AL-BUSTAN NEWS
Covering Philadelphia’s Southwest Asian and North African Communities
Opinion | The World Needs Humanitarians — and Humanitarians Need Our Support
By Amna Khalafalla
There are over 239 million people around the world in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and protection. But due to a decrease in contributions to humanitarian organizations by governments, there is a growing gap in service provision.
From Protest Politics to Party Insider: A Conversation with Marwan Kreidie
By Gawhara Abou-eid
Marwan Kreidie discusses his political evolution, his belief in working “inside” institutions rather than outside them, the backlash he has received, and why he believes Arab American political influence has entered a new era.
Pennsylvania’s Independent Voters May Soon Be Able to Vote in Primary Elections
By Gawhara Abou-eid
The proposal, known as House Bill 280, would allow the state’s roughly 1.4 million unaffiliated voters, 147,891 of whom are registered in Philadelphia County, to participate in primary elections by choosing either a Democratic or Republican ballot without formally joining a party.
Student Loan Borrowers Face an Uncertain Future as Courts Rule the End of the SAVE Program
By Amna Khalafalla
The March 10 ruling was not the first time lawmakers had tried to eliminate SAVE, a controversial initiative from its inception.
Protesters March in Center City Against the U.S.–Israel Attacks on Iran and Lebanon
By Amna Khalafalla
"I am here today because my country, which gave my grandparents refuge, is now bombing every place in the world where people need safety, for profit,” said one protester.
For These Darfuri Activists in Philadelphia, Advocacy is a Family Tradition
By Amna Khalafalla
Fatima Haroun, who has advocated against the Darfur genocide as a member of the Philadelphia-based Darfur Alert Coalition, recalls that at one time, there was a sense of racial harmony in South Darfur, when Arab and African ethnic groups lived peacefully alongside each other.
Al-Bustan News Team
Editor
Nisa Qazi
Current Journalism Fellows
Gawhara Abou-eid
Amna Khalafalla
Columnists
Lauren Abunassar
Joseph Fahim