contents

VOLUME II . ISSUE 1

EDITORS DESK
Islam Through the Lens

3 5 7 9 11

STUDENT ISSUES
A State of Urgency: Budget Cuts Education: At Home and Abroad

SOCIAL ISSUES
Information Overload The Wrongdoings of the US Court System

FEATURE

13 15 21 23

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Creative Submissions Beyond 9/11: Looking Forward

OPINION
Generation Vexed When Multitasking Goes Awry

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21

STUDENT HEALTH

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Organic...or Not? After Hours with Tarek Morad

THE LAST WORD

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the word | WINTER 2012

VOLUME II . ISSUE 1
EDITOR IN CHIEF Sahar Jahani MANAGING EDITOR Mehwish Shakeel SECTION EDITORS Mahza Alam Fowaz Hussain Nabila Mohammad Jasmine Riad Armaan Rowther ONLINE EDITOR Osama Ahmad LAYOUT & DESIGN Nabeel Ahmed Sana Iqbal Sumayya Khan Samah Malik Elhaam Mesghali Madiha Shahabuddin Shabnam Sheikh ADVERTISING Hassan Mukhlis Mohammad Anas Qureashi Madiha Shahabuddin Rabiya Shakil WRITERS Owais Ahmad Sarah Barakat Sana Farooquee Maryam Farooqui Aminah Galal Fowaz Hussain Samah Malik Nadia Rowther Seher Rowther Hannan Seirafi Mehwish Shakeel Iman Siddiqui SPECIAL THANKS Professor Amy Depaul CONTACT ALKALIMA alkalima.magazine @gmail.com
Alkalima is published by the Muslim Student Union at the University of California, Irvine with support from Campus Progress, a division of the Center for American Progress. Online at campusprogress.org.

From the Arab Spring to the iPhone 4S, from e-books to the global fiscal crisis, we are living in the age of change. Whether it is social, technological, or political, the world is inevitably becoming a different place, at a faster pace than ever before. We are living in an era when an infinite amount of digital data is available at the click of a button, when a video or twitter message could go viral and be viewed by millions of people in a matter of minutes. We are also living in a time when 80 percent of the worlds population lives on less than $10 a day, a world in which one billion children (thats every other child) live in poverty. Though society has been able to advance in so many areas, we have yet to solve the most basic of human conditions: Hunger, homelessness, poverty. The stories you read in this issue question the social, political and technological changes that have helped define a new generation of Americans. From budget cuts to the 10th anniversary of 9/11, these articles explore both the progresses and downfalls of our growing society, and re-evaluate cultural trends that have evoked a nations consciousness. However, before we attempt to fix the problems of third world hunger or issues of homeless in our local communities, we must first reflect upon ourselves. It is not enough to want justice,

DESK

EDITORS

peace, equality from others; one must embody these attributes as well. As mentioned in the Islamic holy book, the Quran, God never changes the condition of a nation unless it changes what is in its heart (chapter 13, verse 11), inferring that in order to create positive effective change, one must first revolutionize from within. Alkalima Magazine strives to bring to the forum the changes that are affecting our global community, campus environment, and daily life at UC Irvine so that we can reflect upon these changes and hopefully, take action. This past year, a record number of student protests sprung up in many nations around the worldthe United Kingdom, Chile, and right here in California- regarding the rise of tuition and education costs. Students have been at the forefront of the Occupy Movement, striving to create educational equality amid increasing social-economic gaps. Consequently, it was the defining act of self-immolation from 26-year-old Mohamed Bouazizi of Tunisia that helped ignite the flames of the Arab Spring. Indeed, change is happening all around us.

Sahar Jahani

the Age of ChAnge:

10 years after 9/11 and beyond

A decade after one of the most tragic events in recent history, we examine the advancements and pitfalls of modern American society. Juxtaposing the Japanese internment experience of World War II with the Muslim American narrative post 9/11, we explore the trajectory of integration and the steps Muslim communities need to take to move beyond the stereotypes and become part of the American fabric once again.

cover

ON THE

TABLE OF CONTENTS | alkalima