Assignment | Narrative on Linda Sarsour and What Is Your Jihad?

M. Cross

Contextual Thinking

Alexandra M. Rosado-Roman, PhD

Lesson 4, Reflection

How does Linda Sarsour's intersectional leadership, as a Palestinian-American Muslim woman, challenge traditional activist frameworks?

By using intersectional leadership, Sarsour challenges embedded traditional activist legacies by using approaches that are inclusive. Her method of leadership disrupts power, rejects passivity, embraces accountability, and creates space for inclusion. No voice is marginalized.

In what ways does her approach disrupt colonial and patriarchal norms in movements for justice?   

Sarssour's methodologies counter hate speech, takes responsibility for creating change, encourages collective solidarity, and strategically uses social media, and leadership is inclusive. This approach disrupts power and creates space.

What is the significance of Sarsour's reinterpretation of jihad as a personal and societal struggle for justice?

Sarsour refutes the violence of the western idea of jihad which tends to represent a certain section of community. She sees jihad as internal, personal, and transformational journey toward self-improvement. It is not limited to one community but is a universal call for involvement and action. This jihad is for anyone seeking to overcome personal obstacles and advocate for others' justice and a more compassionate world.

So many times we get involved in actions and protests to avoid ourselves. That avoidance causes a distorted view of the world and limits empathy and compassion for others. My protest is about me not community.

This stood out to me as I am a firm believer in looking inward and working toward being the best me, making changes snd adjustments everyday. Though that process is ongoing, my eyes and heart become open to the needs of others

How can communities foster accountability to transform passive observation in active resistance?

Sarsour believes we need to hold individuals and the community responsible for taking steps against injustice. Accountability is the bridge that transforms passive observation into active participation. Accountability aligns the personal with broader values of justice. Empathy and compassion are essential. Empathy allows us to share in others' struggles and compassion moves us to action to alleviate suffering. Another component is humility which encourages openness to diverse perceptions. Accountability creates a sold foundation for resistance. Absence of accountability fosters complacency.

Shiree Dyson

Contextual Thinking

Lesson 4

November 19, 2025

How does Linda Sarsour’s intersectional leadership, as a Palestinian American Muslim woman, challenge traditional activist frameworks?

As an American born Palestinian Muslim woman Linda Sarsour is clearly grounded in her cultural identity and the community where she was raised. It was her lived experience in growing up in Brooklyn, where she witnessed Puerto Rican, Dominican, Central American, and Palestinian communities navigating shared struggles. Her intersectional approach extends from her insistence on bringing all of who she is, mother, wife, daughter, Muslim, Palestinian, American, etc to the center. She believed in coalition building which is fundamentally different from traditional activist frameworks.

In what ways does her approach disrupt colonial and patriarchal norms in movements for justice?

She comes from a grassroots perspective rooted in culture, community, collaboration, and accountability. Sarsour, Mallory, and Perez disrupted the traditional pillars (equal pay and reproductive rights) of the women’s movement by centering women of color and the issues of immigration, education, and police brutality. This expansion was new to the formal organizing points of the women’s movement.

What is the significance of Sarsour’s reinterpretation of jihad as a personal and societal struggle for justice?

For Sarsour wearing the hijab was a choice of resistance to the patriarchal narrative of oppression. Sarsour centers hijab wearing women in the center of her activism. Traditional activism coalitions either did not consider Muslim women at all, or they were relegated to the margins. (Muslim women do not protest. They had no voice. ) Her presence changed this during the women’s movement of 2017. The hijab was her calling card to world or as she says in the book, “her cape”.

How can communities foster accountability to transform passive observation into active resistance?

Communities can foster accountability through ensuring all voices have a space at the mic.  With all voices represented one can then identify shared values. Shared values hold you accountable because these become your non-negotiables. Referring to the Chicano movement, building internal infrastructures in communities to support the needs of the communities another form of resistance. When individuals feel supported, they thrive and give back to when they feel feed.

How does Linda Sarsour’s intersectional leadership, as a Palestinian-American Muslim woman, challenge traditional activist frameworks?

Sarsour understands that different aspects of her identity experience oppression uniquely while also sharing in the same struggle for equality and justice. Her approach to civil rights demands an awareness of the multiplicity of oppression and calls for solidarity amongst diverse populations. 

