You just got appointed to the Mayors Commission on LGBT Affairs. I thought at the time we had points of connection around a shared spiritual identity.. The anonymous woman and her friends watched as Saraswati blocked them on social media and removed them from their group chat after they confronted her about the news articles. We learned that we all had misgivings and skepticism of some of the stories shes told us and that everything suddenly clicked with the news of her fraud, the woman said. Raquel Saraswati: 'Multiethnic' activist outed by own mum as: 'white as This is a woman who was representing herself as a Muslim spokesperson, but she wasnt speaking on behalf of anyone but herself., Because these diversity initiatives are structured to only seek to have someone who looks the part, but [does] not actually represent communities, then its easy for these opportunistic individuals to come in and play those roles, Aziz said. The woman, who goes by the name Raquel Saraswati, was the chief inclusion officer of Philadelphia-based American Friends Service Committee and had been lauded for her racial and LGBTQ+ equity. LGBTQ2SIA people have been prohibited entrance to religious spaces and safe public practice of faith, and have been shamed, exiled, and physically harmed in the name of religion. Saraswati said in an email that I hear that people feel hurt and confused, but maintains that she has not misrepresented herself, pointing to the advocacy work she has accomplished in Philadelphia as a Muslim woman. It is very acceptable for Hamas to struggle military if we heard about what happened on the Sabra and Shatila massacre 1982. Shes also the creator of Bodega Stories and a, All Rights Reserved Poynter Institute 2023, The Poynter Institute for Media Studies, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)3. While outright bigotry is absolutely a problem, so is the ignorance of those with good intentions and that ignorance might even be more dangerous. The subject line read, Story Pitch: Arab Rachel Dolezal Situation.. I am a white American woman, born and raised in California. So began Mikatis reporting on the claim that Saraswati was not who she described herself as for years. In my opinion you are a Munafiq. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Saraswati currently serves as the organization's Chief Equity, Inclusion, and . Raquel Evita Saraswati made a name for herself in a number of Philadelphia's community and advocacy circles. A3oothou Bilallahi min ash-shaytan ar-rajeem. The west has alot yo worry about. Oskar Pierre Castro, a human resources official who helped AFSC hire Saraswati, was told she was a queer, Muslim, multiethnic woman, according to the news outlet. Home | American Friends Service Committee ago She looks kind of dumb in the face http://www.islamicintros.com. Perone shared with The Intercept that her daughter converted to Islam in high school and felt compelled to present a different ethnic identity for some reason. Raquel Evita Saraswati studied at Simmons University in Boston and eventually settled in Massachusetts after marrying her girlfriend, Anh Dao Kolbe, in 2005. I also hope to aid in the creation of more spaces focused on addressing intimate partner violence and abuse. And because of that, we had very personal conversations as a Black Muslim who grew up queer and nonbinary in Philadelphia. She was a bronze-hued, Jersey-born spokesperson for Muslim and LGBTQ causes in fashionable hijabs, an. A partnership between Poynters International Fact-Checking Network and Google and YouTube continues to support fact-checking initiatives worldwide. The controversy surrounding Raquel Evita Saraswati's heritage sparked immediate outrage on social media, and netizens took to Twitter to call her out for the same. "New Rachel Dolezal just dropped": Raquel Evita Saraswati heritage The first was that she hadnt connected with Saraswati yet. She never publicly apologized.. The senior inclusion officer of a Philadelphia-based social justice group has been lying about her ethnic identity for years claiming she is a woman of color despite being as white as the driven snow, her mother alleges. Perone said her daughter converted to Islam in high school and for some reason felt compelled to present a different ethnic identity. Raquel Saraswati claimed Arab, South Asian, Latin descent - YouTube Half of the job is to produce stories that are for communities of color and marginalized communities, Mikati said. Tell us a little bit about yourself.I am a Muslim activist and writer, focusing primarily on issues related to the rights of women and girls in Muslim-majority societies and communities. Shes also received nasty emails from more conservative people who had a bone to pick with progressives and leftists., I think that I answered all the main questions that I did have, and that I could have had at the beginning, Mikati said. In my mind it was, Great, a person of color, a queer person of color, who happens to be a Muslim, its a woman, all these things, and someone who seemed to get it, Castrol told the Intercept. Since then, we have stood with communities taking bold action to overcome violence, inequality, and oppression. Raquel Evita Saraswati made a name for herself in a number of Philadelphias community and advocacy circles. Assalamualaikum Prior to their marriage, the couple were featured in the Boston Globe, where Saraswati used the name Seidel and said she was of Arab and Latin descent. AFSC was founded in 1917 to create alternatives to military service during World War I. We need to learn new ways of standing against oppression while actively healing ourselves and holding each other: identifying real enemies and cherishing rare, real allies. .You say Somalia is a place where random funny men are killed outa the blue for no reason ,and i could only imagine what you gots to say about Burma . Raquel Saraswati, her mom said I can't imagine why she is doing this? Some thanked her and asked if she was going to look into it further. At least two people