dietary restrictions today, it is unrealistic to expect restaurants and grocers to cater to everyone. It is, however, notably more difficult for many American Muslims to find halal meat options.

The rising halal food market provides an increasing number of food options for American-Muslims, yet, on a daily basis, many still struggle to find meals that include meat.

Halal meat for Muslims is tantamount to kosher meat for Jews, as both come from an animal that has been slaughtered in accordance with religious texts. The Qur’an and hadith stipulate that in order for meat to be halal, the animal must be hung upside down, allowing the blood to drain out, while Allah’s name is spoken. These religious criteria make it difficult for American-Muslims to find meat in not predominantly Muslim areas.

Students at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) often find themselves repeatedly eating the same foods, as they do not have time to venture to halal markets and cook daily.  This, consequently, compels them to eat out.

One student said, “Sometimes it’s a source of conflict when I’m making plans with friends… I can’t always eat some of the foods my friends choose to enjoy.” Many echoed the difficulty in experiencing new cuisines because of the lack of halal options outside of Mediterranean food.

A few American-Muslims admitted to accepting kosher foods in lieu of certified halal meat. The majority, however, did not accept this alternative, preferring instead to find certified halal meat.

Students also cited the financial burden of forgetting to pack a lunch and paying more for seafood or vegetarian substitutes: “Sometimes you are forced to pay more than you can afford. At McDonald’s it always costs more to get a fish sandwich than a chicken sandwich or a burger.”

One student even experienced health issues resulting from the lack of halal options in her busy day-to-day life. “It’s hard for me since I work and go to school, I end up limiting myself on what I can eat and now I’m on medication for having low iron,” she said.

As a recent graduate, current intern, and someone who holds a nearly full-time job, I can relate to simply lacking time to prepare food and thus having to go out to find some.

Luckily, the number of dining establishments that offer full or partial halal menus is on the rise. Places with Mediterranean, Indian, American, Greek, French, South Asian, Persian, Palestinian and many more cuisines now offer halal meat throughout the city of Chicago.

The Jordanian owner of Sultan’s Market located in Wicker Park (2057 W. North Ave; (773) 235-3072) sells Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. A manager at Sultan’s Market noted, “It just works, it’s Middle Eastern food and that’s what people who come in expect: halal food.” Sultan’s Market offers a wide variety of options ranging from salads, starters, rice and soups to sandwiches, kabobs and shawerma. It should be noted, too, that those with a sweet tooth can head to this Wicker Park location and find a Middle Eastern/Mediterranean inspired dessert bar. They also have a second location in Lincoln Park (2521 N. Clark St.; (312) 683-9151).

Mughal India, located in the Near West Side neighborhood (560 W. VHan Buren St.; (312) 431-8029), serves Indian cuisine with an entirely halal meat menu. Mughal India’s manager explained that the restaurant opted to serve halal meat not only to accommodate customers with particular religious affiliations, but because many non-Muslims find that the food tastes better. This stems from the idea that the meat tastes better because of how the animals are drained entirely of their blood. Mughal India offers a wide variety of dishes infused with Indian spices and flavors.

For those who want to enjoy traditional American cuisine on the go can head to Brother K’s, in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood (6659 S. Wentworth Ave.; (773) 488-6659). Brother K’s offers a wide range of foods from American cuisine. Food options include cheeseburgers, chicken wraps, Philly cheese steak sandwiches, hot dogs and chicken nuggets. They even have gyros, tacos and some Cajun inspired choices. Their website provides a full menu and coupons.

Jubrano’s is another great option for halal American cuisine. Located in Little Italy (1519 W. Taylor St.; (312) 666-8681), Jubrano’s offers burgers, chicken, wings and wraps. They also offer salads, side orders, fish and gyros. I would personally recommend Jubrano’s burgers, as they are both delicious and affordable!

I Dream Of Falafel, located in the Loop (331 S Franklin St.; (312) 913-9660) offers Middle Eastern cuisine. You can visit their website to view their menu, more locations and to sign up to receive coupons and find out about monthly specials.

Olive Mediterranean Grill, located in the Loop (1001 W. North Ave; (312) 274-5525), offers a Mediterranean menu. Olive Mediterranean Grill provides a wide range of Mediterranean ingredients and allow you to create your own unique meal each time you visit. Visit their website to check out their menu, view additional locations or to order online.