In what ways does her approach disrupt colonial and patriarchal norms in movements for justice?

She is a palestinian-american woman and activist. That alone “disrupts” colonial and patriarchal norms. She calls for movements for justice to become more inclusive, to address the issues that uniquely affect women, immigrants and marginalized religious groups.

What is the significance of Sarsour’s reinterpretation of jihad as a personal and societal struggle for justice? 

She understands jihad to be a call for all persons to address their personal internal struggles and engage in social activism to produce a more compassionate and just world. It is a universal calling and it marries the personal with the collective. Coming to terms with our own demons can inspire us to seek change and justice for the broader community.

How can communities foster accountability to transform passive observation into active resistance?

By critically examining the history and current trends of colonialism.  Rejecting the temptation to be nothing more than a bystander by engaging in grassroot efforts to combat systems of oppression. Fostering empathy, compassion and humility by promoting religious and cultural pluralism. .

As a Muslim, Palestinian-American woman, Linda Sarsour brings a unique intersectionality to the field of activism, especially when compared to against anti-colonialist activism. Her intersectionality engages more populations which come together in the service of a collective movement against injustice.

Her approach starts with personal accountability, understanding our own personal jihad, and then moving out into the world to fight against injustice. This is different from colonial and patriarchal norms

The word jihad at its core means “struggle.” I spent some time amongst Iranian-American writers and co-edited an anthology of non-fiction, and I’ve thought about this word a lot. I personally decided not to use it in my writing, because I’m not clearly identifiable as part of the Iranian diaspora (I am married to an Iranian and have two bi-cultural children) but the word resonated with me. One of my favorite non-fiction accounts of life in Iran in the 21^st century is Lipstick Jihad  by Azadeh Moaveni. However, through government propaganda as well as the press, the term jihad has become identified with violent political uprising and terrorism. It is significant that Sarsour is returning the definition to something closer to its true meaning. For her it is an internal personal struggle for social justice.

In order to transform passive observation into active resistance, communities can start with personal struggle and then engage with others to build solidarity and inspire collective movements for justice. By holding both individuals and communities responsible, accountability can serve as a bridge that transforms passive observation into active participation. Sarsour’s model seeks to align personal beliefs with broader sense of justice, embracing the values of empathy, compassion, and humility. Methods include participatory action research interfaith collaboration, and storytelling. These are tools for deconstructing entrenched inequalities and reclaiming agency,

Deborah Anderson

Lesson 4 Reflection

Question 1

What really stands out to me about Linda Sarsour is how she shows up as her full self and doesn’t try to water it down to fit what activism is “supposed” to look like. As a Palestinian-American Muslim woman, she challenges the idea that leaders have to look or sound a certain way to be taken seriously. She makes it clear that identity and lived experience aren’t distractions — they’re actually at the core of justice work.

I love how she leads from her story instead of separating it from her activism. It pushes back against the old model that centers white, secular voices and single-issue movements. Her leadership feels real, bold, and deeply human, and it makes me rethink what justice leadership can look like and whose voices I may still be overlooking.

Question 2

What feels most disruptive about Linda Sarsour’s approach is that she refuses to perform leadership in the way power expects. She doesn’t step away from her identity to seem more acceptable — she stands firmly within it. As a Muslim Palestinian-American woman, she challenges the idea that justice leadership must look Western, male, or polished to be valid.

Her style feels like an intentional unlearning of colonial and patriarchal patterns — choosing relationship over hierarchy, community over control, and truth over comfort. For me, her leadership expands my understanding of justice work as something that honors lived experience and makes room for voices that have long been pushed aside, rather than asking them to adapt to the system.

Question 3

Sarsour’s reinterpretation of jihad is significant because she reclaims it as something rooted in growth and justice, not violence. Instead of the version shaped by fear and media stereotypes, she presents jihad as the daily struggle to do what is right — both within ourselves and in the world around us.

I find this meaningful because it reminds me that justice work isn’t just about big, public actions. It’s also about the inner work of unlearning harmful beliefs, staying grounded, and choosing compassion again and again. Her framing makes activism feel more spiritual, more intentional, and more human.

Question 4

Communities can foster accountability by creating spaces where people feel both cared for and called out of complacency. When we move from simply talking about injustice to asking, How are we showing up?, passive observation begins to shift into action.

