The past few weeks and months have been challenging and difficult. I kept everything to myself, none of my family or friends knew what was going on, and the extent of the hostilities I faced daily at work.
Everything that has happened has taken a toll on my physical and mental health.
Many people were talking, and I intentionally decided to remain silent.
Now it’s my turn to talk. I am speaking from a position of integrity and principle. I’ve committed myself to our community, and that work will continue regardless of organizational affiliation.
Thank you to everyone who has called, messaged, commented and shown support. The love you’ve shown is overwhelming. Appreciate all of you.
Today on NBC, ADC National Executive Director Abed Ayoub made it clear: this is not the same America. The old playbook of using anti-Arab and anti-Muslim hate to score political points is not landing the way it once did, because support for Palestine has grown across this country in a real and undeniable way. More people are paying attention, more people are speaking up, and more Americans — especially younger Americans — are rejecting the fear, ignorance, and dehumanization that politicians have relied on for years.
Abed made clear that the backlash is real, but so is the shift. People across the United States are more willing to listen, to learn, and to stand with Palestinians and with the Arab and Muslim communities here at home. That growing awareness matters. It means the hate is being challenged, the narrative is changing, and our communities are not standing alone.
At some point back in late November on Thanksgiving break, Izzy asked me to “rip some wax.” I was genuinely surprised by the request, which came around the same time her interest in wrestling was starting to grow. I didn’t think twice. We went to Walmart, grabbed a couple packs. I had some old junk wax boxes at home and assumed she’d open a few, get bored, and we’d move on. That didn’t happen. She loved it. And, that surprised me more than anything.
Sports cards were a huge deal growing up, and were a big part of my childhood. After a couple of daughters, I quietly accepted that cards probably wouldn’t be something they’d ever be into, so I packed mine away in the basement. I would pull them out once or twice a year, mostly for nostalgia.
It’s been fun watching her build her own collection (with a little help, of course). Watching her stay up late with her cousins, opening packs, trading cards, and debating favorites takes me right back to being a kid myself. At the moment she’s trying to get her hands on every Ohtani card out there.
When the cards come out, the iPad and TV go off. For a moment, everything slows down.
Some people won’t understand it. One of the first questions I get is, “How much can you sell that for?” But this isn’t about selling or investing. It’s not even really about collecting. I know that in a few years she’ll probably be too cool for this and move on to new interests and hobbies.
Right now, it’s about sharing joy, curiosity, and moments that quietly turn into memories. It’s a reminder that the things we love can carry across generations in the most unexpected ways. And somehow, through a simple stack of cards, I get to relive a piece of my childhood while watching hers begin.
Taking in all the fun this weekend in DC for John Cena’s last match. Izzy has become a big wrestling fan - this shouldn’t come as a surprise to many old friends and family!
Congrats to the @dodgers on their incredible 2025 season. At some point this year Izzy began cheering for the Dodgers. Being at the stadium for a series clinching win created memories she’ll never forget. Staying up past midnight to watch Game 7 adds to those memories. Those few people who really know me know that am a big fan of baseball, and am glad to share the love of the game with my daughter. Years from now if she’s asked why she’s a Dodgers fan from DC, she’s going to have one hell of a story to tell!
Earlier today our page was deleted. Still no explanation as to why, and what happened. What matters now is that we are back online.
This was a reminder that we cannot depend on any single platform for communication and engagement. We will be rolling out different ways you can stay engaged with ADC - including tools that are not tied into social media.
Thank you all for the support.
Earlier today @meta deleted the ADC IG Account. This form of censorship has accelerated since the start of the genocide. During this time IG was an important tool for us to raise awareness, and engagement.
Just as we’ve helped hundreds of people regain access to their accounts, it’s time we help ourselves. While we weren’t given a reason for removal, we can safely assume why it was done.
It is very disturbing that Meta and @instagram see no problem in deleting the account of the largest Arab American organization. This is what censorship looks like.
-Abed Ayoub
I was lucky enough to be in the ballpark on October 14, 2006 - when Magglio Ordóñez sent the Detroit Tigers to the World Series.
Tonight, almost 19 years to the day, I was lucky enough to be in the park for another special moment, this time with my daughter, and this time it was in LA to watch the Los Angeles Dodgers.
I have so much love for this sport. Baseball has this way of connecting time, cities and generations. It’s the same game, the same energy, but every time feels brand new.
To see her light up the way I did all those years ago is something I’ll never forget.
🌍✨ Healing Beyond Borders | FAJR Global 1st Annual Convention ✨🌍
On Saturday, October 4, leaders, physicians, and visionaries from around the world will gather at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center for a powerful symposium and banquet under the theme:
“Doctors on the Frontlines of Humanity.”
We are honored to feature Dr. Mohammed Tahir (@nervesurgeon ), renowned for his lifesaving medical missions in Gaza, alongside a distinguished panel of experts in neurosurgery, ophthalmology, urology, plastic surgery, and more.
This event will shed light on urgent medical and humanitarian needs, amplify the voices of the oppressed, and inspire advocacy for justice across the globe.
We are proud to announce that ADC National Organizing Director, Ms Suehaila Amen will be speaking on multiple panels, as well.
📅 October 4, 2025
🕙 Day Session: 10 AM – 4 PM
🍽️ Banquet Dinner: 6 PM – 9 PM
📍 Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center
🎟️ Secure your seat now at FAJR.org/events
➡️ Don’t miss this historic gathering. Together, we rise.
#FAJRGlobal #HealingBeyondBorders #TogetherWeRise #MedicalHumanitarianism #Gaza #DoctorsOnTheFrontlines
The end of Quiet Skies was long overdue, but it should be seen as the beginning, not the end, of meaningful reform. Quiet Skies was just one branch of a sprawling watchlist system that has operated in secret, without congressional authorization, and with devastating consequences for countless innocent Americans.
CAIR also welcomed Chairman Rand Paul’s continued acknowledgment during the hearing of the serious constitutional impacts that surveillance programs like Quiet Skies, and the broader federal watchlist system it grew out of, have had on the rights of Arab and Muslim Americans, as well as other targeted communities.
Congress must now step in to demand transparency, restore due process, and dismantle the broader unconstitutional watchlist architecture so that no community is treated as a permanent suspect class in its own country.