There are many more restaurant options throughout Chicago and the Chicagoland area but it is advised that you always ask about their halal status. Oftentimes halal foods and Middle Eastern or Mediterranean foods are used interchangeably. Several times my halal-only eating friends have come across great Middle Eastern or Mediterranean restaurants with mouthwatering menus only to find that none of their meats are halal. Be sure to not confuse cuisine with halal and always ask places if their meats are halal. Look out for restaurant windows boasting certified halal signs, there may be some unique halal cuisines out there waiting to be discovered. If you find any great halal places or just wish to share your experiences about your favorite halal restaurants, feel free to add your thoughts in a comment.

Two weeks after clashes between protesters and police began in Istanbul’s Taksim Square, it is clear that the protests in Turkey stem from deeply complex tensions in Turkish society.

The protests began in Taksim as environmentalists contested plans for development in adjacent Gezi Park. Demonstrations quickly spread across the country, absorbing different factions concerned with Prime Minister Erdogan and his AK Party’s actions. Protesters have occupied Istanbul’s Taksim Square, Ankara’s central Kizilay Square, Izmir, Edirne, Adana, and other cities, and have been exposed to tear gas and other violence in clashes with police.

While the idea of a divide between secularists and pious Muslims has pervaded media and popular discussion, the complex composition of the protests reflects a Turkish society that is not strictly divided between the secular and pious, or middle and working class. Rather, the popularity of the protests speaks to the holistic dissatisfaction within a multifaceted Turkish society of a government that has introduced significant reforms while preventing discussion of its actions on a national level.

Various news sources have referenced the diversity of Turks represented within the protests, including Alevi Turks, members of rival soccer teams, practitioners of yoga, older Turks, pious Muslims, gays, and a host of other groups.

Erdogan is traditionally backed by religious working class citizens, as well as a new urban middle class of observant Muslims.  His rise to power as mayor of Istanbul, and then prime minister, however, sparked fears among secularists that he would transform Turkey into an Islamist state.

These fears carry potential to contribute to a divide between secular and pious citizens in Turkey. In recent years, secularists have echoed the slogan “Turkey will not become Iran”.

Despite this, the false binary between secularists and Islamists has been eroding, especially as the rise of an urban Muslim middle class has bridged the economic divide between middle class secularists and historically working-class observant Muslims.

Since Erdogan’s election in 2007, both secular and religious factions of Turkish society have become increasingly discontent with the social reforms introduced by his Islamist-leaning AK Party. Recent legislation attempting to restrict abortion and the consumption of alcohol drew opponents from a diversity of religious backgrounds. On May 24, legislation passed banning the sale of alcohol from 10pm to 6am and prohibiting distribution within 100 feet of mosques and schools. Laws such as this have potential to perpetuate the binary between the secular and pious, under what Author Andrew Finkel describes as a“drink apartheid.”

This possibility does not reflect tangible divides within Turkish society so much as it reflects the potential for Erdogan to exploit religious distinctions to draw supporters. The AK Party’s actions reveal its acute consciousness of this potential, as they purposefully imbue their politics with religious connotations. Erdogan himself hails from a pious, working-class neighborhood in Istanbul, and has used his background to gain support among working-class Muslims throughout Turkey.

In a speech on Sunday, Erdogan accused protesters of “insulting my headscarf-wearing daughters and sisters” by entering a Dolmabahce mosque wearing shoes and carrying alcohol. The mosque’s imam and muezzin have denied these allegations. Dolmabahce was one of several mosques around Taksim Square that functioned as a makeshift medical center to treat those injured in clashes with police.

Erdogan’s invocation of the headscarf highlights the centrality of the hijab in current debates about coexistence between secularism and piety. Women wearing headscarves were not widely represented at the protests. Some protesters wearing headscarves cited social pressures and  fears of unfriendly sentiment as inhibiting their ability to more actively protest.

Once banned in government buildings, an approved style of head covering is now permitted due to AK Party support for free expression of Islamic faith. As the wives of both President Abdullah Gül and Prime Minister Erdogan wear headscarves, the ban on them in government buildings could not reasonably last.

The rise of an urban pious class brings secularists and the overtly religious into daily contact through economic activity. Through these interactions, secular Turks come to recognize that the headscarf carries multiple meanings for individuals, and does not necessarily equate to staunch support for Erdogan’s policies.