For me, real change happens when accountability feels rooted in relationship, not guilt — when people feel connected enough to be challenged and supported at the same time. That’s what turns awareness into courage and bystanders into participants.

Thank you.

How does Linda Sarsour’s intersectional leadership, as a Palestinian-American Muslim woman, challenge traditional activist frameworks?

Traditional activism often treats social issues as distinct categories, such as feminism, racial justice, and religious freedom. They are usually fought in separate lanes. Sarsour’s leadership insists these are interconnected systems of oppression that must be fought simultaneously. She asserts that a "Muslim ban" is a feminist issue, and that police brutality (BLM) is a Muslim issue. For example, she co-founded “Muslims for Ferguson”, directly linking the struggle of Black Americans against police violence with the post-9/11 surveillance of Muslim communities. This forces allies to show up for issues outside their immediate self-interest. It challenges the "transactional" nature of traditional political alliances, replacing it with a demand for reciprocal solidarity, e.g., "I will march for you, but you must also march for me".

In what ways does her approach disrupt colonial and patriarchal norms in movements for justice?

Linda Sarsour’s approach centers on intersectionality, unapologetic identity, and cross-movement solidarity, effectively challenging the traditional boundaries of Western feminism and political organizing. She explicitly positions the movement for Palestinian rights as a feminist issue. This disrupts the norm in many mainstream liberal spaces where foreign policy and anti-colonial struggles are often treated as separate from or irrelevant to gender justice.

Traditional hierarchies often prioritize the voices of those with the most privilege, even within justice movements. Sarsour disrupts this by adhering to the principle that those closest to the pain should be closest to the power.

What is the significance of Sarsour’s reinterpretation of jihad as a personal and societal struggle for justice? 

The significance lies in the shift from jihad as a “term of war” to jihad as a “term of civic responsibility”. Public discourse in the West and propaganda from groups like ISIS almost exclusively defines jihad as "holy war”. Sarsour sought to highlight the concepts of “ jihad al-nafs” (struggle against the self) and the struggle against injustice. Her usage insisted that a Muslim’s struggle can be peaceful, political, and patriotic. Sarsour’s reinterpretation was significant because it refused to cede the language of Islam to extremists. It was an act of “unapologetic identity”. Rather than hiding her faith to fit into secular activism, she used her faith to fuel her activism. Signaling that Muslims should not have to secularize their language to be accepted as Americans.

How can communities foster accountability to transform passive observation into active resistance?

Transforming a community from passive observers into active resisters requires a fundamental shift in culture. Requiring members of the community to move their mindsets from "Someone else will handle it" to "We can save ourselves". However, accountability is a necessary component, but it’s impossible without relationships. If we don't know our neighbors or peers, intervention feels like policing. We must build a safety net before a crisis occurs.

Per Sarsour, “Communities can foster accountability to transform passive observation into active resistance by shifting from allyship to solidarity and operationalizing the concept of Intersectional Accountability. However, accountability is not just about punishing bad actors; it is about building a community fabric so tight that silence becomes impossible”.

Communities must create a culture where mistakes are viewed as opportunities for growth, not immediate expulsion. By "calling in" rather than “calling out” an individual, you hold the person accountable to the values of the movement without disposing of them. This safety allows people to move from "quiet observers" to "imperfect but active participants”.

Amanda Weaver

Contextual Thinking

Lesson 4: Reflection

1. Traditional activist frameworks are typically rooted in Western patriarchal ideals and systems. Linda Sarsour’s intersectional leadership disrupts these power dynamics by creating space for narratives that are typically oppressed. This creates stronger movements by allowing coalitions to be built across groups that may not have connected otherwise.

2. Her approach begins with accountability, which transforms bystanders into actors. This disrupts the norm of waiting for the right person (an expert in the field, someone/anyone who has directly been affected, someone you know) to take action first. Her intersectional approach, by its very nature, disrupts colonial and patriarchal norms by ensuring that those who have typically been silenced are heard.

3. Sarsour’s reinterpretation of jihad is significant because it is a deliberate reclaiming of a term that has been used as a way of dehumanizing Muslims. In doing so, it has also built community and coalition in what was an unexpected way for Sarsour; it opened the truer meaning of the word to a wider community and raised awareness.