had mentioned Saraswati to Mikati in the months after she began her new job as a community and engagement reporter with the Inquirer in August 2022. Is this one Transracial? Womanism is about being willful, intentional, committed to the survival and wholeness of people, celebrating emotional expansiveness and flexibility, being a seeker of knowledge, a lover of the Spirit and a believer in womens strength. She garnered media attention after appearing on Becks show following 9/11 and appearing in a 2013 film produced by the Clarion Project, an organization specializing in "rabidly anti-Muslim films," per the Southern Poverty Law Center. We all need to check are hearts we live in interesting times and going against the ijma of the uluma on homosexuality is a dangerous move. Saraswatis case is reminiscent of that of notorious race faker Rachel Dolezal, a former NAACP chapter president in Spokane, Washington, who falsely posed as a black woman in 2015. But her mother, Carol Perone, said Saraswati is actually of British, German and Italian descent. I thought at the time we had points of connection around a shared spiritual identity.. Nice to actually know you when I browsed about islamic feminists in wikipedia. Former NAACP Spokane chapter president Dolezal was accused of faking her African-American ancestry despite being allegedly Caucasian. I maintain that the response I am receiving is significantly more critical and harsh than that received by many men and those who have not identified as LGBTQ+. It speaks about how Allah (swt) destroyed the homosexuals. It may just be that she got the memo a little bit late, and matured in her thinking about her politics, said Sofia Ali-Khan, former Philly resident and author of A Good Country, noting that Saraswati converted to Islam in high school. Then their friend went on to say that employees at Saraswatis workplace published an open letter claiming Saraswati was white. Raquel is a vocal advocate for religious reform, freedom of speech, and equal rights for women and girls. The anonymous authors of the letter identify . [] About:Raquel Evita Saraswati is an American Muslim activist and writer. Salam alikoum, I just know about you miss and i am so proud of you your the mirror of muslimat in USA I wish to know you better and Im supporting you for every step you gonna take to clear the image of ISLAM. Our Top Five Articles for 2023 (So Far) - Friends Journal While there are certainly things I would articulate differently as a 39-year-old than I did 10 to 15 years ago, I have never perpetuated hate against my own faith, Saraswati wrote in an email to The Inquirer. A white woman, who converted to Islam and allegedly posed as a person of color for years, has resigned from her position in a social justice organization founded by Quakers after being exposed for race faking. r/philadelphia on Reddit: Raquel Evita Saraswati pretended to be a Sabrina Vourvoulias, the Inquirers senior editor for communities and engagement, also felt it was a story the team should look into further, especially given that Saraswati has served on the Philadelphia Mayors Commission on LGBT Affairs. Sana Saeed, an Al Jazeera journalist who tweeted criticism of Saraswati in 2015. Raquel Evita Saraswati, 39, who was born Rachel Elizabeth Seidel, is the chief equity, inclusion and culture officer of the Philadelphia-based American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), which . I have a daughter and I DARE some bastard to even PRETEND that he going to mutilate her. When marginalized due to lack of any skills, you wanna have some exposure in media to sell books and talks! A longtime friend of Saraswatis, whom The Inquirer is not identifying because of potential personal impact, met Saraswati through progressive Muslim circles about six years ago. Her presence has allowed us to report on breaking news stories affecting Quaker communities, like the controversy surrounding Raquel Saraswati's brief time at AFSC and the killing of Carol Clark, clerk of Philadelphia's Unity Meeting. Shes chosen to live a lie, and I find that very, very sad.. I definitely feel conned. so i would like to ask in which university or college you gratuated from, and in which fiel you are scholar May peace continue to be on you and continue to do what you do , Dear Raquel, Im also a vegan (for 21 years now, and I love to cook for anyone who will let me), a master bargain hunter, a partner, a cat mom, a lover of words and loud, busy cities, and a muhajjaba a woman who covers her hair. Saraswati, 39, who was born Rachel Elizabeth Seidel, was the chief equity, inclusion and culture officer of the Philadelphia-based, progressive Quaker group that fights . All too often, progressive and well-meaning people ally with organizations and individuals in marginalized or targeted communities without consulting those on the margins of those communities like LGBTQ2SIA people, dissidents, women, minority sects, racial and ethnic minorities, etc. I recently stumbled across your site and want to say I am amazed by what you do! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Being LGBTQ2SIA and/or being a person of faith does not mean that a person isnt engaged in the oppression of those with less privilege. Could you hopefully tell me a little bit how you reached this point in your life? Fake Muslim Activist Scored Invite to Obama White House and Rubbed Raquel Saraswati | Sam's Alfresco Coffee But I want more of the rock. astagfirullah..oh may God , its cruel.i dont know ? This is a complicated situation and AFSC leadership is working through it in a thoughtful and humane way, taking in many perspectives, Graham wrote in an email to The Inquirer. She is one of our 2019 Women of the Year! It wasnt just that she used her identities to somehow feel a sense of belonging she also used it for purposes of being in positions of power, Muhammad said. We both believe more men need to get involved in womens rights, and speak up about the abuse and torture.
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