The group “Anti-Capitalist Muslims,” comprised of students, activists, and working-class citizens, has expressed dissatisfaction with Erdogan’s neoliberal economic policies, which they attribute to greater class divisions and the marginalization of Turkey’s poor. In May 2012, they organized and joined a demonstration in Taksim Square against unsafe working conditions and restrictive labor laws. During protests in Taksim Square on June 5, Anti-Capitalist Muslims organized a Qur’an reading to commemorate the day of the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) ascension into heaven. Two days later, members led Friday prayers in Taksim to honor the three killed and approximately 5,000 people injured in the protests.

Turkey’s labor unions have also expressed support, attending demonstrations and executing strikes and walkouts to contest the police and Erdogan’s response to the protests.

Support for the protests from the working class and the overtly religious is significant, as it also draws from the population that has historically backed Erdogan. Views such as those of the Anti-Capitalist Muslims highlight the inconsistency in correlating Erdogan’s neoliberal policies with pious, working class support.

The AK Party has also instituted the transfer of Istanbul University’s botanical gardens to the Istanbul Mufti’s office. While the Mufti’s office cited past religious ownership of the property as a reason for the expropriation, one prominent biologist speculates that the transfer came only after private companies expressed interest in the property.

Erdogan is scheduled to meet with protesters today. He has renewed police presence in Taksim Square, and has introduced measures to hold twitter users legally accountable for inciting violence.

Turks are uniting across class and religious distinctions in protest of a state that intentionally aims to manipulate these differences to strengthen control of Turkish society.

Regardless of these divisive efforts, sections of Turkish society continue to collaborate in demanding respect for their universal right of expression. The outcome of these protests now depends on whether protesters continue coordinating and effectively contesting the AK Party’s extensive economic and legal maneuvers without falling prey to the party’s divide-and-conquer rhetoric.

Chicago’s East-West Rogers Park is home to Devon Avenue, a unique stretch of street dominated by Desi (generally anyone from the Indian subcontinent) shops, stores, places of worship, and restaurants. Indo-Pak culture, in all its vibrant and vivid brightness, shines here in a blend of Americana that gives the atmosphere a distinctiveness hard to match anywhere else in the city.

Devon Avenue is, like the rest of the world, riddled with the daily complexities of life, including those of identity and self-perception. A few weeks ago, a comrade and I went to Hyderabad House to have some of the vaunted and delectable Hyderabadi Chai. As we walked down the street, sipping chai and debating geopolitics, a picture in the window of a hair salon, that I had passed by numerous times without giving nary a thought, transfixed me.

Peering out at me was a woman covered in white face paint with the word “BLEACH”:

I was immediately disturbed by the image. It brought to the forefront of my mind the deleterious ramifications and symptoms of colonization that continue to afflict our communities. While the anti-colonial liberation struggles loosened overt political and economic control of the nations that form a part of our hyphenated existences (Pakistani-Americans of the world, unite!), the cultural process of decolonization is clearly not complete.

Let’s be real: bleaching is not just about “evening” the skin tone, it’s an attempt to transform and reconfigure one’s appearance in the hope of attaining society’s constructed ideal of beauty and class.

There are many stories from lands  associated with “darkness,” where individuals have used “face lightening creams” only to result in a tragic misconfiguration: essentially, a self-inflicted acid attack.

For some, the answer lies in self-styled safer face creams like the popular South Asian brand “Fair and Lovely,”

These brands perpetuate the cultural trope of piyaari rung or “lovely color,” (i.e.. white skin) and therefore implies that  dark skin is “unlovely” and the antithesis of beauty. Such products can be found in almost all of the grocery stores and mini markets on Devon Avenue. One salesclerk told me demand is pretty high among not only immigrants, but first generation Americans as well.

The surface level issue made so apparent by these products actually masks a deeper struggle at the heart of our hyphenated cultures. From elementary school to the madrassa, from the images we consume of American pop culture to those we receive from overseas via satellite, we have been continually conditioned to fetishize light skin.

Part of the answer rests in education. First we must acknowledge and spread love for the most natural and intuitive of truths: the beauty of God’s multifaceted creation. We must realize the importance of overcoming powerlessness, racism, and economic disparities without escaping behind masks that barely cover-up an internalized colonialism.

 By Nadia Atassi

Sharia Law. The antithesis of good; the epitome of evil; the way of life that Muslims bring to the western world with the intention of undermining the democratic institution and beheading the infidels who dare to defy the Islamic way.

