The impact of the heartbreaking devastation in the Middle East extends far beyond the innocent lives lost — it echoes across nations, reaching the hearts of students on the University of Michigan-Dearborn campus. Here, we are part of a uniquely diverse community, where conversations in Arabic, Urdu, Hindi, Spanish, English and countless other languages can be overheard.

With a strong Muslim presence on campus, Israel’s war on Gaza feels uncomfortably close to many of us, even with the ceasefire . The genocide in Palestine weighs heavily, impacting students’ families and shaping their perspectives of the world around them. The genocide draws a metaphorical fence between our friendships, classrooms and even our mental health — reshaping the way we speak to one another, voice our

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