Sophia Babai
@swingingstorm.bsky.social
Author | Activist | Cultural consultant | Somatic creativity coach | Sufi mystic
🇮🇷 🇹🇿 🇮🇳 🇦🇫 🇵🇸 🇦🇿 (my ancestors really got around)
Posts about books, human rights, chaos baking, history/poetry/folklore, and other nerd stuff
Rep Seth Fishman
🇮🇷 🇹🇿 🇮🇳 🇦🇫 🇵🇸 🇦🇿 (my ancestors really got around)
Posts about books, human rights, chaos baking, history/poetry/folklore, and other nerd stuff
Rep Seth Fishman
Pinned
My mom and stepdad are from the same diaspora group as Zohran Mamdani’s dad (same like “my stepdad was kicked out of the same town and knows some of his classmates”) and apparently the New York Times doesn’t understand how diaspora works, so I am going to tell you a little about my mom’s people!
OK but never mind concerts, introduce yourself with five musicals you've seen:
🌹 Hadestown
🐄 Into the Woods
♟️ Chess
🌉 In the Heights
🦷 Little Shop of Horrors
🌹 Hadestown
🐄 Into the Woods
♟️ Chess
🌉 In the Heights
🦷 Little Shop of Horrors
OK but never mind concerts, introduce yourself with five musicals you've seen:
🎵 Hadestown
🎵 Six
🎵 Hamilton
🎵 (soon) Les Mis
🎵 (soon) Beauty and the Beast
🎵 Hadestown
🎵 Six
🎵 Hamilton
🎵 (soon) Les Mis
🎵 (soon) Beauty and the Beast
OK but nevermind concerts, introduce yourself with five musicals you've seen:
Cats
Phantom of the Opera
Evil Dead: The Musical
Cannibal! The Musical
Wicked
Cats
Phantom of the Opera
Evil Dead: The Musical
Cannibal! The Musical
Wicked
November 27, 2025 at 11:27 PM
OK but never mind concerts, introduce yourself with five musicals you've seen:
🌹 Hadestown
🐄 Into the Woods
♟️ Chess
🌉 In the Heights
🦷 Little Shop of Horrors
🌹 Hadestown
🐄 Into the Woods
♟️ Chess
🌉 In the Heights
🦷 Little Shop of Horrors
Reposted by Sophia Babai
The US invasion of Afghanistan directly killed over 200,000 Afghanis and indirectly killed around 360,000 more. These numbers are probably tremendous underestimates because often there was no one left alive to count the dead. We bombed weddings and funerals, we shot children in their beds.
November 27, 2025 at 5:22 AM
The US invasion of Afghanistan directly killed over 200,000 Afghanis and indirectly killed around 360,000 more. These numbers are probably tremendous underestimates because often there was no one left alive to count the dead. We bombed weddings and funerals, we shot children in their beds.
Reposted by Sophia Babai
("We" is always a complicated statement to make here. I am Afghani. I am American. I am the land bleeding and screaming and I am the hand slicing it open and setting it aflame. According to the topsy-tursvy laws of the world I live in, only the former makes me dangerous.)
November 27, 2025 at 5:25 AM
("We" is always a complicated statement to make here. I am Afghani. I am American. I am the land bleeding and screaming and I am the hand slicing it open and setting it aflame. According to the topsy-tursvy laws of the world I live in, only the former makes me dangerous.)
The US invasion of Afghanistan directly killed over 200,000 Afghanis and indirectly killed around 360,000 more. These numbers are probably tremendous underestimates because often there was no one left alive to count the dead. We bombed weddings and funerals, we shot children in their beds.
November 27, 2025 at 5:22 AM
The US invasion of Afghanistan directly killed over 200,000 Afghanis and indirectly killed around 360,000 more. These numbers are probably tremendous underestimates because often there was no one left alive to count the dead. We bombed weddings and funerals, we shot children in their beds.
What is it like to have someone from your demographic do something and it not immediately blow back on every single person of your demographic, because I truly cannot imagine
November 27, 2025 at 5:12 AM
What is it like to have someone from your demographic do something and it not immediately blow back on every single person of your demographic, because I truly cannot imagine
Reposted by Sophia Babai
My friend Hani was killed in Gaza for the crime of trying to feed his family — and meanwhile, his family is still hungry and cold, in a tent that doesn’t keep out the rain. If you have any money to spare, it’s desperately needed.
chuffed.org/project/help...
chuffed.org/project/help...
Remembering Hani & Helping his family to survive
To the generous souls who have come to this page: I am so sorry to inform you that Hani was marytered on September 22, 2025 while driving a truck in Northern Gaza, in order to raise money to support h...
chuffed.org
November 19, 2025 at 4:55 PM
My friend Hani was killed in Gaza for the crime of trying to feed his family — and meanwhile, his family is still hungry and cold, in a tent that doesn’t keep out the rain. If you have any money to spare, it’s desperately needed.
chuffed.org/project/help...
chuffed.org/project/help...
Reposted by Sophia Babai
I DID IT I DID IT I WROTE A DRAFT THE DRAFT IS WRIT!!!
