Aysha Khan ¬ Bylines

Home

Reporting and news writing ¬

Analyst News

Miles4Migrants has flown 43,000 refugees to safety with donated airline miles. Now its future is at risk. September 2023.
The Uyghur photographer capturing his homeland’s natural beauty — before it’s too late May 2023.
The Quran recitation app bringing women’s voices to the fore April 2023.
How America kickstarted the modern ‘crusades’ of imperial Islamophobia March 2023.
These senior women took on a group of Catholic nuns to preserve their homes March 2023.

Mic

This pro-choice pastor has a word for anti-abortion Christians. June 2022.

The Boston Globe

In Boston, a growing community of Uyghurs is fighting to save its culture and its people. February 2022. This story led the front page of the Globe's print edition (A1 above the fold, 02/12/22).

Associated Press

Amid debate, women lift their voices with Muslim sacred text. February 2022. Co-reported with Mariam Fam.
Women seek diverse paths to leadership in Islamic spaces. November 2021. Co-reported with Mariam Fam.
Faith-based mutual aid flourishes amid pandemic, protests. June 2020.
On Mother’s Day, young Uighurs ask: Where are our moms? May 2020.
After advocating for his release, Uighur woman hears from father via Chinese media. May 2020.
Church software companies rush to accommodate surge in usage. April 2020.
Boston Uighur woman champions her father’s release in China. February 2020.

The New Arab

'Praying to the West': Omar Mouallem uncovers Muslims' deep roots in the Americas. January 2022.

Prism

What went wrong in America’s record-low refugee admissions? Not just Trump. November 2021.
Inflated housing costs are shutting Afghan refugees out of communities. September 2021. Republished in Truthout.
Muslim American mental health experts are developing their own resources. August 2021.
Explainer: What does refugee resettlement look like in the U.S.? June 2021.

The Washington Post

Some Muslim American women say they are facing a ‘marriage crisis.’ These photos tell their stories. September 2021.
During a pandemic Ramadan, audio app Clubhouse is creating space for women-led worship. May 2021. Republished in The Philadelphia Tribune.
Across America, Muslims are becoming a fixture on the disaster relief landscape. October 2020. This story was funded by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and published in partnership with Religion News Service.

Yes! Magazine

When Data Privacy Becomes a Subject of Faith. June 2021.

The GroundTruth Project

Ahead of the 2020 presidential elections, as one of GroundTruth's Preserving Democracy and Voting Rights fellows, I published a series of pieces on Muslims' voting access.
In San Diego, Black Muslims are working to expand voting access in jails. October 2020. Co-published with Religion News Service.
Across the country, Muslims are fighting voter suppression and intimidation. October 2020. Co-published with Religion & Politics magazine.
Ismaili and Ahmadi Muslim minorities push national voter registration efforts. October 2020. Co-published with Religion News Service.

Religion & Politics

A push to deny Muslims religious freedom gains steam. July 2019.
Ahmadi Muslims have a storied American history — and a legacy that is often overlooked. November 2018.

