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Storytelling

"The message behind the words is the voice of the heart" - Rumi

HUMANS OF THE MARKAZ

A blog dedicated to exploring difficult topics to discuss, including but not limited to: belonging, home, purpose, and direction. Ultimately, Humans of the Markaz seeks to tell the passionate, true, gritty stories of our wonderful community members. To get involved, contact Manar.

visual stories

“Home for me is a feeling — it’s not belonging… maybe it is… I’m not sure — maybe there’s some overlap but I don’t think it’s the same thing. Home is things that remind you of who you are. I moved around a lot. I always felt like citizenship and borders and all of that jazz were pretty contested. Conflating citizenship to home was an issue for me. So really, home is where I am reminded that I’m myself.”

“I long to feel comfortable in all places. I long for the idea that I am accepted no matter where I am, which is not the case. I think I’m at a point in my life where I’m not necessarily tied to one person. I’m kind of floating. I have genuine connections with people but I feel like they are on different levels of myself. So I’m very branched out; my relationships with people are surrounding one identity or one thing so its hard to say that one person is most influential or important to me.”

“I think I’ve realized that it’s not Arab to suffer. I can exist as a multidimensional being. But yeah, there’s the whole longing for a homeland thing. I’m perpetually lonely for a country. I don’t think that’s going to change either — it’s just a thing that I have to figure out how to work around or sit with. I often think: Am I the only one in the family heartbroken over the country? Damn.”

“Home? Home is in the mind. Home is not in a location; you can’t map it with coordinates; and as much as I want it to be, it probably isn’t North Carolina. Home is something that you fashion for yourself as time goes on. And I think that’s one of the things that took me a while to understand before I came to college. Home is something you find in the self, it isn’t really a place physically as much as it is a place spiritually and emotionally. It’s also something that I think a lot of people come to understand because when you come to college, you are forced to completely reassess and redefine yourself.”

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A podcast series featuring a diverse cross section of the Markaz's community. This season's theme is "breaking bread" - what does it mean to share food with your family, your friends, or a stranger? You can listen to our episodes on the Mosaic website or on our SoundCloud page. To get involved, contact Arman (who really, really wants to hear you tell a story about food!)

audio stories

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THE HISTORY OF THE MARKAZ

an oral history by Parsa Nowruzi

Last year, Markaz historian Parsa Nowruzi and a handful of interns collected interviews from alumni, faculty, and staff who were integral in the founding of the Markaz. These interviews have been turned into a podcast for your enjoyment! Hear how a handful of Muslim students came together in 2012 to create an inclusive community space for learning, healing, and growing.

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