Here’s other things you should know about me outside of journalism:
★ My favorite writer is Hanif Abdurraqib. I am especially a fan of his essay On Seatbelts and Sunsets, which is based off of Julien Baker’s 2017 song Hurt Less.
★ I’m passionate about women in indie music, with my favorite band being Japanese Breakfast. I’ve seen them live three times now, including a show at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo!
★ I paint in my free time! I’d like to think that in an alternate reality I would’ve pursued a career as an artist.
About
From day one — the desert has been my home. Both of my parents come from Cairo, Egypt, while I’m from Phoenix, Arizona.
I have a strong connection to my Egyptian background, and it has been a major element in my life growing up and in my identity overall. The long summers I would spend in Egypt exposed me to something greater past the confines of the Phoenix suburbs. It taught me the value of building strong, interpersonal relationships and the power of empathy.
Entering the field of journalism as a Muslim woman of color is no easy task. Throughout my life I have struggled with stigma attached to my identity, largely due to the consistent misrepresentation of my communities in media.
The world of media needs more humanity, fairness and valid representation. My mission as a journalist is to tell others' stories as fairly and accurately as possible, and bring an element of human connection into my work.