4. Accountability is the bridge that transforms an observer into an actor. In order to foster accountability, communities must create spaces that will allow empathy to grow. There must be deliberate work to tear down the imposed walls between groups; this can be done by leaning into intersectional spaces. Intersectional spaces allow for shared stories and community building; members of other groups become people like us.

Ogundipe

Contextual Thinking - Reflection

Week 4 (11/22/25)

1. How does Linda Sarsour’s intersectional leadership, as a Palestinian-American Muslim woman, challenge traditional activist frameworks?

Sarsour’s intersectional leadership, as a Palestinian-American Muslim woman, challenges traditional activist frameworks through highlighting the reality of the intersectional nature of activist struggles. This broadened scope of the real-life and complex nature of activist struggles assists in the work of decolonization by rejecting binary approaches and thinking.

1. In what ways does her approach disrupt colonial and patriarchal norms in movements for justice?

Sarsour’s approach disrupts colonial and patriarchal norms in movements for justice through her mix of advocating that the struggle be both personal and collective, both intimate and inclusive.

1. What is the significance of Sarsour’s reinterpretation of jihad as a personal and societal struggle for justice? 

The significance of Sarsour’s reinterpretation of jihad as a personal and societal struggle for justice is quite profound, largely because she was able to redefine it for large swaths of an American public that never truly understood the general notion of jihad in the first place.

Sarsour’s connection of jihad as a personal and societal struggle for justice is largely consistent with the idea of the greater and lesser jihad in Islam. I don’t say this to minimize Sarsour’s contribution, but rather to lift it higher, it reveals her rootedness in her community and her tradition and her ability to share her tradition in a fresh way that opens up its wisdom to a broader audience.

Additionally, Sarsour’s interpretation, bridging the personal and societal brings the individual and social aspects of faith together in a dynamic way, opening the door to a rich and powerful daily spiritual life that nourishes self and others equally.

1. How can communities foster accountability to transform passive observation into active resistance?

I think that communities can foster accountability to transform passive observation into active resistance in the ways that Sarsour suggests, by blurring or erasing the line between the individual and collective aspects of the faith. The measure of our internal faith is made clear in our refusal to be a bystander, and the measure of what we are able to contribute collectively is a reflection of our internal faith journey. Or put in another way, our accountability must not fall subject to the colonial approach of attempting to compartmentalize what is whole.

Leonard Bailey

11/19/25

Contextual Thinking lesson 4

1. How does Linda Sarsour’s intersectional leadership, as a Palestinian-American Muslim woman, challenge traditional activist frameworks?

Sarsour’s leadership hits different because she brings a bunch of identities to the table; she’s Palestinian, Muslim, a woman of color, working class, and an immigrant. A lot of activist spaces tend to focus on just one thing at a time, like race or gender or class, but not how all those things overlap. Sarsour doesn’t let it stay that basic. She pushes people to see that real justice means including everyone at the margins, not just the folks who fit the mold.

She showed up big in movements like the Women’s March and Black Lives Matter, and that made space for people, especially Muslim women and immigrants who usually get pushed to the side in mainstream activism. But she didn’t just take up space for herself, she used her voice to lift others up too, especially Black and Indigenous folks. That’s what makes her leadership feel different. It’s not about being in charge, it’s about building together, holding each other down, and moving as a unit.

2. In what ways does her approach disrupt colonial and patriarchal norms in movements for justice?

Sarsour doesn’t just show up, she shows out in a way that completely flips the script. Most movements, especially the bigger ones, tend to center white folks or people who don’t make others uncomfortable. But she doesn’t play that game. She’s loud about being Muslim, proud of her roots, and not here to water any of it down to make people comfortable. That alone messes with the way colonial systems try to erase culture and keep groups of people silent or invisible.

And when it comes to patriarchy? She breaks that too—especially within her own community. A lot of people think Muslim women are just quiet or controlled, but she’s the total opposite of that stereotype. She speaks up, takes leadership roles, and shows that you can be devout and feminist at the same time. She leads without asking for permission, which inspires other women, especially women of color, to do the same.

3. What is the significance of Sarsour’s reinterpretation of jihad as a personal and societal struggle for justice?

The word “jihad” gets twisted a lot, especially in the media. People act like it only means violence or terrorism, but Sarsour breaks that down and brings it back to its real meaning. She says jihad is about the struggle, like the fight to be better, to fight injustice, to take care of your people. And that makes sense. Most of us are already in some kind of struggle, whether it’s personal or with the systems we live under.