Protests continue in Santiago, Chile, where hundreds of thousands of activists have taken to the streets to protest the Chilean government. Though the country has been economically prosperous and relatively stable for many years, demonstrations have continued to signal public dissatisfaction with certain government policies. Protesters in the capital are demanding that the government address their wide range of concerns, including education reform, environmental issues, gay rights, Monsanto, and the rights of indigenous populations.

Protests have been largely peaceful and most closely resemble those of the Occupy movement in that activists in the Occupy movement and in the Chilean protests share similar concerns, and have both included large numbers of young supporters. Interestingly enough, parallels can also be drawn between the Chilean protests and the Arab Spring.

The protests in the Middle East that began in 2011 were both revolutionary and awe-inspiring; sadly, an incredibly small percentage of the protesters became violent and received an incredibly high percentage of media attention, often exacerbating the situation and/or completely commandeering the work of hundreds of thousands of peaceful protesters (for example, in Egypt, Syria, or Libya; let us hope that protests in Istanbul do not follow suit). Much in the same way, a group of violent masked protesters, referred to as “Encapuchados” (which translates to “hooded ones”; this title is likely taken from that of the infamous Colombian student protesters who acted similarly), have captured the attention of the Chilean government. The violent actions of few “[tarnish] the reputation of the entire movement,” according to one Chilean protestor.

Of course, the moment violent parties emerge in places like the Middle East and Central/Southern Asia, the media is quick to report on the matter. It is somewhat disconcerting that the actions of the Encapuchados, though extremist in nature, have been largely ignored by the media and, as explained above, only noticed by the Chilean government. It is necessary then to understand the nature of the extremist actions of the Encapuchados, and examine why there has been minimal media coverage of the event.

Media Unevenness: Is it prejudice?

The Encapuchados, in their masked outfits, have violently attacked police and journalists, and have vandalized streets in Santiago. The retaliation from police has been no less violent; they have “responded with tear gas, batons, and water cannon.” This level of violent activity, resulting in the arrests of thousands and the injury of many hundred more, should merit a decent amount of media attention. It is curious then, that little to no attention has been paid to the issue whatsoever (note: the source above is from the BBC).

Let us imagine for a moment, that these violent protesters, the Encapuchados, were Muslim or that these violent breakouts occurred in a Muslim-majoritycountry; what would be the media reaction then? Would it remain as unimportant? There is no doubt that the peaceful protesters would be completely removed from the picture and be left forgotten.

Unfortunately, it has become a media habit in the West, especially in the United States, to capitalize on violent activity by “Muslim” organizations (I use quotations to demonstrate that politically motivated organizations mask their violent activities by saying it is in the name of Islam, much as the violent Encapuchados have masked their faces). Too often, media reports create an atmosphere in which Muslims have become “the other” or, to arguably, the enemy. Whether intentional or not, the media has perpetuated an unfair image of Muslims that has attempted to tarnish the reputation of the Muslim community in many places, including United States.

It is disturbing to consider that such unjust spreading of Islamophobia is not unique to media outlets, but has been perpetuated by governmental figures in the United States, at the local, state, and federal levels. There have been a number of anti-Sharia bills introduced that are purely based on prejudice, many mosques across the country have had controversy over zoning issues with local councils, illegal activity targeting Muslims continues to occur, and many public figures, such as Peter King and Zuhdi Jasser, continue to spew prejudice remarks that marginalize American Muslims. Just this week, another anti-Islam bill that survived the Missouri Legislature had to be vetoed by Governor Jay Nixon.

Extremists – such as the overlooked Encapuchados or white supremacists here in the United States – should be handled in a manner consistent with all other violent extremists. It is imperative that the media recognize that uneven reporting is harmful to Muslims everywhere and, consequently, to justice everywhere.

For over a year now, I have worked at a civil rights organization based in Chicago that primarily serves Muslims, despite the fact that I am not a Muslim. Many people have asked me “Why do you work with Muslims? Why do you work to help them? Is there another civil rights organization you can work for? Why do you want to defend ‘those people’?” I have even been told that I should not help defend the rights of Muslims because they are a threat to our American way of life. What is more, I have heard of acts of discrimination against women who wear hijab (headscarf). If the Virgin Mary is always depicted wearing a headscarf, then how can anyone who claims to be a Christian discriminate against Muslim women who choose to wear it?

Well, let me tell you why it is not only my choice, but my obligation as an Italian American Catholic to defend “those people.”

At this point, it is quite clear that Muslims in this country have faced immense scrutiny and discrimination since 9/11. In fact, working at CAIR-Chicago has opened up my eyes to more discrimination amongst the Muslim community than I ever thought was possible.

