By Marian Mohamed | April 10, 2024
At the start of a new quarter, most students’ focus is on their coursework. However, this isn’t the case for a group of BIPOC and Muslim students attending the University of Washington (UW), who say they are more concerned about their physical safety on campus.
One of these students is UW sophomore Isha Hussein, who on Feb. 25, 2024, published a four-page statement describing her negative on-campus dorming experience. The letter, posted to her personal Instagram account, details how Hussein, who is Black and Muslim, was threatened and assaulted by her roommates. Hussein says she publicized her statement to garner attention and support after not receiving any from staff members within UW’s Housing and Food Services (HFS), who Hussein argues could’ve helped her leave a dangerous situation.
According to Hussein, on Oct. 7, 2023, when reports first broke out about the Hamas attack on Israel, Roommate A — as Hussein refers to her — approached her to talk about the news. Roommate A questioned Hussein on who she supported, expressed her own need to join the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) and proclaimed Israel had a right to defend itself.
