nidapalestina

[nidapalestina]

Hey guys! Please check out my newest blog post, dedicated to my father. It's his birthday today. Link in Bio! Prisondaughterdiaries.wordpress.com #FreeTheHLF5 #PrisonDiaries #Baba #Blog

[nidapalestina]

I Can't think of a fancy caption for this. And I really don't think it needs one either... But the story of Deah, Razan, and Yosr hits me deeply. They were one of us. This could have happened to any one of us. It still could. Stay safe out there and remember to stay true to who you are; dont be afraid to be an American. Dont be afraid to be a Muslim. #OurThreeWinners #Graffiti #Art #Muslim

[nidapalestina]

Woke up to something pretty darn cool today :) what a suprise! One day, InshaAllah. I can't wait. #FreePalestine #Jerusalem

[nidapalestina]

My girl @hoodjab and I after we performed for the unMASked event a few weeks ago, at @mas_dfw! Photos are up on the Facebook page. Go check them out! #Hoodjab #NidaBaker #Artists #Poets #WeCool #GetLikeUs

[nidapalestina]

****#REPOST FROM @freethehlf5 **** Today, we woke up to one of the most humbling and beautiful messages we have ever recieved. A friend of mine, who lives in #Palestine, sent me this photo. Her friend learned about the HLF case and went to #Jerusalem with a paper in her hand. The paper has the names of the #HLF5 members and she took this photo of their names in front of the Holy Mosque... Thank you, Mariam Moady for this amazing photo. . The truth will no longer be buried under all of those lies. The HLF5 will come home very soon. #FreeTheHLF5

[nidapalestina]

As soon as I got to Washington DC yesterday, I found out that a cousin of mine, Orwa Hammad, was shot in the neck by the Israeli terrorists. Orwa is 15, an American citizen, and in the 10th grade. His Mother was in New Orleans at the time of the murder. My cousin told me that Orwa kissed his friend goodbye as if he knew something was going to happen , and said “sallem 3ala emmee (send my mother my greetings) … These photos were sent to me by my cousin, taken by a friend. Clashes going on in Silwad, Palestine right now.

if I could, I would be standing out side of the White House all day right now, holding a poster with my cousin’s face on it. I would right ” This is Orwa. Orwa was murdered by the IDF, the army YOU support. Orwa is an American Citizen. You just supported the murder of your own l, innocent American child…“ #FreePalestine #FreeGaza #JUSTICEWILLPREVAIL #OrwaHammad

[nidapalestina]

Any xenophobic, stereotypical person would look at this and immediately think "Terrorist" or maybe even put the terms "terrorist" and "thug" together in one sentence, considering the fact that I am wearing a hoodie and a hijab... I can reassure you that I am not a terrorist. And I am not a thug. This is the typical -Post Gym- Nida. The hijab is my identity as a Muslim woman. I wear it because I want to, not because I am forced to. The Hoodie is something a normal human being wears when they are working out, and/or when it is cold outside, not because they're about to go steal something or beat someone up. We need to break stereotypes. We need to eliminate every ignorant thought from our heads regarding people of different color, different religion, and different language. How do we break stereotypes? Breaking stereotypes does not involve changing who you are. You should NEVER change who you are just because you feel like you look different or because someone might not like it. We ALL look different. Dont change the way you dress. Dont change the way you talk. What needs to change is the way we think, for the better. We need to change the way we look at people. What needs to happen is a revolution of Opening our minds. Open your eyes, mind, and soul. Accept our differences. Accept who we are. We are all #Human.

[nidapalestina]

Students, young professionals, and supporters stand in solidarity with #OurThreeWinners #DallasTexas 2/13/15

[nidapalestina]

Last night, I had a dream that a poor Jewish man approached me as I was walking in Downtown. He said he needed money to buy a Yarmulke. My friends walked away, looking at him funny. I stayed. I was staring at the man. I felt bad for him. I didnt have much money on me. But what made me feel for him is that he wanted to buy a Yarmulke. A religious jewish hat. He didnt want food. He didnt want drugs. He didnt what beggar in the middle of downtown would want. He wanted something for his religion. I went to my friends and said, "listen, if you dont want to give him money, how about we Go buy him a Yarmulke?" They looked at me like I was crazy. In the end, they gave in. And as we were walking to the store, a friend asked why i would help a random Jewish man. I looked at her like she was crazy. I told her "A poor person is a poor person". Moral of the dream: No matter what your religion is, we are all human. "We Are All One" Photo from last night's Vigil, Downtown Dallas. In loving memory of #OurThreeWinners: Deah, Yosur, and Razan.

