As Iranians rise in protest, Donald Trump’s rhetoric has become a study in contradictions. One day, he threatens “very strong action” against the Islamic Republic to defend Iranian protesters; the next, he praises the very regime he condemned and suggests the possibility of negotiations. His language and behavior are driven by self-interest, not genuine concern for the Iranian people.
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The internet is blocked in Iran, leaving me — and many others across the country — feeling like a prisoner in my own home. Why do we have an internet blackout, you ask? In late December, the Iranian people began to protest the nation’s deteriorating economy. The protests began in the Grand Bazaar of Tehran, where shopkeepers went on strike and closed down their stores. Soon, people who couldn’…
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Fifteen years ago this month, a mass movement in Tunisia overthrew the 24-year reign of U.S.-backed despot Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. What seemed impossible merely weeks prior became real. Today, living in the United States, things feel daunting, hopeless, terrifying: It is hard to imagine how to reverse the intensification of the police state, the erosion of whatever pretenses of democracy…
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The image of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos being detained outside of his house upon arriving home from school has gone viral. Wearing a blue fuzzy hat and Spiderman backpack half his size, he faces the bed of a black truck, a white hand holding his backpack. According to the Columbia Heights Public School District in Minnesota, federal agents have detained four students that attend their…
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Americans are once again searching for historical analogies to explain what is unfolding around us. As authoritarianism accelerates — as government-sanctioned violence becomes more overt in immigration enforcement, in policing, in the open deployment of federal force against civilians, and in the steady erosion of civil rights — people are scrambling for reference points.
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Since the supposed “ceasefire” in Gaza came into effect on October 10, 2025, I have personally borne witness to two ceasefire breaches in my refugee camp. One was on October 19, when Israeli forces bombed a café — a space to breathe away from scenes of destruction, a place to work or study with a reliable internet connection, a meeting point for displaced friends, a brief chance to enjoy the…
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