What is appalling to me is that many people assert that Muslims should not have rights as a minority because they take away rights from minorities (Christians) in their own countries. This “eye for an eye” rhetoric is not only completely refuted in the Holy Bible, but it is also the very same rhetoric that many Christians criticize Muslims for holding. More  importantly, this is the United States of America: home of the brave, land of the free. As American Christians, we cannot claim to be champions of liberty and freedom while simultaneously not advocating for rights for all.

As a Christian, of course it is my duty to talk about the good word of our Savior Jesus Christ, however, it is more important to follow in his footsteps by treating people as He would have treated them. Love your neighbor as you love yourself (Matthew 19:19). Morever, while people who may or may not identify themselves as Christians are busy spreading hate instead of love (complete opposite of Biblical teachings); I am instead learning about the consequences of these acts of hatred and discrimination. Through a victim’s pain and suffering, I feel as if I am able to put myself in their shoes. This is where we become connected by something more basic than faith: humanity.

Those who call themselves “Christians” and are set out to persecute Muslims simply because of their faith, have grossly misinterpreted the Holy Bible. Christians who see Islam as the “enemy” that must be defeated must have forgotten these important passages: Do good to those who hate you and love your enemies (Luke 6:27); pray for those that persecute you (Matthew 5:44); and bless those that curse you (Luke 6:27-36). Jesus never commanded his followers to fight in religious wars; rather, he forbade them from demonstrations of violence or hatred. Whether it is the crusades or the burning of Qurans, none of these are acceptable acts in Christianity; and thus should not be done in the name of it. Even though hatred is unacceptable whether you are a religious person or an atheist, it is even more unacceptable if you claim to be following in the steps of Christ.

Just as Muslims all over the world have seen their religion attacked because of a select extremist minority, I too have had my faith attacked because of a similar group. In particular, the Catholic Church has lost credibility over the years because of a few select priests with extremely disturbed minds. The pedophilia of which those priests were accused has given the Church a bad name. Now, under the leadership of Pope Francis I, it is clear that he is leading by the example of Christ through his humbleness and advocacy of what it truly means to be a Catholic. Similarly, Islam has lost credibility because of select groups such as al Qaeda, al Nusra, the Muslim Brotherhood, etc. Groups such as CAIR Chicago and the My Jihad campaign, however, are working hard to take back their faith from the hands of extremists. The fact of the matter is anyone can hide behind an ideology and justify terrible acts. However, evil is evil no matter what cloak a person decides to hide under.

I know that there are certain parts of the world where I absolutely cannot travel safely to as a Christian, let alone be able to practice my faith. Such countries include Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Somalia amongst others. Just like I would never be able to practice my faith safely in some of these places, some Muslims in the United States feel threatened to practice Islam. When you have people shooting at mosques and wanting to burn Qurans, it becomes apparent why an American Muslim feels attacked.

If people wish to spread hatred instead of kindness, evil instead of good, or war instead of peace, they should do so on their own without any labels. They should not claim to be an American, a Catholic, a Christian, a Jew, etc., but they should just claim to be the person they really are uncloaked: a bigot. There is no need to hide behind religion as if it is some sort of shield for justifying discrimination and intolerance of others. He who is without sin can then cast the first stone.

I am by no means a perfect Catholic, but I am certain that there is importance in helping people of other faiths. To say you will not help someone just because they do not believe in your own faith goes against the basic foundations of most faiths. In a utopian society, people would be judged for their individual acts alone. While this type of society has never and will never exist, it is up to us as people of faith to treat others as we would like to be treated. After all, religion is supposed to be a tool for peace and not a mechanism to spread hatred. This is exactly why, as a devout Catholic, I chose not only to defend “those people,” but all people.

Last year, the nation watched in captivation as the Chicago Teachers Union went on strike; hundreds upon hundreds of teachers, community members, parents, and even students, took to the streets to combat the heavy hand of Mayor Rahm Emanuel who was dubbed by some protesters “The Rahmfather.” There were many supporters of the strikes as well as many detractors. “The Rahmfather” was one of the main detractors. Once the strike ended and an agreement was settled upon, optimism for education reform was in the air. However, the battle over contracts and school conditions has now turned into a war over the closing of schools.

More recently, in the month of May, two historic events occurred in Chicago: construction of 10 miles of crumbling tracks on the Red Line south of Roosevelt Road, and the closing of 50 public schools. Although both are occurring on the city’s South Side, one of these projects is significantly better planned than the other.

