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!
Reposted by Sophia Babai
I have been screaming this to the heavens for years and it’s lovely to see more people noticing: BEING safe is a right, FEELING safe is between you and your therapist. And the demand to FEEL safe is constantly weaponized to deprive other people of their real, actual safety.
One thing the NYC mayoral race underscored for me is how easily the phrase "I don't feel safe" can be weaponized. It's an argument I would hesitate ever to use again, even for a good cause. I hope we can all agree that we have the right to BE safe. Maybe we should leave it at that.
November 7, 2025 at 5:04 PM
I have been screaming this to the heavens for years and it’s lovely to see more people noticing: BEING safe is a right, FEELING safe is between you and your therapist. And the demand to FEEL safe is constantly weaponized to deprive other people of their real, actual safety.
Reposted by Sophia Babai
Folks, we need to have a little Civics #101 chat, because apparently the media no longer seems fit to explain to you whats happening.
So quick review:
The House passed a clean CR.
The senate has not passed anything.
So quick review:
The House passed a clean CR.
The senate has not passed anything.
November 9, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Folks, we need to have a little Civics #101 chat, because apparently the media no longer seems fit to explain to you whats happening.
So quick review:
The House passed a clean CR.
The senate has not passed anything.
So quick review:
The House passed a clean CR.
The senate has not passed anything.
Reposted by Sophia Babai
There is still part of me that has a hard time understanding how governments deliberately starve their own people. My people have been starved, many times, but always by colonizers — growing up, I naïvely assumed this benefited colonizers. But no, they take their cruelty home and do it to their own.
October 27, 2025 at 3:57 AM
There is still part of me that has a hard time understanding how governments deliberately starve their own people. My people have been starved, many times, but always by colonizers — growing up, I naïvely assumed this benefited colonizers. But no, they take their cruelty home and do it to their own.
Reposted by Sophia Babai
It’s a strange thing to both be a deep scholar of history and human rights and also a human being who assumes most people have basic compassion, because the scholar in me goes “ah, yes, the same old bullshit we’ve seen 400 times” and the human being goes ”but HOW???”
October 27, 2025 at 3:58 AM
It’s a strange thing to both be a deep scholar of history and human rights and also a human being who assumes most people have basic compassion, because the scholar in me goes “ah, yes, the same old bullshit we’ve seen 400 times” and the human being goes ”but HOW???”
Y'all there's like?? Only four scenes left??? And then this draft will be finished????
Granted two of them are really long scenes, but. Only four of them!!
Granted two of them are really long scenes, but. Only four of them!!
November 7, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Y'all there's like?? Only four scenes left??? And then this draft will be finished????
Granted two of them are really long scenes, but. Only four of them!!
Granted two of them are really long scenes, but. Only four of them!!
I hope he plays Dhoom Again if he's reelected.
November 7, 2025 at 7:37 PM
I hope he plays Dhoom Again if he's reelected.
I have been screaming this to the heavens for years and it’s lovely to see more people noticing: BEING safe is a right, FEELING safe is between you and your therapist. And the demand to FEEL safe is constantly weaponized to deprive other people of their real, actual safety.
One thing the NYC mayoral race underscored for me is how easily the phrase "I don't feel safe" can be weaponized. It's an argument I would hesitate ever to use again, even for a good cause. I hope we can all agree that we have the right to BE safe. Maybe we should leave it at that.
November 7, 2025 at 5:04 PM
I have been screaming this to the heavens for years and it’s lovely to see more people noticing: BEING safe is a right, FEELING safe is between you and your therapist. And the demand to FEEL safe is constantly weaponized to deprive other people of their real, actual safety.
Reposted by Sophia Babai
I've gone back and forth on whether to post about this -- part of me that is so, so tired of flaying open the details of our grief just to beg the world to care.
They killed my friend. They fucking killed him.
His wife is struggling immensely to feed their children. Anything you can donate helps.
They killed my friend. They fucking killed him.
His wife is struggling immensely to feed their children. Anything you can donate helps.
As Bluesky continues banning Palestinians, my friend Hani -- one of the kindest men you will ever meet -- and his family are starving on the street. Please donate if you can.
chuffed.org/project/help...
chuffed.org/project/help...
Help Hany’s Family Live
A note to charitable souls; payment by credit card is deeply appreciated but Stripe does take a 10-12% cut. If you are able to give by Paypal please consider doing so. - Sarah
chuffed.org
October 31, 2025 at 4:59 AM
I've gone back and forth on whether to post about this -- part of me that is so, so tired of flaying open the details of our grief just to beg the world to care.
They killed my friend. They fucking killed him.
