Wajahat Ali '07 Publishes Essay in New York Times
Wajahat Ali '07 published an essay in the New York Times concerning issues Muslim-American parents face when naming their children. In light of anti-Muslim discrimination, Ali and his wife wondered whether they should avoid giving their children names traditionally associated with Islam.
"It wasn't crazy to be entertaining the question," Ali writes. "Why burden your kid with a profile-worthy name in addition to the problems he will likely inherit because of his skin color, ethnicity and religion?"
Ali, a Pakistani-American who grew up in Fremont before attending UC Berkeley and then King Hall, has enjoyed a successful career as a writer, authoring an acclaimed play, Domestic Crusaders, and contributing essays and articles to publications including The Guardian of London and The Huffington Post. He currently hosts "The Stream," a program on Al Jazeera America television.