[Nadia Muhammadi]

Source:  Wolf, Richard. “Supreme Court Rules on Narrow Grounds for Baker Who Refused to Create Same-Sex Couple’s Wedding Cake.” <i>USA Today</i>, Gannette, 4 June 2018, http://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/1052989001.

This weeks final photo share theme is about the right to marry and the right to exist. The topic definitely reminded me of the Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission Supreme Court case. It was about a cake artist who refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple. The court eventually ruled in favor of the baker because of his freedom of religion. Although, same sex marriage is now legal, some services required in order for that marriage celebration to take place are not guaranteed. Our current administration is making it harder for people to exist freely in their workplace. For example, Trumps idea of banning transgender people from the military sounds like a good policy in this day and age. Instead of progressing, our country is moving backwards. The image attached is of the gay couple who sued the Cakeshop for discrimination. How does it affect someone negatively if they make a wedding cake for a gay couple? They are making money and they’re getting their cake. However, the Supreme Court ruling is even more evidence that the court is moving toward the right. With the addition of the new members appointed by Trump, there is no saying which of our civil rights will be stripped next.

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[Nadia Muhammadi]

Source: LA Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2017, http://www.google.com/amp/s/www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-ol-le-immigration-deportation-criminals-20170509-story.html?outputType=amp.

This weeks theme was a continuation of what we talked about last week. It was about our discussion on illegality and civil rights. The picture I have attached shows protestors against deportation of illegal immigrants. The sign says, “No human being is illegal.” I believe that it is everyone’s right to feel safe in their country and be able to live a normal life without the constant fear of persecution. Furthermore, I read in the news today that our border patrol agents are already beginning to shoot the people at the border with tear gas. They are shooting tear gas all the way into the Mexican border. And these are people with children and babies who are running for their lives. After all the miles they’ve walked to the border, America decides to shoot tear gas. How is any of this legal? They are criminalized for wanting the same security we are lucky to have here at home. They are criminalized for wanting a better future for their kids, instead of letting them die at the hands of gang members. They are criminalized for wanting to have the freedom of speech just like us. If that is the definition of what it means to be a criminal, then all immigrants are considered criminals.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 11 months ago by Nadia Muhammadi.

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[Nadia Muhammadi]

Source: POLITICO. “PHOTOS: Crisis at the Border.” <i>POLITICO</i>, POLITICO, 18 June 2018, http://www.politico.com/gallery/2018/06/18/children-border-families-separated-002887?slide=0.

This weeks theme was on illegality and civil rights. This weeks topic reminds me of the border crisis that happened in June. The photo attached is of a little girl crying while the ICE agents are apprehending her parents and sending her to an immigration detention center. Now, Trump is doing the same thing again with the second set of asylum seekers. He is increasing border patrol agents and tightening security. There have even been threats made to shoot anyone that crosses illegally. He is trying to stop people from being able to seek asylum. What he refuses to realize is that seeking asylum is legal under international law. The constant fear mongering of undocumented immigrants is disgusting. All these people want us for their kids to grow up in a safe country. They’re escaping persecution. They also don’t wish to leave their homelands and sacrifice their property and careers and start all over. Thus, I chose this photo because it shows how scared the child is and the negative ripple-effects child separation policys have on children for many years to come.

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[Nadia Muhammadi]

Source: Barbara, Maha. “When Is a Terrorist Not a Terrorist? (And Other Stuff).” <i>The Mahablog</i>, WordPress, 21 Mar. 2018, http://www.mahablog.com/2018/03/21/when-is-a-terrorist-not-a-terrorist-and-other-stuff/.

This weeks theme was on Legalized Islamophobia and the War on Terror.  We learned that after the attacks on the twin towers, the Department of Justice conducted voluntary interviews where they forcibly detained individuals from South Asian, Muslim, and Arab communities, often without cause. These interviews became an opportunity for the department to deport and arrest immigrants, most often for violating immigration laws, like staying past the expiration dates of their visas.  This is a form of legalized islamophobia.  These procedures have made it hard for legal residents and citizens to live a normal life because they have now became targets of hate crimes. Racists and bigots, now more than ever, are emboldened by their President, who doesn’t even try  to condemn their bad behavior. The picture below shows us that according to this chart, if you are black or brown, you are considered a terrorist and if you are white, the media excuses you as mentally ill.