His wife is struggling immensely to feed their children. Anything you can donate helps.
They killed my friend. They fucking killed him.
His wife is struggling immensely to feed their children. Anything you can donate helps.
Book! Look at book!!!
November 6, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Book! Look at book!!!
Reposted by Sophia Babai
It's interesting talking to my non-desi friends about the slew of racism against Mamdani. Many of them are shocked. Personally? I'm impressed by the restraint. It's the polished, censored, made-for-TV version of what I've been listening to my whole life.
November 5, 2025 at 6:04 PM
It's interesting talking to my non-desi friends about the slew of racism against Mamdani. Many of them are shocked. Personally? I'm impressed by the restraint. It's the polished, censored, made-for-TV version of what I've been listening to my whole life.
Okay I swear I'm gonna shut up about Zohran but something else that's remarkable is how much he leaned into the way he's grouped with Middle Easterners. Soooooooooooooo many Indians try to go We're Not Like Those Brown People and he went "nah man I am like those brown people actually 😄"
November 5, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Okay I swear I'm gonna shut up about Zohran but something else that's remarkable is how much he leaned into the way he's grouped with Middle Easterners. Soooooooooooooo many Indians try to go We're Not Like Those Brown People and he went "nah man I am like those brown people actually 😄"
It's interesting talking to my non-desi friends about the slew of racism against Mamdani. Many of them are shocked. Personally? I'm impressed by the restraint. It's the polished, censored, made-for-TV version of what I've been listening to my whole life.
November 5, 2025 at 6:04 PM
It's interesting talking to my non-desi friends about the slew of racism against Mamdani. Many of them are shocked. Personally? I'm impressed by the restraint. It's the polished, censored, made-for-TV version of what I've been listening to my whole life.
At some point I need to make a thread about how the conflation of “this will be bad for corrupt rich people” and “this will be bad for Jews” is the oldest antisemitic trick in the book but I dunno if y’all are ready for that conversation
November 5, 2025 at 5:21 PM
At some point I need to make a thread about how the conflation of “this will be bad for corrupt rich people” and “this will be bad for Jews” is the oldest antisemitic trick in the book but I dunno if y’all are ready for that conversation
It is genuinely fascinating watching people mispronounce “Mamdani” because *every single one of those sounds* exists in English.
Like, my family name is mostly sounds that don’t exist in English so I see why people struggle! If you can say “Mum” “star” and “Danny” you can say Mamdani!
Like, my family name is mostly sounds that don’t exist in English so I see why people struggle! If you can say “Mum” “star” and “Danny” you can say Mamdani!
November 5, 2025 at 3:58 PM
It is genuinely fascinating watching people mispronounce “Mamdani” because *every single one of those sounds* exists in English.
Like, my family name is mostly sounds that don’t exist in English so I see why people struggle! If you can say “Mum” “star” and “Danny” you can say Mamdani!
Like, my family name is mostly sounds that don’t exist in English so I see why people struggle! If you can say “Mum” “star” and “Danny” you can say Mamdani!
Reposted by Sophia Babai
God it’s so surreal that the son of a guy my stepdad was expelled from Uganda with is about to become Mayor of my city.
November 3, 2025 at 3:12 PM
God it’s so surreal that the son of a guy my stepdad was expelled from Uganda with is about to become Mayor of my city.
Reposted by Sophia Babai
I wonder if this will cut down on the number of people who simply don’t believe me when I say I’m from East Africa. 😂
November 3, 2025 at 3:17 PM
I wonder if this will cut down on the number of people who simply don’t believe me when I say I’m from East Africa. 😂
There’s like 362 things I could say about this but the single biggest one I will offer is that there is genuinely no faster way to radicalize people than to slaughter them en masse.
Genuinely interesting how quickly so many pro Israel influencers on Twitter pivoted to also being pro RSF
November 4, 2025 at 5:11 PM
There’s like 362 things I could say about this but the single biggest one I will offer is that there is genuinely no faster way to radicalize people than to slaughter them en masse.
God it’s so surreal that the son of a guy my stepdad was expelled from Uganda with is about to become Mayor of my city.
November 3, 2025 at 3:12 PM
God it’s so surreal that the son of a guy my stepdad was expelled from Uganda with is about to become Mayor of my city.
Reposted by Sophia Babai
My roommate got a bunch of toum (Lebanese/Palestinian/Syrian garlic paste, yum yum yum) and I am having a grand time adding it to everything. Lamb? Add toum. Rice? Toum. Salad? Toum. Pistachio pizza? Gobs of toum. Lox? Swap cream cheese with toum.
