Check out my Eid outfit 😇
I used to feel embarrassed wearing cultural clothes to school, or in public.
Now I can't wait to bust them out and show them off! 🔥😂
Please keep my mom in your thoughts and prayers. She has tested positive for COVID-19 and we're all shaken up right now.
I love my mom so much and just want to see her happy and healthy.
My father opened his eyes today.
10 days and he finally opened his eyes and blinked. I can't even begin to tell you the amount of happiness the simple thought of my father blinking and opening his eyes truly brings me. I’m so grateful.
Take NOTHING for granted in this life.
We came to Canada with no money. I dealt with bullying & anxiety, especially after 9/11. My mom was harassed for being a Muslim woman, and for wearing a hijab.
Now, she's unapologetically rocking her hijab on a billboard by Yonge and Dundas Square.
(1/3)
My mom just recovered from COVID, and would be working at a K-5 school in Mississauga this year. We try distancing at home using shared facilities, it's not easy. With current class sizes, this govt is making it very hard for educators to protect themselves and their students.
Thank you,
@TorontoStar
for this honour. To be on today's cover of Together is something kids like me dream of growing up.
It's high time poetry is in the spotlight. High time young immigrants, and Muslims like me, can see that they too, can make it.
Representation Matters.
Hey friends - I had an idea!
I was thinking about making a glossary of commonly used words during Ramadan from Arabic to English.
Would anyone be interested in learning or using this as a resource? Trying to gauge interest.
I used to feel weird telling people I still live with family. Now, I feel incredibly grateful to live with them. At a time when families are separated, and sick; I realize that keeping my loved ones close, is better than moving out to fit into the status quo.
Happy family day ❤️
Dad is still in a coma.
No real updates yet. We’re praying. So many of you have been so supportive, and I’m so grateful.
In the midst of such a traumatic and difficult time, I’m realizing just how blessed I am to have an incredibly supportive circle around me.
God is good.
Hey Teachers!
Do you want to bring your students to a virtual field trip?
Pink Shirt Day is on Feb 24th, and I'm working with
@EricRWalters
,
@BrouwerSigmund
+ other amazing artists for a virtual 1-hour event for grades 3-8 with a great message!
Today I performed my poetry for 10k+ students in
@PeelSchools
and I just want to thank my former English teacher, Ms Riley. She is the reason I am a poet today. Just so grateful for her, all the amazing teachers out there. ❤️
Thank you everyone, for joining the session today.
When COVID is over, I want to host a community iftaar (breaking of the fast) and invite you all to join. Momma Shah and I will chef up some traditional South Asian food for you.
All we have is each other.
Let's share our stories, our faith, and our culture.
Who's coming? 🙂👇
My mom is incredibly sick and in the hospital right now. I can't even stay with her because of COVID restrictions. She has a history of health concerns.
We don't know what's wrong, and it's the hardest thing to not be beside her at this time. Please keep her in your prayers.
Everyday teachers support kids like me, who could've gone down the wrong path. They build bridges for kids to succeed. It's our turn to support them. Many of us, are former students. Some of us, are parents. All of us, are with you.
#ThankYouTeachers
#OSSTF
#NoCutsToEducation
Good morning everyone! Ramadan is tomorrow and I couldn't be more excited! 🌟
This time around, I've decided I'm going to share my Ramadan journey on socials and show people what Ramadan is like from a Muslim perspective. Stay tuned. 🙂
My heart hurts. I can't stop thinking about the 9 year old Muslim boy, whose family was killed in an Islamophobic attack yesterday in London, ON.
He will grow up without the warmth of his parents. He will grow up without his sister or grandmother.
That could have been me.
Proud to officially share that I'm writing my first novel. The novel is a collaboration with Canadian children's literature legend,
@EricRWalters
.
I read Eric's books growing up as a kid, and the last few months of us writing a book together feels surreal.
Graduating Class of 2020
Respectfully,
This world has lost to COVID.
Nobody believes that:
Making it through this together, is possible.
#TheGraduationSpeechOf2020
🎓
Dear Dad,
I love you. And that’s something I want us to start saying to each other more. I love you so much.
You have a lot to live for, my beloved father. You have yet to see my wedding day. You’ve yet to play with my children. You’ve yet to travel back to Pakistan with me.
Passover, Easter, and Ramadan - all in the same weekend. This is truly a time to reflect on the common ground and celebrate what unites us in shared values.
