Varisha Khan

Varisha Khan is a student at the University of Washington studying journalism and political science. Texan-born and Seattle-bred, she enjoys good barbeque, Sunday night football, traveling and blogging.
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Muslim students call for greater scrutiny on Indiana shootings

by Varisha Khan
Students questioned whether lack of public response to shooting of three young black men in Indiana — two of whom were Muslim — was due to race or religion.
Mar 4, 2016

Vigil at UW Thursday will push for hate crime investigation in Indiana shooting

by Varisha Khan
A Seattle vigil scheduled for Thursday joins a national campaign calling for a hate crime investigation of the execution-style murders of three young black men in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Mar 1, 2016

Worldwide attention to Somali teen’s death is justified

by Varisha Khan
There are reasons that people have feared that 16-year-old Hamza Warsame's race and religion had something to do with his death.
Dec 11, 2015
A volunteer doctor working with the Salaam Cultural Museum examines a Syrian refugee child. (Photo by Alisa Reznick)

How to help Syrian refugees in Seattle

by Varisha Khan
Want to know how to help Syrian refugees? We've got answers.
Dec 1, 2015
Coach Ar Ahmed rallies East African youth players in the Companion Athletics basketball league. The not-for-profit program is one of several trying to address a perceived generation gap in the community. (Photo by Alex Stonehill)

Trying to make sense of shootings, East Africans see a generation gap

by Varisha Khan
Is a cultural clash between generations in the East African community a root cause for the recent wave of gun violence.
Nov 30, 2015

Man expected to get probation in firebomb attack of Oregon mosque

by Varisha Khan
Cody Crawford, who police say had a history of ranting hatred against Muslims, pleaded no contest to firebombing a mosque in Oregon.
Nov 12, 2015

Seattle incumbents Sawant and Harrell lead in early results, Initiative 122 passing

by Varisha Khan
Initiative 122, a campaign finance reform initiative that would set contribution limits in Seattle and also create a voucher system for public campaign financing, appeared to be leading easily in early returns Tuesday night. More than 100 people celebrated the early returns at an Honest Elections event at Grim’s, with Seattle Councilmember Nick Licata and State Rep. […]
Nov 3, 2015

Indian artist Krish Raghav sees the world in comics form

by Varisha Khan
Krish Raghav's comic books combine travelogue with historical, social and political context — before ending with a punchline.
Oct 30, 2015
Weseem Shoulub, 7, resting in the Palestine Children's Relief Fund office in Gaza last year. Shoulub underwent surgery to amputate both legs at Spokane Shriners Hospital on October 7th. (Photo courtesy PCRF)

Young visitor from Gaza underscores lack of medical access in Palestine

by Varisha Khan
7-year-old Weseem Shoulub is in Washington this month for a surgery he can't get near his home in Gaza.
Oct 22, 2015
Zainab Haji (left) gives cookies to Kent Chadwick, who turned out in support of the Islamic Center of Kitsap County in 2015 in response to announced plans for an anti-Islam rally the Bremerton mosque. No protestors actually showed up. (Photo courtesy CAIR-WA)

A hate group called for protests at local mosques. Guess who showed up?

by Varisha Khan
They expected armed anti-Islam protestors. What they got was a group of neighbors who turned out to show support for religious freedom.
Oct 14, 2015
MAPS (The Muslim Association of Puget Sound) in Redmond is bracing for a possible anti-Islam rally Saturday. (Photo by Varisha Khan)

Mosques in Western Washington bracing for Anti-Islam rally Saturday

by Varisha Khan
An Anti-Islam groups have called a "Global Rally for Humanity" at a mosque in Bremerton this weekend. Will anyone actually show up?
Oct 9, 2015
Fethya Ibrahim, a junior at UW, participates in a die-in on Red Square representing the depopulated Palestinian village Hadatha. Ibrahim was among fifty-some individuals who protested an Israeli celebration of the 1948 Palestinian exodus. (Photo by Aditya Ganapathiraju)

Palestinian students see catastrophe in celebrations of Israel’s founding

by Varisha Khan
Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli student groups at UW are by turns celebrating and mourning Israel's 67th birthday this week.
May 13, 2015