[nidapalestina]

Hope...

[nidapalestina]

If my nephew ever asks "Khalto, where do babies come from?" I will pull up this photo I took of him a while back and say "Heaven habibi. Babies are sent down from Heaven..."

[nidapalestina]

Alaa and i went #Downtown to fool around and practice on some techniques, There were no clean walls, so I randomly wrote "Palestine" in red over a previously drawn black and white word (as seen on the top left photo). It looked odd and so the thought of making it into a #7atta (Palestinian scarf) came into mind right away... This is just one piece i worked on today. I have an amazing piece i did real quick after that to show you guys. Stay tuned :) #Dallas #SprayTherapy #Graffiti #Palestine #Kuffiyeh #StreetArt #ArabicCalligraphy

[nidapalestina]

Its mind blowing to know that at this very moment, someone else is looking at the very same moon. Your enemy. Your friend. Your mysterious naseeb. Your distant family. We all have the same sky above us. While Im in Texas, some random guy in Canada is looking admiring the same moon, thinking about life, wanting to find answers. A family in Mexico is driving home and they all look up and admire the moon. The children in the back seat point and smile at the man in the moon. A homeless man under a bridge with big dreams has no one to say good night to. He tells the moon good night. A starving child in Syria is looking at the moon, while her family is asleep wishing someone, anyone on this planet, to feed her. To save her. And she thinks." Arent we all human? Arent we all equal? After all, We all stare at the same moon... " #IdkIfThisMadeSense #CantSleep #ThrowbackThursdayWanderingTheStreetsOfDC2am #WereAllHuman #SameBlood #SameEarth #SameMoon

[nidapalestina]

As i spend my evening at the school’s library, i cant help but think about my role models who keep pushing me to do better. Who is hard on me when they need to be, and easy on me when they need to be. Who only want the best for me.

The reason why Zaira is a role model is because after she taught for a couple of years, she moved on to getting mer Masters’ in counseling to help children who have gone through traumatic events in life , just how she did growing up. She was in school while married, and had a baby after she finished school. And having a baby without baba being there to witness the birth of his first grandson is a trauma itself. And on top of that, Sanabel was currently hospitalized and wasnt there to see the person shes been waiting to see. I dont know how you are so strong.

The reason why Sanabel is my role model is because she got her Bachelors in Child life Development, so that she can work at Children’s hospital of Dallas, the same hospital she went to for a decade. She loved the staff there so much. They gave her a smile all the time. She wanted to be the reason why any child smiles, and give them hope while they are going through all that pain and medication. She went to school while she was ill. And graduated 2 years before she passed away.

And last but not least, my mother. Who had 5 beautiful children and raised 4 children, giving them everything they need, whenever they need it, despite of my father not being around for the past 6 years. Inti taj rasi, yamma. Sorry for all the ghalaba I put you through… Now its just Shurook and I living with you at home, and i know times are tough. But i promise mama, i will make you proud one day. I promise…

Zaira, Sanabel, and Mama. You are not only role models, but my inspirations and my heros.

To the strongest women I know, I love you.

[nidapalestina]

#RememberHLF5 #PoliticalPrisoners #6YearsLater #FreeTheHLF5

[nidapalestina]

@mzeyara 's message: When I was in Dallas for a conference last year, a mother asked to speak to me privately. She then told me that she is the wife of one prisoners of HLF5. Then humbly told me “Mohammed, everyone forgot them. Do not forget them. Tell the world who they are.” Her words will never be forgotten, please help share this. Today is the Global Awareness Day for the HLF5 (Free The HLF5). Holy Land Foundation was the largest Muslim charity in the United States until the Bush administration shut it down three months after 9/11. Claiming that it was supporting “terrorist” groups in Palestine. It is sad witnessing most Muslim charity organizations (trying to aid Palestine) being shut down one after the other. Take a photo like the one below of you wearing orange and a kuffiyeh/hatta. Hashtag any of the following: #FreeTheHLF5 #RememberHLF5 #6YearsLater Join the cause: https://www.facebook.com/events/657969184319583/?ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular

[nidapalestina]

THANK YOU

🔶 #freetheHLF #sixyearslater 🔶