Teacher's don't deserve the money they make.
- they're working through a global pandemic
- they fight with our govt to lower class size
- they put student safety first
- they're adapting to engage students virtually
They deserve double.
Thank You Teachers.
#ontariosafe
#onted
If you stand up for BLM
If you stand up for LGBTQ
If you stand up for Asian Hate
If you stand up for Women's Rights
If you stand up for Indigenous People
Why aren't you standing up for Palestine?
Check the people in your corner.
Good morning! Today is
#DayOne
. Me and my family are up nice & early to have breakfast and drink lots of water!
We typically stop eating for the day just before dawn, as the sun is starting to rise, and eat again as the sun begins to set.
Start time: 5:15 AM EST
End time: 8 PM
Hey teacher friends!
Do you want to bring your students to a virtual field trip?
Pink Shirt Day is on Feb 22nd, and I'm working with
@EricRWalters
, &
@BrouwerSigmund
for a virtual 1-hour event for grades 3-9 with a great message!
I'd love to you all to join us!
So proud to announce that I've received a grant to start working on my first ever poetry book!
A shoutout to English teacher, Ms Riley, who gave me my first book of poetry back in Gr 10 at Cawthra Park Secondary in Mississauga.
Thank you
@MissArtsCouncil
for the grant! 🎉
Hey Teachers!
Do you want to bring your students to a virtual field trip?
I Read Canadian Day is Nov 2nd, and I'm working with
@EricRWalters
,
@BrouwerSigmund
+ other amazing 🍁 writers for a virtual 1-hour event for students. Join us for some literary inspiration!
This is what our life looks like now.
Mom gets sad at 4AM and can’t sleep because she keeps thinking about dad being hurt. So we get in the car and we go see dad.
This is the hardest thing we’ve ever faced.
Dear Class of 2022,
The last few years have not been easy. When we weren't able to be in school, it was life that taught us lessons that we'll never forget.
This poem is a reminder, of the lessons learnt, and the challenges you've overcome.
Congratulations, you made it. 🎉
Update: mom is at home now and doing a bit better.
Thank for your prayers, everyone.
Truth be told, current regulations in hospitals are just unfair. At least one vaccinated family member should be allowed to assist visiting patients.
Bare minimum.
So excited to share that I've just signed a record deal with OVO. I always wanted to be a rapper, and the closest I ever got was working at a shawarma joint. But now I finally get to live that dream. Thank you everyone for always believing me. ❤️
So excited to share that I've been commissioned to write & perform a poem for Hazel McCallion's 100th birthday in February! A true honour. I can't wait for you all to see it!
It's official! RBC named me one of Canada's Top 25 Canadian Immigrants. Thank you to everyone who voted! 🇵🇰🍁
This is for you, mom & dad! We struggled but we made it!
I’ve had thousands of comments/messages over the last 24 hours and I just want to apologize if I haven’t gotten back to you. It’s been an insanely difficult time, but I just genuinely want to say thank you to all of you.
Your thoughts and prayers mean so much right now.
I just want to take a moment to thank my good friend,
@EricRWalters
in joining me for a fast today in the spirit of Ramadan.
It is in true Canadian fashion, that a young immigrant Muslim and an accomplished writer and Christian man can come together to celebrate common values.
To share a stage with
@BarackObama
was a moment I could only dream of. Until that dream came true. A dream that also served as an important reminder: we are all human, and capable of greatness in our own way.
If you ever wanted to know what real love looks like - this is it.
Mom stays at the hospital with dad every single night. She barely sleeps but she’d rather be by his side 15 hours a day to bring him comfort.
Dad, you got yourself a keeper - she’s an angel walking on earth.
I just broke my first fast with my family and teared up.
Mom: "We may not have a mosque to pray at, and we may not have friends come over - but we will always have each other ❤️"
Thank you God, our blessings are beyond measure even in this time.
#RamadanMubarak
my friends.
Is it coincidence? My story today in The Toronto Star, about the power of poetry - and then Amanda Gorman's performance at the Super Bowl?
The spotlight is on the power of the pen. Time to take note.
Look! Dad got his collar is off, and he’s looking SO much more aware! Still a long road ahead, but he’s doing so much better over the last few days 💙❤️
We regularly play him music and Quran and - my goodness, it has made SUCH a difference in his health
The poet at Biden's inauguration yesterday stole the show. It's amazing to see poetry finally being given the recognition it deserves as an art form! It was truly a proud moment for me watching that.