In March, it was announced that 54 schools will close next year; six more schools are set to be heavily rebooted, known as ‘turnarounds’. Some will be merged with other schools so  their buildings can be shut down. Many decried this announcement, and it was declared by some as the largest single wave of school closures in U.S. history.

On Wednesday, May 22, 2013, the CPS Board of Education officials deliberated on the proposed closing of failing Chicago Public Schools. News stations aired the hearings live. Emotions were high as protesters comprised of parents, teachers and community members, angrily and passionately opposed each vote in heartfelt outbursts.

After the hearings concluded, the Board decided on closing 49 elementary schools and one high school in the Chicago Public School system. Four schools will be ‘turnaround’ schools. Protesters were angry and emotional at the thought of how this would affect their community and their children. It was estimated that these closings will affect more than 30,000 students.

Barbara Byrd-Bennett, the newly-appointed CEO of CPS, was among the key figures in this decision. She has become infamous for her management of massive school closures, including a number of closures in Detroit, where she served as Chief Academic and Accountability Manager for Detroit Public Schools. Mayor Rahm Emanuel is also a major proponent and initiator of this decision, having appointed  the board that voted on the decision.

WGN reported the protests live via social media outside of the CPS Board of Education building:

The communities affected have long been the prey of shifty politicians. African Americans, and Latinos, are subjected to decaying neighborhoods and inferior schools. These communities seem to have tried to make less into more, despite being poverty-stricken with minimal  resources. Now, with the closings at the decisive hand of Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his appointed CPS Board, these communities have been even further disenfranchised.

A number of socioeconomic factors affect the children and families that closing schools will not solve. The city will save $500 billion, which is half of its deficit, by closing these schools.The over 30,000 students that will be impacted by this decision, however, will have to live with overcrowded classrooms, new neighborhoods, longer commutes, and, most importantly, the near constant threats posed by Chicago’s crippling gang violence and gun problem.

It’s now safe to argue that Rahm Emanuel will be a one-term Mayor. He’s a politician that has lost touch with his constituents. More importantly, he has lost touch with the very people who elected him.

When you look at the design of the CPS system in a hyper-segregated city like Chicago, there is a broad strip of territory between destitution and comfort for many students. In other words: poor, substandard schools versus rich, exceptional schools is the overall makeup. This is why this choice to close schools and shuffle students around is major. It is inadvertently widening an already disparate education gap between affluent districts and underprivileged districts.

Furthermore, considering that black students are a large percentage of those affected by these changes, it becomes increasingly clear that CPS is trying to disinvest in minorities, stuff them into near-full classrooms, and put them in possibly dangerous situations, especially since many students would have to leave their home neighborhoods and cross through several gang turfs.  This attempt at reform will prove to be a costly experiment, one that threatens the lives and futures of a generation of youth of color in Chicago.

Moreover, you could also call this attempt at “reform” a cynical ploy by Mayor Emanuel to further demonize and antagonize the Chicago Teachers Union at the expense of disadvantaged students in low-income neighborhoods. But, a public official like Rahm Emanuel is nothing new to Chicagoans from those neighborhoods. He’s out of touch and out of focus, completely unaware, and seemingly unsympathetic to the reality that the daily life experiences of these kids will be drastically changed because of his decision.

An English teacher, who wanted to remain anonymous, at Chicago Vocation High School on the city’s South Side, stated: “It will be disruptive for students, who will have to learn the mores of a new building, as each school has its own culture.  They will lose adults by whom they have been surrounded their entire educational career, and in turn have to acclimate to the new authority figures in their lives.”

In light of these major changes, it’s imperative to ask: Why aren’t available funds being put into neighborhood schools?  Why not give neighborhood schools what they need to achieve instead of disinvesting children in already poor situations?

Important to note in this debate is that charter schools are not the answer; they are more decentralized and lack the structural components that unionized public schools have. Take for instance the case of a Louisiana charter school that taught an alternative side of history, which was hugely inaccurate (to say the least) and undoubtedly enabled by a system which lacks curricular oversight. Even besides the pitfalls caused by this lack of oversight, the charter school system does not address the needs of a community the way the public school system can.

According to a study by CREDO, nationally, 1 in 5 charter schools outperform public schools; 35% do better and 46% do worse..As Ben Joravsky, in his piece in the Chicago Reader, stated: “There are 541 elementary schools in Chicago. Based on the composite ISAT scores for 2011—the last full set available—none of the top ten are charters. None of the top 20, 30, or 40 either.”