November 19, 2025 at 12:45 AM
I DID IT I DID IT I WROTE A DRAFT THE DRAFT IS WRIT!!!
I realize I'm nine years late to the game here, but the first season of Stranger Things is great!
November 24, 2025 at 2:17 AM
I realize I'm nine years late to the game here, but the first season of Stranger Things is great!
Reposted by Sophia Babai
Guys I was offline for like ONE DAY what is HAPPENING
(this is a rhetorical question please don’t tell me)
(this is a rhetorical question please don’t tell me)
November 22, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Guys I was offline for like ONE DAY what is HAPPENING
(this is a rhetorical question please don’t tell me)
(this is a rhetorical question please don’t tell me)
Reposted by Sophia Babai
Anyway, I recognize that there is a lot of awful shit out there, but truly you have to understand that (a) Western medicine is not the be all and end all of the entire world and (b) we have some huge honking holes in our ability to treat people, and people are going to try everything they can.
November 23, 2025 at 1:13 AM
Anyway, I recognize that there is a lot of awful shit out there, but truly you have to understand that (a) Western medicine is not the be all and end all of the entire world and (b) we have some huge honking holes in our ability to treat people, and people are going to try everything they can.
Reposted by Sophia Babai
I mention this because people are talking about people leaning on woo woo, and a lot of people think acupuncture is woo woo, and I thought it was woo woo and someone walked in and took a look at me and then put a needle in my arm and it stopped the flare up. Period.
November 23, 2025 at 1:08 AM
I mention this because people are talking about people leaning on woo woo, and a lot of people think acupuncture is woo woo, and I thought it was woo woo and someone walked in and took a look at me and then put a needle in my arm and it stopped the flare up. Period.
Guys I was offline for like ONE DAY what is HAPPENING
(this is a rhetorical question please don’t tell me)
(this is a rhetorical question please don’t tell me)
November 22, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Guys I was offline for like ONE DAY what is HAPPENING
(this is a rhetorical question please don’t tell me)
(this is a rhetorical question please don’t tell me)
Reposted by Sophia Babai
Always I'd rather share the words of Palestinians, Ruba sent her story, with added alt text of course.
Oh, don't let her dreams fade away, the fight isn't just survival it's hope, hope that heartens us too.
From Ruba:
Oh, don't let her dreams fade away, the fight isn't just survival it's hope, hope that heartens us too.
From Ruba:
November 19, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Always I'd rather share the words of Palestinians, Ruba sent her story, with added alt text of course.
Oh, don't let her dreams fade away, the fight isn't just survival it's hope, hope that heartens us too.
From Ruba:
Oh, don't let her dreams fade away, the fight isn't just survival it's hope, hope that heartens us too.
From Ruba:
Reposted by Sophia Babai
My heart 😌 finally heard from Ruba, whose fist account was deleted so fast, she had no idea why. She found me on Upscrolled, but I had missed the message.
She's a friend of @itsmeio.bsky.social & is verified by Molly Shah.
We keep helping my friends, we never give in or give up!
shorturl.at/gzwOl
She's a friend of @itsmeio.bsky.social & is verified by Molly Shah.
We keep helping my friends, we never give in or give up!
shorturl.at/gzwOl
Support Ruba: A Pharmacy Student’s Survival in Gaza
Hello, everyone. I’m Casey York and I live in the U.S.. I have created this fundraiser on behalf of my close friend, Ruba, as she is in Gaza and unable to create one for herself because GoFundMe does ...
shorturl.at
November 19, 2025 at 2:38 PM
My heart 😌 finally heard from Ruba, whose fist account was deleted so fast, she had no idea why. She found me on Upscrolled, but I had missed the message.
She's a friend of @itsmeio.bsky.social & is verified by Molly Shah.
We keep helping my friends, we never give in or give up!
shorturl.at/gzwOl
She's a friend of @itsmeio.bsky.social & is verified by Molly Shah.
We keep helping my friends, we never give in or give up!
shorturl.at/gzwOl
I love organizing with college students because they haven’t had all the hope beaten out of them yet, but also it’s terrifying organizing with college students because they think I know things
November 22, 2025 at 2:02 AM
I love organizing with college students because they haven’t had all the hope beaten out of them yet, but also it’s terrifying organizing with college students because they think I know things
Reposted by Sophia Babai
If war were just human nature, it would not be so deeply long-term traumatizing to participate in war.
If war were just human nature, military training would not amount to psychological torture.
If war were just human nature, there would be no need to pump literal billions into pro-war propaganda.
If war were just human nature, military training would not amount to psychological torture.
If war were just human nature, there would be no need to pump literal billions into pro-war propaganda.
November 18, 2025 at 5:27 AM
If war were just human nature, it would not be so deeply long-term traumatizing to participate in war.
If war were just human nature, military training would not amount to psychological torture.
If war were just human nature, there would be no need to pump literal billions into pro-war propaganda.
If war were just human nature, military training would not amount to psychological torture.
If war were just human nature, there would be no need to pump literal billions into pro-war propaganda.
