I write about identity, faith, and my opinions on everything from campus politics to healthcare policy. Whether it's collecting personal narratives from cancer survivors or training new members of the Crimson Editorial Board, I believe everyone deserves a chance to make their voice heard.
An argument that Harvard's current ad hoc approach to AI policy leaves lower-income and first-generation students behind, and if the College wishes to train the next generation of AI-literate leaders, they must implement a more consistent and thoughtful standard.
A co-written dissenting editorial following the renaming of Harvard's DEI office under political pressure. Quoted on the front page of the New York Times.
The opening piece for my column "Slaying Survivorship with Salma," narrating the day of my cancer diagnosis at fourteen, with some humor.
A radio essay on gratitude, faith, and the impact of Ramadan. Aired twice on KQED (2023, 2024) and re-run on NPR.
My reflections on gratitude, faith, and recovering the privilege of fasting after a year of cancer treatment. Inspired by my organizer's speech at my high school's inaugural Eid Assembly, this article was a California Journalism Award finalist in 2024.
My short story written for NaNoWriMo's 2020 Flash Fiction Contest, incorporating five mystery adjectives. Named runner-up out of more than 1,000 entries.
A letter to author Sharon Draper on how her character, Izzy, taught me I wasn't alone in feeling pressure to switch identities in an instant. Named winner of the 2019 California Letters About Literature competition.
Written in the aftermath of the Tree of Life synagogue shooting, I found hope in the heartwarming interfaith response that followed the tragedy of Kristallnacht, and was inspired by the power and resilience of both my Muslim and Jewish communities.
A reflection on participating in a school walkout after the Parkland shooting, grappling with whether student activism can ever change the minds of those in power.
A petition I authored with my younger sister asking American Girl to introduce a Muslim American doll, receiving over 14,000 signatures to date and the opportunity to present our argument at Change.org headquarters as the youngest-ever petition creators.
My first published piece: a letter to the editor I wrote with my friends at age 11, arguing against the inhumane killing of coyotes in my neighborhood.
For "Fasting During Ramadan Is a Privilege — Going Through Cancer Taught Me That," San Francisco Chronicle.
For a Fourth Amendment argument authored and presented at Mock Trial State Finals.
For a Fifth Amendment argument authored and presented at Mock Trial State Finals.
Out of more than 1,000 entries, for the short story "The Same Coin."
Library of Congress national reading and writing competition, for a letter to author Sharon Draper.