She connects faith and justice in a way that’s powerful. It’s not just about politics for her, it’s spiritual too. That kind of message shows folks that activism isn’t just for the “woke” crowd, it can come from a place of faith, love, and purpose. She makes it clear that standing up for what’s right is holy work.

4. How can communities foster accountability to transform passive observation into active resistance?

Sarsour keeps it real when she says silence equals siding with the oppressor. If we really want to build strong communities, we’ve got to hold each other accountable. That means calling folks in, not just out, and making sure we all understand that this fight isn’t optional. It’s everybody’s business.

Accountability starts with education, teaching people what’s really going on and how it affects all of us. But it also means showing up, not just for the big protests, but in the everyday stuff: checking on your neighbors, supporting local orgs, standing up when someone’s being mistreated. The goal is to move from just watching things happen to actually stepping into the fight. Sarsour’s whole vibe is about turning bystanders into real ones, people who ride for justice even when it’s uncomfortable.

Linda Sarsour’s intersectional leadership broadens traditional activist frameworks by centering identities historically marginalized within mainstream movements. As a Palestinian-American Muslim woman, she brings experiences shaped by race, gender, religion, immigration, and geopolitical struggle. Her leadership challenges activist spaces to confront Islamophobia, anti-Arab racism, and gendered exclusion—expanding the scope of justice work beyond single-issue advocacy and forcing movements to address interconnected systems of oppression.

2. Her approach disrupts colonial and patriarchal norms by asserting that women of color—particularly Muslim women—belong at the forefront of resistance. She challenges narratives that frame Muslim women as voiceless, reclaims agency over representation, and rejects frameworks that separate global struggles from domestic ones. By aligning U.S. justice work with global liberation movements, she reframes activism in a way that rejects colonial hierarchies, centers community autonomy, and dismantles the patriarchal expectation that leadership must conform to dominant cultural norms.

3. Sarsour’s reinterpretation of jihad as a personal and societal struggle for justice reframes a term often misrepresented in Western discourse. She reclaims its spiritual and ethical meaning—discipline, self-improvement, and collective responsibility—and applies it to contemporary social movements. This reframing challenges stereotypes about Islam, provides a moral language for activism rooted in inner and outer transformation, and positions justice work as a sacred, ongoing effort rather than a reactionary act.

4. Communities can foster accountability by building structures that encourage participation, shared responsibility, and collective decision-making. Accountability emerges through open dialogue, education, and practices that challenge silence in the face of injustice. When communities normalize speaking up, redistribute leadership, and create spaces for people to act according to their values, passive observation shifts into active resistance. Transformational accountability requires consistent engagement, mutual support, and the courage to intervene when harm or inequity arises.

Clark Kellogg

Contextual Thinking, Prof. Rosado Roman

L4A1 Linda Sarsour December 31, 2025

1. How does Linda Sarsour’s intersectional leadership, as a Palestinian-American Muslim woman, challenge traditional activist frameworks?

Linda Saraour’s work challenges traditional activist frameworks with her insistence on working holistically with all elements of her life and other’s lives. Her approach includes the multiple roles we all inhabit in doing the work of social justice. In many ways, her work seems like common sense; work on the whole, not just the parts that are easy or convenient.

2. In what ways does her approach disrupt colonial and patriarchal norms in movements for justice?

She emphasizes personal accountability as a starting point. She rejects the notion of bystanders, insisting that we move from the passive sidelines to active engagement. No more waiting for “them” to do the work. She demonstrates the power of intersectionality and dissolving existing boundaries of identity, ideology, and hierarchy.

3. What is the significance of Sarsour’s reinterpretation of jihad as a personal and societal struggle for justice? 

Sarsour’s reinterpretation of jihad, particularly in the context of the West, is profound. By framing jihad as a personal struggle of understanding and empowerment, she fuses the personal with the collective. The result invites us to begin with ourselves before engaging in the larger struggles of social justice.  

4. How can communities foster accountability to transform passive observation into active resistance?

Communities can foster accountability by engaging with all members of the community to make every voice heard. Not only heard, but insisting on personal and collective accountability in ourselves and in our relationships. These steps empower communities with common cause, common identity, and common culture.