Today I prayed in congregation at a Mosque for the first time in 8 months. After some rough news in our community a few weeks ago, and strict restrictions on places of worship: it was the most beautiful feeling.
Eid Mubarak, my brothers & sisters!
And so, the writing process begins.
I’m going to write everything I want to tell my father when he wakes up from this coma.
This is why, and where, creatives flourish, we take pain and trauma, and turn it into art.
This resource took considerable time & effort. This is our way to give back this Ramadan. This is for the kids like me, who didn't see themselves represented. Let's make this viral.
This is what Islam looks like.
ENG:
FR:
(3/3)
Day 3.
Not easy going w/o food & water for 15 hrs. But knowing I've got such great support pushes me.
My friend, and co-author for my upcoming novel,
@EricRWalters
gave me a call to let me know he'll be joining me tomorrow in Ramadan w/ a fast.
This is what Canada is about. 🍁
Excited to host the
@PeelSchools
virtual graduation ceremony tonight! Graduating class of 2020, I am so incredibly proud of all you. Though we'll be celebrating online for now - we'll do it 10x better once we beat COVID! Stay tuned for a little surprise performance at the end. 🎓
Ramadan isn't a time to simply fast from food & water.
Let's fast from talking badly of others. Let's fast from greed. Let's fast from arrogance.
If we can live a day without the food we need to survive, we can live without the mannerisms that keep us distant from humanity.
Riya,
You deserved the best,
Every child deserves a chance,
To play and to sing,
To read and to dance.
How precious is the life of the young -
Your potential is now your father's regret.
Know you're in our hearts forever,
And we will never forget.
#RestInPeace
#RiyaRajkumar
A number of teachers have asked if they can share my recent graduation poetry video with their schools / classes - of course you may! I'd love that.
Nothing makes me happier than knowing that my words and my art could be of impact to others - especially these students right now.
A year ago, I didn't know if I had a future career as an artist because of the pandemic.
Today, I finished a virtual speaking series with
@HaltonDSB
&
@HDSBEquity
that included 8 sessions and working with over 5K staff and students.
So, so grateful for everything.
#COVID19
Meet my Grade 2 teacher, Ms Ferriera-DaSilva.
When I first came to Canada as an immigrant she taught me at Roywood PS,
@tdsb
.
Last year on this day, I got to perform there, and we met again after 15+ yrs. Only this time I was taller than her. 🙂❤️
#TeacherAppreciationWeek
📚🍎
"Keep Students Reading"
When I was in highschool, it was an English teacher that gave me a book of poetry that changed my life.
This poem is dedicated to the teachers, writers, librarians, + the amazing staff & volunteers that make our libraries great.
📚
@CdnSchoolLibrar
Growing up in an immigrant, South Asian, Muslim home, had it's blessings and it's challenges. Me and Mama Shah decided to have an honest conversation about some of them. Thanks,
@jackdotorg
for capturing our story. 🌹
For many students & immigrants like myself - dealing with mental health means also dealing with bullying, with racism, with finances, or struggling with a new language.
That's why I went back to my former highschool to shoot this poem for
#BellLetsTalk
Representation matters.
This is what's like, as a child in Palestine.
I put my heart into this poem. I couldn't sleep properly for the last two weeks thinking about the videos & photos I've seen online. Innocent kids don't deserve this.
Visit the link in my bio to learn how you can
#SavePalestine
. 🇵🇸
This was our last photo together.
Our last smiles captured on camera before it all happened. Before our lives turned upside down.
I miss you being around so much. I miss you every day, dad.
I pray you’ll be home soon and that things will be normal again, inshallah. 🙏🏽
That's my poetry on the steps to City Hall. I want to thank
@citymississauga
and
@SaugaCulture
for their constant support. This piece has been up since the summer, and what makes me happiest is knowing the kids see it when they play there. Now they know they can do it too.
Palestine is being ethnically cleansed right now.
Over the last week Muslims celebrated Eid, and many Palestinian Muslims were attacked in Masjid Al Aqsa by the IDF in prayer. Many spent Eid burying loved ones.
The silence is deafening from our schools and community leaders.
After 5 months, dad had his first visit home.