We have to understand that shipping kids from one school to another as if they won’t be affected, as if they won’t care, as if their educational development isn’t on the line, is completely erroneous, disrespectful, nonproductive and downright wrong.

An English teacher from Chicago Vocational said via email, “As a 12 year veteran of CPS, it’s hard to believe that they will follow through as promised.  It’s also hard to believe they have students’ best interests at heart when they [Mayor Rahm Emmanuel and members of the school board] push through initiatives [onger school day and year, less library and arts funding, increasedemphasis on standardized testing] that they purposefully avoid for their own children by sending them to private schools.”

Rahm Emanuel himself has done a great job of demonizing teachers unions and persuading others, like the mainstream press, to follow suit. He has also bolstered the image of charter schools as a viable replacement for public schools, undoubtedly related to the former’s notorious intolerance of teachers unions. a. Take for instance the case of Chicago’s Youth Connection Leadership Academy. Teachers there wanted to unionize to get a better say in the policies and curriculum and they were all fired.

We cannot continue to circumvent the issue of failing public schools by presenting an option like charter schools; instead we must actually address the widespread disparity in CPS schools caused by issues at the interconnection of race, income and neighborhood.

Of the affected students, over 90 percent are African American. These statistics are not meaningless; they do and will continue to have large scale implications.

The Chicago Public School (CPS) system, the third largest school district in the U.S., has been in a near constant state of reformation efforts aimed to uplift under-performing schools and provide adequate solutions to overcrowded classrooms.. Since the Chicago School Reform Act of 1989, the CPS system has attempted to address the issue of its underperforming schools, yet that measure seems now to be at any and all cost.

Because of the disproportionate resources richer schools have, students in low-income neighborhoods are perpetually disenfranchised due only to the circumstances of their birth and living situations. To put it more clearly: if you live in a poor neighborhood, you are more likely to get a poor education and you are less likely to advance economically and socially in life; this cycle could and, for some, does continue for generations.

Affluent schools have a surplus of funding and abundant resources to prepare their students more effectively, deeming them immune to the threat of closure. At the same time, students on the South Side will see their schools closed and continue to scrap for new books in crumbling buildings and overcrowded classrooms.

The city’s main goal should be to address the looming effects that failed funding policies have on education benefits for students in the Chicago Public School system. Aid formulas must be stringently revised to properly distribute funds and to use financial resources in ways that would perhaps effectively level the education field.

Putting it into perspective

I know what it’s like to sit in an overcrowded classroom that’s more akin to a crowded New York subway than a learning-conducive environment. I know what it’s like to see your teacher buy their supplies out of pocket. I know what it’s like to sit in a CPS school and stop and wonder: “where exactly is the money going? It’s not going toward fixing this place.” I know what it’s like to have old, run-down textbooks knowing that the kids up North probably get new books every year. I know what it’s like to cross from one part of the South Side into another to get to and from schoo land feel perpetually ‘lucky’ to have made it.

Chicago Public Schools, and Chicago overall, has a problem. It’s not necessarily a gun problem or an education problem. It’s a major disconnect between those in power and those they claim to represent. Public officials like Mayor Emanuel don’t know the real implications of forcing kids out of these schools and out of their neighborhoods all in an attempt to settle a political score.

Our local government is openly demonstrating to us how it feels (or rather, doesn’t feel) about the health and well-being of a large group of young Chicagoans– it is demonstrating its utter lack of consideration for some of the most already-disenfranchised of its constituents.  As of now, it seems that the Board of Education and Mayor Emanuel are set in the closing of these schools and in the dislocation of students for purposes of trimming fat from the budget rather than substantive education reform. However, the CTU, and many affected Chicago communities, seem to be geared up for this war.

Recently, CTU President Karen Lewis, along with other members, have filed lawsuits in Federal Court to halt these closings.

More recently, a group of activists, comprised of parents and students affected by this decision, paraded into the Northside of Chicago, a place where school resources and tests scores are high and closings are nonexistent, to enroll their children. A blatant attempt to display the unequal wealth and education gap and to ridicule the closures.

There is no doubt that this is a gutsy decision by CPS officials and Mayor Emanuel to try to fix a broken system, but only history will tell if this decision will actually improve the school system and the education many of these students will receive. It may take days, months or years, but we will see the real outcome of these aggressive decisions.