What are your favorite condiments? #FoodJoyCampaign
What are your favorite condiments? #FoodJoyCampaign
November 2, 2025 at 3:42 PM
My roommate got a bunch of toum (Lebanese/Palestinian/Syrian garlic paste, yum yum yum) and I am having a grand time adding it to everything. Lamb? Add toum. Rice? Toum. Salad? Toum. Pistachio pizza? Gobs of toum. Lox? Swap cream cheese with toum.
What are your favorite condiments? #FoodJoyCampaign
What are your favorite condiments? #FoodJoyCampaign
My roommate got a bunch of toum (Lebanese/Palestinian/Syrian garlic paste, yum yum yum) and I am having a grand time adding it to everything. Lamb? Add toum. Rice? Toum. Salad? Toum. Pistachio pizza? Gobs of toum. Lox? Swap cream cheese with toum.
What are your favorite condiments? #FoodJoyCampaign
What are your favorite condiments? #FoodJoyCampaign
November 2, 2025 at 3:42 PM
My roommate got a bunch of toum (Lebanese/Palestinian/Syrian garlic paste, yum yum yum) and I am having a grand time adding it to everything. Lamb? Add toum. Rice? Toum. Salad? Toum. Pistachio pizza? Gobs of toum. Lox? Swap cream cheese with toum.
What are your favorite condiments? #FoodJoyCampaign
What are your favorite condiments? #FoodJoyCampaign
Reposted by Sophia Babai
We cannot talk about Hamas without mentioning that
1. Netanyahu funded Hamas because he opposed Palestinian statehood
2. When Hamas was elected, Israel had already been fully blockading Gaza for THIRTEEN YEARS
3. In response to Hamas's election, Israel stole tax revenue from West Bank Palestinians
1. Netanyahu funded Hamas because he opposed Palestinian statehood
2. When Hamas was elected, Israel had already been fully blockading Gaza for THIRTEEN YEARS
3. In response to Hamas's election, Israel stole tax revenue from West Bank Palestinians
November 1, 2025 at 3:53 PM
We cannot talk about Hamas without mentioning that
1. Netanyahu funded Hamas because he opposed Palestinian statehood
2. When Hamas was elected, Israel had already been fully blockading Gaza for THIRTEEN YEARS
3. In response to Hamas's election, Israel stole tax revenue from West Bank Palestinians
1. Netanyahu funded Hamas because he opposed Palestinian statehood
2. When Hamas was elected, Israel had already been fully blockading Gaza for THIRTEEN YEARS
3. In response to Hamas's election, Israel stole tax revenue from West Bank Palestinians
Something seems to be happening with sports?
November 2, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Something seems to be happening with sports?
Reposted by Sophia Babai
Thank you to everyone who's donated & shared so far for your generosity. But Archita is at 70% to her goal & donations have slowed. Please help her get some security in this terrible time if you can.
Fellow Calcuttan writer/editor Archita Mittra is in desperate need of financial help. She recently lost her father, her home was damaged in the recent rains, & her mother's in hospital. They don't have insurance, & she's a freelancer. I can vouch for her. Please share widely & donate:
Donate to Help Archita and Her Mom Rebuild Their Lives, organized by tehseen baweja
Hey Everyone! My name is Tehseen and I publish an online magazine called T… tehseen baweja needs your support for Help Archita and Her Mom Rebuild Their Lives
www.gofundme.com
November 1, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Thank you to everyone who's donated & shared so far for your generosity. But Archita is at 70% to her goal & donations have slowed. Please help her get some security in this terrible time if you can.
We cannot talk about Hamas without mentioning that
1. Netanyahu funded Hamas because he opposed Palestinian statehood
2. When Hamas was elected, Israel had already been fully blockading Gaza for THIRTEEN YEARS
3. In response to Hamas's election, Israel stole tax revenue from West Bank Palestinians
1. Netanyahu funded Hamas because he opposed Palestinian statehood
2. When Hamas was elected, Israel had already been fully blockading Gaza for THIRTEEN YEARS
3. In response to Hamas's election, Israel stole tax revenue from West Bank Palestinians
November 1, 2025 at 3:53 PM
We cannot talk about Hamas without mentioning that
1. Netanyahu funded Hamas because he opposed Palestinian statehood
2. When Hamas was elected, Israel had already been fully blockading Gaza for THIRTEEN YEARS
3. In response to Hamas's election, Israel stole tax revenue from West Bank Palestinians
1. Netanyahu funded Hamas because he opposed Palestinian statehood
2. When Hamas was elected, Israel had already been fully blockading Gaza for THIRTEEN YEARS
3. In response to Hamas's election, Israel stole tax revenue from West Bank Palestinians