 

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[Nadia Muhammadi]

This weeks theme on Japanese internment camps was something that I had learned little about in high school history.  I enjoyed learning about the court case because we got to learn about a person who experienced the paranoia and intolerance towards racial minorities. I could relate to the fact  that he kept feeling that he was American, but to the common white person, he was not like them.  Thus, no matter how patriotic you feel, you will always be in the other group and a foreigner.  Since when did Americanism become all about blonde hair and blue eyes. America does not have a perfect example of a real American because we are all children of immigrants. The real Americans are the Native and indigenous people. MLK  said that injustice anywhere is threat to justice everywhere. As we can see now, not so much in mainstream media, but Muslims in China are being locked up and sent to internment camps for their beliefs. They are trying to indoctrinate people and change them. There has been massive pressure from human rights groups that have condemned this policy and called the conditions in the camps as inhumane. This is an example of countries dealing with paranoia and fear the wrong way. The picture that I chose shows a family of 3 different generations sitting at a table eating while in an internment camp center.

Source:  McGrath, Jane. “Did the United States Put Its Own Citizens in Concentration Camps During WWII?” HowStuffWorks, HowStuffWorks, 7 May 2009, history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/japanese-internment-camp.htm

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[Nadia Muhammadi]

Source: Burns, Trip. “Real Violence: 50 Years Ago at Woolworth.” <i>Real Violence: 50 Years Ago at Woolworth | Jackson Free Press | Jackson, MS</i>, Jackson Free Press Inc, 23 May 2013, http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2013/may/23/real-violence-50-years-ago-woolworth/.

This photo shows the sit in on May 28, 1963 in Mississippi.  There is a white man and three black students, at the “Whites Only” counter in Woolworth’s store lunch counter. This weeks theme was about Malcom X and James Baldwin. One of the points that stood out for me throughout the week was the theme of Americanism. Both these civil rights figures were trapped, subjected and victims of Americanism. Both of these individuals felt that they didn’t have the same opportunities and shot at the American Dream as white people. They realized that because of the color of their skin, there was different legal repercussions for them and different repercussion for a white man with the same crime. Laws are arbitrary according to race and ethnicity. For far too long, people of color have been expected to fit into society, don’t complain, don’t ask anything more, and just be happy with what they’ve got. Americanism means life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  People of color are trapped because these basic standards have become unachievable in our current social and political climate. This photo also reminds us of the time where people of color couldn’t even sit with regular folks for some food.

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[Nadia Muhammadi]

Source: Malcolm X, holding up newspaper with headline “Our Freedom Can’t Wait”, while standing behind podium with microphones addressing a crowd at a Black Muslim rally in New York City. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, http://www.loc.gov/item/2001696225/.

The image I chose shows us Malcolm X, holding up a newspaper with headline “Our Freedom Can’t Wait.” He is standing behind a podium with microphones addressing a crowd at a Black Muslim rally in New York City. This picture is representative of our theme of Macolm X and Martin Luther King. This week, one of the points that were highlighted by both these civil rights activists was the urgency to act now. There is always people telling us that now is not the right time to protest. But they more we wait, the more we are wasting time. Justice doesn’t have a set time and date. Justice happens when we act. Thus, I love this photo because it tells us that freedom can’t wait. Just like justice can’t wait.

• This reply was modified 6 years ago by Nadia Muhammadi.

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[Nadia Muhammadi]

For this weeks theme on civil rights today, I chose this photograph of two African-Americans holding up a banner with the images of all the African-Americans shot to death by police. This image reminds us of all the innocent lives that have been lost due to police brutality. Our civil rights movement today consists of fighting to create better laws that help to protect unarmed individuals from being gunned down by badly trained officers who are too quick and eager to wield their firearms.  Particular movements like the Black Lives Matter are focusing the attention on providing extensive training to officers on how to de-escalate a situation. Additionally, one of the things that African-Americans and families of victims are still distraught at is the lack of humanity and care for these gunned individuals. Police officers are supposed to protect and serve EVERYONE. Why is there so much racism in the police force? Why is there a lack of training for such an important and dangerous job, as a police officer? These are the questions we need to address because there are far too many people scared of calling 911 for help due to the fear of escalating things, or leading to someone’s death.

Source:  Carroll, Aliya. “Efforts To End Police Brutality Must Continue Into 2018.” Affinity Magazine, 31 Dec. 2017, affinitymagazine.us/2017/12/31/efforts-to-end-police-brutality-must-continue-into-2018

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