Religion News Service

Below is a selection of my 400+ pieces at RNS, a wire service partnered with the Associated Press. See all my latest reporting at ReligionNews.com.
As Muslim Advocates founder resigns, former staffers allege hostile workplace. July 2021.
‘The nuke we survived’: American Muslims breathe sigh of relief as Biden reverses travel ban. January 2021.
Breaking: Pakistan attempts to prosecute Ahmadi US citizens for digital blasphemy. January 2021.
Body cam video released in 2017 police killing of Muhammad Muhaymin Jr: ‘Allah? He's not going to help you’. August 2020.
A U.S. citizen was shot to death in a blasphemy trial in Pakistan. Now his daughter is fighting for justice. August 2020.
How a quarantine matchmaking project for Muslims found itself navigating anti-Blackness. August 2020.
Through sci-fi and fantasy, Muslim women authors are building new worlds. July 2020. Republished in Broadview and the Washington Post online and in print.
On July 5, Uighurs remember 2009 violence that set Chinese crackdown in motion. July 2020. Republished in the Washington Post online and in print.
From farm labor to food trucks, Sikhs adapt langar to serve the masses during a pandemic. June 2020. Featured in the Solution Journalism Network's list of 2020's standout solutions journalism.
Solidarity, not charity: Why mutual aid reemerged in the pandemic, and is flourishing amid protests. June 2020. Published on the Associated Press national wire, republished in outlets including the Washington Post, Philadelphia Tribune, Minnesota Public Radio, and ABC News .
A Somali-owned mental health clinic was destroyed during protests. It's still healing its community. June 2020. Published on the Associated Press national wire, republished in outlets including the Washington Post.
After Floyd’s death, a reckoning for Muslim immigrant store owners. June 2020. Published on the Associated Press national wire, republished in outlets including the Washington Post.
Near Boston, a Friendly’s-turned-Hindu temple serves holy offerings to go. June 2020.
Wrongfully imprisoned for decades, Jimmie Gardner is driven by faith and justice. May 2020.
During Ramadan in isolation, Muslims get creative to preserve community. April 2020.
Oral history project preserves stories of black Muslim seniors amid pandemic. April 2020.
Church software companies rush to accommodate major surge in usage. April 2020. Published on the Associated Press national wire, republished in outlets including the New York Times.
Biden faces backlash over pro-Modi staffer’s close Hindu nationalist ties. March 2020.
‘We are reclaiming Holi’: College students protest Hindu nationalism with a blackout Holi. February 2020.
London’s new Faith hub is building young Muslims a bridge back to the mosque. February 2020.
A daughter’s duty: From Boston, a young Uighur woman champions her father’s release in China. February 2020. Published on the Associated Press national wire, republished in outlets including the Washington Post, Seattle Times, Charlotte Observer, San Francisco Chronicle and more.
At Muslim hackathon, techies build community and tools to access Islamic learning. February 2020.
‘A long time coming’: These Muslims are bringing sex abuse by sheikhs out of the shadows. January 2020.
Caught in crossfire: After US strike, border stops leave Iranian Americans feeling vulnerable. January 2020.
‘Where will the next decade take religion? Experts predict the future of faith. December 2019.
‘Mission accomplished’: How one woman built the mosque of her dreams in Vegas. December 2019.
Boston College students and faculty push to reject Koch funding — and Koch values. November 2019.
After call from Indian official, Connecticut library pulls Sikh ‘genocide’ memorial. October 2019.
Inside the WhatsApp group of young Muslims praying for Bernie’s health. October 2019.
Meet the imam building a ‘Muslim Village’ in the heart of Vegas. October 2019.
Opposition to Modi isn’t just about anti-Muslim violence, Indian Christians say. October 2019.
Anti-extremism program won’t stop white hate, say Muslims who have seen its flaws. August 2019.
Kashmiri Americans organize to put a human face to the crisis in their homeland. August 2019.
Sikh activists ask Kamala Harris for apology over beard ban for California prison guards. July 2019.
Why a Boston church is stamping Harriet Tubman on all its $20 bills. June 2019.
During Ramadan, growing Muslim philanthropy enters the spotlight. June 2019.
Immigrant-run manufacturing co-op aims to change culture of fast fashion, starting with American Muslims. May 2019.
For many Muslims, Ramadan is a built-in digital detox program. May 2019.
China is punishing Muslims for fasting. So US Muslims are fasting from China. May 2019.
How a controversial Muslim figure helped ignite a media firestorm over Rep. Ilhan Omar’s 9/11 comments. April 2019.
In Detroit, one organization is schooling Muslims on racial justice. February 2019.
Why some young Muslim women are leaning into arranged marriages. February 2019.
MIT faces backlash over invited speaker’s anti-Muslim comments. February 2019.
US Muslim leaders call on China to end persecution of Uighurs. February 2019.
Nikahnama wants to bring back a lost Islamic marriage tradition. February 2019.
‘We’re not the enemy’: Muslim fans respond to Chicago Cubs patriarch’s emails. February 2019. Republished in the Salt Lake Tribune and Presbyterian Outlook
After police foil terrorist attack on Islamberg, New York Muslims push for justice. January 2019
First Muslim superhero returns after 70 years – just in time to take down a few Nazis. December 2018.
Brooklyn Muslims document their past and present in new oral history project. December 2018.
Madrasa Discourses equip tomorrow’s Islamic scholars with scientific literacy. December 2018.
US-bound Ahmadi leader models a different kind of Islamic caliphate. October 2018.
Seventeen years after 9/11, Muslims are still 'presumed guilty'. September 2018. Republished in the National Catholic Reporter and the Oakland Press.
Fighting intolerance, Ahmadi Muslims have won unlikely allies. August 2018.
For American Muslims, family separations at the border are personal. July 2018. Republished in the National Catholic Reporter.
In sleep-deprived America, Ramadan offers an extra challenge for insomniacs. June 2018.
Omid Safi’s ‘Radical Love’ recenters Sufi poetry within Islam. June 2018. Republished in the Houston Chronicle.
In the US, Muslims are making slow inroads toward a greener Ramadan. May 2018. Republished in the Houston Chronicle, Richmond Free Press and Deseret News.
As U.S. cities re-examine bail, Muslims launch a fund at Ramadan to pay it. May 2018. Republished in the Albany Times Union, Deseret News, Laredo Morning Times and Word & Way.
A new streetwear line for Muslim women takes the frills out of modest fashion. March 2018. Republished in Sojourners.
What’s next for religion in 2018? December 2017. Republished in National Catholic Reporter, The Salt Lake Tribune,The Anniston Star and Colorado Springs Gazette.
Is Tumblr witchcraft feminism – or cultural appropriation? October 2017. Republished in Colorado Springs Gazette.
In Ramadan, Muslim diabetics toe a fine line. June 2017. Republished in Deseret News
Nike to launch ‘Pro Hijab’ for Muslim women athletes. March 2017. Republished in USA Today,The Columbus Dispatch , Sojourners, azcentral, ABC10, KGW TV and Deseret News.
On Eid al-Adha, questioning Muslims’ passion for meat. September 2016. Republished in USA Today, Sojourners and Deseret News. 2017 winner, RNA Chandler Award for Excellence in Student Journalism
Ibtihaj Muhammad: First US Olympian to compete in hijab. August 2016. Republished in National Catholic Reporter and Deseret News
Muslim women adjust the volume: #CanYouHearUsNow, Trump? August 2016. Republished in USA Today, Sojourners, The Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News. 2017 winner, RNA Chandler Award for Excellence in Student Journalism
How Pokemon Go is luring millennials to the church (parking lot). July 2016. Republished in Sojourners, The Salt Lake Tribune, The Anniston Star and National Catholic Reporter. Featured in Real Clear Religion
Online, Muslim women face threats from both Islamophobes and reformers. June 2016. Republished in Sojourners and Deseret News. Featured in Religion & Politics. Featured in Medium editors’ picks. 2017 winner, RNA Chandler Award for Excellence in Student Journalism
How Trump is getting out the Muslim vote. March 2016. Republished in Sojourners, The Salt Lake Tribune, Colorado Springs Gazette, District Chronicles, The Catholic Register, The Christian Century and Deseret News