There is a war brewing in Chicago. The battleground is at 125 S. Clark, and this will be the war of all wars. Stay tuned.

On Thursday May 30th, the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations hosted a press conference in their office on State Street, with leaders of Muslim communities in the Chicago metropolitan area, in an attempt to garner support for immigration reform.

After revising a security fault in the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013, found after the Boston Marathon bombing, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted on May 9th with a bipartisan majority of 13 to 5 to move the bill to the senate floor. The bill – should it be passed into law – would provide a pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants. The senate vote is scheduled for June.

Senator Harry Reid has expressed hopes that the bill will pass the senate with not only a 60 vote super majority to combat a filibuster, but with 70 votes to put further pressure on the Republican majority House. Illinois Democratic senator Dick Durbin has already come out in favor of the bill; however, Republican senator Mark Kirk remains silent.

On Wednesday May 29th, the day prior to the CAIR Chicago press conference, President Barack Obama spoke at a fundraiser in Chicago on behalf of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. This event was met with a slew of protests outside the Chicago Hilton against the 1.6 million deportations that took place during President Obama’s administration. In the morning, immigration activists from the organization #NOT1MORE laid down on Michigan Avenue, in front of the Hilton, atop a banner reading “400,000 not one more deportation.” They also linked arms through PVC piping to obstruct traffic and prolong their resulting arrests.

The rally progressed throughout the afternoon with a young and active crowd chanting “Show me what democracy looks like; this is what democracy looks like!” While the crowd was comprised of mostly supporters of the bill, several factions actually deemed the bill inadequate in its comprehensiveness, claiming that it is “anti-poor and anti-family.”

The immigration reform bill requires payment of fees as a step towards citizenship; given that 65% of undocumented youth come from households that earn 200% below the poverty line, these fees would inevitably add financial burden to already-impoverished families. Reema Ahmad, of Asian Americans Advancing Justice, recognizes the potential shortcomings of the bill, but ultimately supports it. “I’m sure [the costs associated with obtaining citizenship] are going to be coming from the pockets of these individuals [undocumented immigrants,]” she said. She went on to say that despite this, major reform is still vital. Some opponents of the bill fear that the anticipated costs, those mentioned by Ahmad, could inhibit people from pursuing the path to citizenship offered in the immigration reform bill as it stands.

The significance of immigration reform has been mounting as Democrats try to regain the house in the 2014 interim elections, and as the GOP strives to renovate their campaigning tactics to target minorities. At the rally, Alaa Mukahhal, the National Partnership for New Americans Coordinator of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, called specifically on Senator Mark Kirk to come out in favor of the bill. “It’s important, it’s good for the economy, and it’s the humane thing to do. We need to push for Mark Kirk to become a champion of reform,” she said.

Immigration reform is especially salient in Illinois, where 1.74 million documented immigrants contribute to 13.5% of the state’s population. In 2011, the Chicago Sun-Times estimated that there were an additional 525,000 illegal immigrants residing in Illinois, accounting for 4.1% of the population. During the press conference, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago Ahmed Rehab framed Kirk’s silence in terms of its potential political ramifications: “Should he [Senator Kirk] fail to help take leadership [on this issue,] there will be consequences,” which would presumably transpire during the 2016 election cycle.

In recent years, Illinois has set a progressive precedent on immigration reform. On August 1st, 2011 Governor Pat Quinn signed HB60 into law as the Illinois Dream Act, which made in-state tuition available for undocumented youth at public colleges and universities in Illinois; the Act also established the Dream Fund Commission to administer and raise the funds to sponsor this.

The CAIR-Chicago press conference highlighted the overwhelming support from the Muslim American community for immigration reform. “Our faith tells us that we should want for others what we would want for ourselves” urged Karen Danielson from the Mosque Foundation and Mas Pace, who attended with her colleague Oussama Jammal. Syed Shahnawaz Khan of the Downtown Islamic Center and CIOGC emphasized that immigrants in this country are “makers not takers,” which was recently illustrated by the $115 billion surplus paid to Medicare and Medicaid by immigrants, and the report that immigrants are more likely than non-immigrants to build businesses.

When asked about the United States’ logistical capacity to offer a pathway to citizenship for 11 million immigrants Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR Chicago, answered that “The question of logistical capacity didn’t come up when the PATRIOT Act passed… We [must] look at where there is a bureaucracy stumbling on itself and move forward as the kind of nation we claim to be.”