It was only a day visit; as he’s high needs and we can’t have him home until he’s better (he’s got a trach in/needs oxygen support) but we’re working on that!
We have faith.
Please continue to keep my father in your prayers. 🙏🏽
"30 Words & Sayings for 30 Days of Ramadan"
I'm so proud to share a culturally responsive resource for students & teachers to learn about Ramadan & Islam.
As a Muslim kid growing up, I wish that me and my peers had access to something like this.
Representation matters.
(1/3)
Today I performed for 1k+ secondary students. It was one of my favorite sessions ever! We had so many questions that even 20-min was not enough time to get to them all. So absolutely
#PeelProud
and grateful for the opportunity to connect with
@PeelSchools
staff + students.
I just want to share a sincere thank you to everyone who followed and joined me in my Ramadan journey this past month. I am so grateful for all the support from Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Peace be with you all.
A special shoutout to
@EricRWalters
&
@missmpollard
🙏🏽
Meet Ms. McIntosh. In Gr. 10, she brought me to my first We Day. My life changed. I was sitting in the balcony section looking all the way down, thinking to myself, "I'm going to be on stage one day."
That was 2010.
This year, I got to bring her backstage to see me perform 🎉
We are working on getting the dad off the ventilator!
His brain isn’t recovering as fast as we’d hope, and he still doesn’t know who he is, or who we are, but we’re so grateful at least he’s breathing without assistance now. 💙
A good friend of mine lost his father to COVID yesterday. When I called to express my sympathies, I tried to put myself in his shoes.
I hugged my mom and dad so tight when I got off the call. Life is not be taken for granted.
Please, if you have not already, get vaccinated.
Thinking of all the students and teachers who are back at school this week. Through the constant uncertainty over the last two years, you have been so resilient.
Wishing everyone a wonderful school year. 🙏🏽
My first published book & a collaboration with a Canadian legend. Two dreams come true in one.
This is for all the kids like me who didn’t see themselves represented in their libraries - and this is for all the allies. For the friends named Zach, Raj, or Melissa.
There’s far
Before we thank
The Father's,
Who stick around,
And understand,
Let's thank,
The single Mother,
Who raises her son,
To be man.
#HappyFathersDay
#ThankYou
If kindness & empathy were used to measure fame, you'd be the biggest celebrity on earth, Mama.
The sacrifices you've made as a struggling immigrant mother, & the resilience you have as an unapologetic Muslim woman, inspire me everyday.
I love you.
#MothersDay
❤️
Let's talk about international students who are depressed & suicidal because of parental & academic pressure. Let's talk about Muslim women with anxiety wearing their Hijab. Let's talk about immigrant families, like mine, who didn't have the conversation we are now.
#BellLetsTalk
Today is
#DayTwo
. It's not easy getting up this early. It's not easy fasting from food & water the whole day.
Ramadan is challenging, but it teaches us to be mindful of all we take for granted. It's when I'm hungry myself, that I truly begin to empathize w/ those less fortunate.
After nearly two decades, I made it back to the city I was born in. I dreamt of this day for so long. I left as a child for Canada with my family at 3 years old. Here I am, seeing it all again as a grown man.
All praise is to the Most High.
Just finished the first of many sessions on diversity and inclusion with students and staff from
@HaltonDSB
. Though I am so thirsty from talking - I am feeling so grateful for the opportunity to do this work, especially in Ramadan.
If you had three minutes on a stage, with 20,000 students, what would you tell them? This video, this poem, is a result of people who cared, passion, and hard work. I just want to let these kids know, they can too. 🌹
Thank you,
@WEMovement
#WeDayVancouver
#SpokenWord
#StandUp
.
@badovinacd
I wish I had said all this to you before you passed. I'd been meaning to reach out and I am so regretful that I didn't. Thank you for being a mentor, and an educator in Peel. May you in rest in peace, power and love. 🌹
#daveBstrong
#RIP
I'm so proud to share that the Ramadan resource me and my friends have been working on is complete! I'm so excited to share it with all of you.
These last ten days of Ramadan are the most sacred, and with Eid around the corner, I know there is such a blessing in this.
So proud to share that my first book is slated for publishing w/
@orcabook
in the near future! I couldn’t be happier!
A huge thank you to my co-author and dear friend,
@EricRWalters
for seeing this through with me. I couldn’t have done it without you, Eric!