Vice News

This Sikh activist is building an interfaith movement for net neutrality. December 2018.

NBC News

This artist is collecting Muslim immigrants' ID cards to build a different kind of wall. February 2018.

ThinkProgress

What will government transparency look like under Trump? December 2016. 2017 winner, SAJA Award for a Student Journalist in North America
The slow and steady battle to close Wikipedia’s dangerous gender gap. December 2016. Featured in Medium editors’ picks
How the rest of the world is reacting to Trump’s victory. November 2016
California’s conflicting ballot initiatives will either repeal or revive executions. October 2016
The movement to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day is spreading rapidly. October 2016. Featured in Daily Kos.
Tracking the Kaepernick effect: The anthem protests are spreading. September 2016

Technical.ly

#WeNeedDiverseBooks meets #dctech with Kickstarter hit ‘Sasha Tech Savvy Loves to Code.’ February 2017.
This is how to build an Instagram creative community. January 2017.
How Project Sidewalk is making DC more accessible. November 2016
10 projects from Technica, the world’s biggest female hackathon. November 2016
Why these digital humanists spent hours poring over KKK accounts. October 2016
UMD College Park’s Technica is angling to be the biggest female hackathon in the U.S. October 2016
How D.C. illustrator Mari Andrew went from doodles to Instagram fame in one short year. September 2016

American Journalism Review

Six strategies for choosing your next skill in tech. May 2015
All together now: 21 cloud-based tools for collaborative journalism. April 2015
How tech-savvy journalism students view innovation. March 2015. Featured in Pew Research Center’s Journalism Project, A&L Daily, Recode and Romenesko.
How journalism professors used Legos to teach Super Bowl data visualization. February 2015. Featured in Romenesko and Editor & Publisher.

Muftah

Five years after Lahore attacks, Pakistan’s Ahmadis live in the shadows. May 2015

Essays and creative writing ¬

Reconstructed

Poem: Gutted (Or Always This Way?) Volume 2: Bodies, February 2021.

Kajal

The Fruit They Bore. June 2016

Reorient

Face-Off: Exploring the effacement of female voices in Persian and Urdu poetry. April 2016

The Riveter

Street harassment: A global problem, captured on film. August 2015
Wrapped in brown skin. April 2015