The annual Dublin vs. Dougherty Valley football game is a popular and widely anticipated event that attracts many attendees. This year, however, a small table in front of the general entrance stood out amidst the camaraderie, red paint, and competitive chanting present in the Gaels Stadium during the November 3 game. There, officers from the Muslim Student Association, Afghan Student Association, Middle Eastern North African Society, and even Dougherty Valley Muslim Student Association were managing a bake sale for humanitarian relief to be sent to Palestine and Afghanistan. A wide variety of sweets were laid out for purchase, including Afghan cream rolls, baklava, cookies, stroopwafels, and brownies. 

Dublin Muslim Student Association (MSA) president Aaminah Anjum said the fundraiser was motivated by “simply seeing innocents suffering in Palestine and Afghanistan primarily due to the lack of resources [and inability to meet] basic human needs.” Indeed, as of November 2023, more than 14,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territory on the border of the Mediterranean Sea, have been killed in what many deem a genocide, which has only intensified the need for aid. Additionally, four large earthquakes in early October, all of a magnitude above 6.0, caused over 1,000 deaths and displaced even more families in western Afghanistan, adding to the destruction being experienced in the region.

Bardia Anvari, a senior playing in Dublin High’s band, supported the fundraiser by buying baklava, a sweet, layered pastry filled with nuts. He stated, “The liberation of Palestine is a cause I deeply believe in and one that I have unwavering support for.” Evidently, his support for Palestine was shared by many others, as Dublin MSA announced that they had raised $352 from the event. The funds were donated to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 

Because Dublin is such a diverse and educated community, world news spreads fast. However, it is important that students consult accurate sources before forming a viewpoint. “It’s smart to wait a few days until most [sources] have corroborated [published information], as we are now seeing many outlets retract claims they made about past events,” Bardia suggests. To stay up to date, he recommends “Gaza in Crisis and On Palestine by Noam Chomsky… for breaking news I prefer networks like Al Jazeera, Reuters, and the Associated Press.” Aaminah would like all students to understand “innocent civilians in Gaza have not been suffering since October 7, this whole conflict has been going on for the past 75 years.”

Whether supporting the global community through the bake sale or carefully educating themselves on the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict, students have remained peaceful thus far. As Bardia put, “this war is not about Muslims vs Jews and any hate towards both groups is disgusting.” Aaminah concluded, “We were thankful to see that no student [at the MSA] meeting faced any sort of discriminatory acts due to this conflict. It’s really great that we have a very diverse and supportive community here at Dublin High.”