Subul Farooq Khan
December 8, 2017
Being a reporter and North Star – Calliope Liaison at North Star News has helped me develop not only as a writer but also as a human. The skillsets I had before I entered North Star we’re week, but as someone who wanted to develop more in a verity of skills like writing, video graphing and learning how to use different editing softwares I was successful, even though this is just the beginning of my work being involved with North Star, I’ve found a very nice outlet for my thoughts, and passions. I hope to be a Social Media influencer as a future pursuit, and through my voice and power I hope to bring light to the truth, I feel North Star has, and will continue to equip me with skills that will be essential to my future endeavors.
THE ROHINGYA GENOCIDE: WHO CLUB BRINGS A FAR AWAY ISSUE CLOSE TO HOME
On October 10, when W.H.O. Club and Immigrant Rights Club had a combined meeting, student leaders of Immigrant Rights Club presented to their peers about the ongoing Rohingya Crisis.
Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic minority living in northern Arakan / Rakhine state in Western Burma. Though the Rohingya have had a well-established presence in Burma since the 12th century, the people have not been formally recognized by the government and have been denied citizenship.
The Rohingya people have faced severe instances of state-sanctioned persecution and continue to do so with the military’s crimes against them, which include, but are not limited to: deportation, murder, and rape. To top it off, the government, and the current de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, are denying the problems the Rohingya are facing, refusing to address the massacres committed against the Rohingya, and rejecting all attempts at cooperating with the international community. “Regarding those incidents (rape, extra judicial killing, destruction of Rohingya Villages, etc) after asking the Tatmadaw (Burma’s armed forces) and border guard troops in those regions, it is known that the information is absolutely not true.” Aung San Suu Kyi, State Councillor of Myanmar.
Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, was a beacon of hope and change for the Rohingya, but her lack of support for the Rohingya have altered these ideals.
“Though we live on the other side of the world and may feel helpless in supporting the Rohingya people, the simple act of sharing and educating others about their current situation can make the greatest difference, even if we may not be able to see it,” Sarah Feroz, Co-Leader of Immigrants Rights Club, said.
Who Club is a club run and organized by students, to help people who are in the midst of crisis or simply less fortunate. Who Club takes a topic a week that is conventionally around world crisis that people are uneducated about, and educates them.
“It was for this reason that we chose to present about something that we often don’t find on the media. We want to raise awareness, because even though we can’t personally help the Rohingya muslims, sharing their stories will prove that there are innocent people caught in a genocide that they can’t escape from, and it encourages others with greater resources to support and rescue them.”
Over 500,000 Rohingya have fled their home in Rohingya Rakhine State to Bangladesh, since August 25th.
Want to help the Rohingya? Donate online at unicef USA, even the smallest amounts make a big impact.
Niles North DECA Students Lead Immigrants of Skokie Campaign
Niles North DECA, an academic club for students enrolled in business courses during the year, has the goal of “preparing emerging leaders and entrepreneurs.” And it has not failed to do so.
Each year, students hoping to attend the State Competition in Rosemont, IL, work year-long on a competitive event and a research topic. They do a variety of community service projects, run DECAdant Delights every Thursday, and donate to worthwhile causes; the list is infinite.
This year, two very ambitious Juniors Sarah Feroz and Jasmol Kaur began their Public Relations Project known as “Immigrants of Skokie. “
Immigrants of Skokie is an initiative through which Feroz and Kaur hoped to fight the stigma behind immigrants and refugees within our community.
“We live in a bubble,” explained Feroz. “With our school’s diversity and the diversity in the Skokie community, we tend to overlook topics that may be difficult to talk about, including immigration. Immigration is generally a sensitive topic because social media has said that being an immigrant or refugee makes you a particular way. Our goal is to change this.”
This, however, is not the first year that Feroz has taken an initiative in leading a conversation about controversial topics. The past school year, Feroz led another Public Relations Project called “Islam Awareness” where she sought to teach people about Islam in hopes to reduce Islamophobia. She visited local elementary / middle schools and spoke to staff about what Islamophobia is, how it is destructive for students, and how to prevent it in schools. She also spoke at the Islamophobia forum at MSA and W.H.O club.
For Immigrants of Skokie, Feroz and Kaur have taken great steps to educate the community, and create a safe space for immigrants at our school. At the beginning of the year, they teamed up with Immigrant Rights Club, taking part in discussions about DACA, the Rohingya Crisis, Japanese Internment Camps, and the Libyan Slave trade – all of which have been brought back to the treatment and struggles of immigrants today.
Feroz and Kaur have gotten other DECA and Immigrant Right Club members involved in their campaign as well. They held a candy bag fundraiser where students sold up to two candy bags each with the intention of donating the funds to a scholarship envisioned for immigrant and refugee students. It is difficult for many undocumented or immigrant or refugee students to receive federal student aid, or in-state tuition fees, thus reducing their chances at attending colleges or university.
However, in most cases, they are eligible for scholarships. For this reason, and to make immigrant / refugee students feel both more welcome, and have hope for higher education, Feroz was encouraged to establish the scholarship. It is expected to be posted on Naviance and outside the College and Career Resource Center before winter break.
In addition, the campaign has taken initiative to share the stories of the immigrants and refugees at Niles North and within their community. The stories are meant to provide people with a look into the lives of immigrants, and show what it means to be an immigrant.
With hopes to reach more students and community member through their project, Feroz and Kaur have created a Facebook and Instagram page for their campaign. On both, they share updates about recent immigration news, local events, and stories they have collected.
To show your support for their campaign, visit their Facebook page @immigrantsofskokie and their Instagram page @Immigrants_of_Skokie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoavUnurPis
Coming Together in Skokie Celebrates Muslim American Cultures