Reposted by Sophia Babai
“It’s hard to think in celebratory terms when I’ve written a book about a genocide.” We thank you, Omar El Alkad.
November 20, 2025 at 2:33 AM
“It’s hard to think in celebratory terms when I’ve written a book about a genocide.” We thank you, Omar El Alkad.
The two books that I hoped would win the National Book Award won!! Yay!!!
Immense congratulations to @rabihalameddine.bsky.social and Omar El Akkad! If you haven't read their books yet, you should. (And also read Angel of History, also by Rabih Alameddine, which is one of my favorite books ever)
Immense congratulations to @rabihalameddine.bsky.social and Omar El Akkad! If you haven't read their books yet, you should. (And also read Angel of History, also by Rabih Alameddine, which is one of my favorite books ever)
November 20, 2025 at 4:09 AM
The two books that I hoped would win the National Book Award won!! Yay!!!
Immense congratulations to @rabihalameddine.bsky.social and Omar El Akkad! If you haven't read their books yet, you should. (And also read Angel of History, also by Rabih Alameddine, which is one of my favorite books ever)
Immense congratulations to @rabihalameddine.bsky.social and Omar El Akkad! If you haven't read their books yet, you should. (And also read Angel of History, also by Rabih Alameddine, which is one of my favorite books ever)
My friend Hani was killed in Gaza for the crime of trying to feed his family — and meanwhile, his family is still hungry and cold, in a tent that doesn’t keep out the rain. If you have any money to spare, it’s desperately needed.
chuffed.org/project/help...
chuffed.org/project/help...
Remembering Hani & Helping his family to survive
To the generous souls who have come to this page: I am so sorry to inform you that Hani was marytered on September 22, 2025 while driving a truck in Northern Gaza, in order to raise money to support h...
chuffed.org
November 19, 2025 at 4:55 PM
My friend Hani was killed in Gaza for the crime of trying to feed his family — and meanwhile, his family is still hungry and cold, in a tent that doesn’t keep out the rain. If you have any money to spare, it’s desperately needed.
chuffed.org/project/help...
chuffed.org/project/help...
I DID IT I DID IT I WROTE A DRAFT THE DRAFT IS WRIT!!!
November 19, 2025 at 12:45 AM
I DID IT I DID IT I WROTE A DRAFT THE DRAFT IS WRIT!!!
Reposted by Sophia Babai
I will be writing another "Myth of Israeli Military Independence" entry soon. The hits keep piling up, and the more we disabuse the general public of the idea that the US was only indirectly involved in the war Israel unleashed across half the planet, the better.
Thread of The Myth of Israeli Military Independence: you want to know how much Israel needs the active, constant, and unquestioning support of the United States, and how that relationship is unique and irreplaceable? Read on (and more coming, as there's so much to talk about!)
The Myth of Israeli Military Independence (Part 1)
They need us more than you think
open.substack.com
November 18, 2025 at 4:09 PM
I will be writing another "Myth of Israeli Military Independence" entry soon. The hits keep piling up, and the more we disabuse the general public of the idea that the US was only indirectly involved in the war Israel unleashed across half the planet, the better.
If war were just human nature, it would not be so deeply long-term traumatizing to participate in war.
If war were just human nature, military training would not amount to psychological torture.
If war were just human nature, there would be no need to pump literal billions into pro-war propaganda.
If war were just human nature, military training would not amount to psychological torture.
If war were just human nature, there would be no need to pump literal billions into pro-war propaganda.
November 18, 2025 at 5:27 AM
If war were just human nature, it would not be so deeply long-term traumatizing to participate in war.
If war were just human nature, military training would not amount to psychological torture.
If war were just human nature, there would be no need to pump literal billions into pro-war propaganda.
If war were just human nature, military training would not amount to psychological torture.
If war were just human nature, there would be no need to pump literal billions into pro-war propaganda.
Reposted by Sophia Babai
Archaeologist here. For 99.5% of human history (ca 300-400,000 years), we were peaceful (no war). There was conflict and smaller scale violence, but countless studies on the 119 known modern hunter gatherer groups show cooperation, negotiation, and peace instead of conflict. Please read books.
Revenge/physical combat was how people settled things for literally millions of years, it's normal human behavior, we're wolves not sheep, the government project trying to social engineer us and domesticate us into sheep has been unsuccessful
November 17, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Archaeologist here. For 99.5% of human history (ca 300-400,000 years), we were peaceful (no war). There was conflict and smaller scale violence, but countless studies on the 119 known modern hunter gatherer groups show cooperation, negotiation, and peace instead of conflict. Please read books.
I WROTE ACT THREE I WROTE ACT THREE
Gotta fill out a couple scenes I skipped, write one teeny coda and one longish coda, and then this draft is OVER
Gotta fill out a couple scenes I skipped, write one teeny coda and one longish coda, and then this draft is OVER
November 17, 2025 at 10:09 PM
I WROTE ACT THREE I WROTE ACT THREE
Gotta fill out a couple scenes I skipped, write one teeny coda and one longish coda, and then this draft is OVER
Gotta fill out a couple scenes I skipped, write one teeny coda and one longish coda, and then this draft is OVER