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
Two full months of desperately trying to get GoFundMe to release the thousands of dollars we raised, while Hani’s family continues to suffer. At this point they’re just ignoring my emails. If you are Palestinian or love Palestinians, please please please use Chuffed.
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
February 12, 2026 at 1:46 PM
Two full months of desperately trying to get GoFundMe to release the thousands of dollars we raised, while Hani’s family continues to suffer. At this point they’re just ignoring my emails. If you are Palestinian or love Palestinians, please please please use Chuffed.
chuffed.org/project/help...
chuffed.org/project/help...
Reposted by Sophia Babai
I had two clients moved within an hour of ICE learning we were looking for them and advising us there was not plan to move them.
A family of four moved 36 hours after a court order forbidding them from being moved.
3 other clients moved within a day of court-ordered injunctions.
20/
A family of four moved 36 hours after a court order forbidding them from being moved.
3 other clients moved within a day of court-ordered injunctions.
20/
February 11, 2026 at 9:56 PM
I had two clients moved within an hour of ICE learning we were looking for them and advising us there was not plan to move them.
A family of four moved 36 hours after a court order forbidding them from being moved.
3 other clients moved within a day of court-ordered injunctions.
20/
A family of four moved 36 hours after a court order forbidding them from being moved.
3 other clients moved within a day of court-ordered injunctions.
20/
Reposted by Sophia Babai
See ICE wants these cases in Texas, where Trump-infected courts are more tolerant of their antics, more biased against non-citizens, more willing to let DHS fill up concentration camps.
(Not all Texas judges, for sure. Plenty are bravely faithful to the rule of law. ICE is playing the numbers)
17/
(Not all Texas judges, for sure. Plenty are bravely faithful to the rule of law. ICE is playing the numbers)
17/
February 11, 2026 at 9:56 PM
See ICE wants these cases in Texas, where Trump-infected courts are more tolerant of their antics, more biased against non-citizens, more willing to let DHS fill up concentration camps.
(Not all Texas judges, for sure. Plenty are bravely faithful to the rule of law. ICE is playing the numbers)
17/
(Not all Texas judges, for sure. Plenty are bravely faithful to the rule of law. ICE is playing the numbers)
17/
Reposted by Sophia Babai
Meanwhile, DHS shows its contempt for the judiciary in a different way. In dozens, likely now thousands, of cases, DHS openly defies court orders.
Minnesota courts enter orders forbidding ICE from moving noncitizens who’ve filed habeas petitions out of Minnesota. They move them anyway.
16/
Minnesota courts enter orders forbidding ICE from moving noncitizens who’ve filed habeas petitions out of Minnesota. They move them anyway.
16/
February 11, 2026 at 9:56 PM
Meanwhile, DHS shows its contempt for the judiciary in a different way. In dozens, likely now thousands, of cases, DHS openly defies court orders.
Minnesota courts enter orders forbidding ICE from moving noncitizens who’ve filed habeas petitions out of Minnesota. They move them anyway.
16/
Minnesota courts enter orders forbidding ICE from moving noncitizens who’ve filed habeas petitions out of Minnesota. They move them anyway.
16/
Reposted by Sophia Babai
Legal status doesn’t matter: if you exceed ICE’s melanin threshold, you get snatched. It is ethnic cleansing. There is no other word for it.
The news has shown you video of these often violent detentions. What you don’t see is what happens to these individuals after.
I’ve had a front row seat.
7/
The news has shown you video of these often violent detentions. What you don’t see is what happens to these individuals after.
I’ve had a front row seat.
7/
February 11, 2026 at 9:56 PM
Legal status doesn’t matter: if you exceed ICE’s melanin threshold, you get snatched. It is ethnic cleansing. There is no other word for it.
The news has shown you video of these often violent detentions. What you don’t see is what happens to these individuals after.
I’ve had a front row seat.
7/
The news has shown you video of these often violent detentions. What you don’t see is what happens to these individuals after.
I’ve had a front row seat.
7/
Reposted by Sophia Babai
I did it!!!
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee fewer than twenty pages left to edit eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
February 11, 2026 at 2:31 AM
I did it!!!
I did it!!!
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee fewer than twenty pages left to edit eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
February 11, 2026 at 2:31 AM
I did it!!!
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee fewer than twenty pages left to edit eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
February 10, 2026 at 3:01 PM
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee fewer than twenty pages left to edit eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Reposted by Sophia Babai
American views on Palestine are a striking social experiment in the difference between people caring about morality (e.g. "not violently oppressing an entire population on the basis of religion / ethnicity") and people caring about what they have been told is moral (e.g. "not criticizing Israel")
February 8, 2026 at 12:10 AM
American views on Palestine are a striking social experiment in the difference between people caring about morality (e.g. "not violently oppressing an entire population on the basis of religion / ethnicity") and people caring about what they have been told is moral (e.g. "not criticizing Israel")
Reposted by Sophia Babai
Apparently the majority of the American public draws this line at genocide. This is heartening. Obvious caveats (wish it were a greater majority, wish it had happened sooner), but still heartening.
February 8, 2026 at 12:11 AM
Apparently the majority of the American public draws this line at genocide. This is heartening. Obvious caveats (wish it were a greater majority, wish it had happened sooner), but still heartening.
You can enjoy the Halftime show, but please resist the urge to romanticize it. The ruling class commodifies resistance, too. There’s a reason they chose a Bad Bunny while Latinos are being forced into concentration camps, just as they chose Black artists during the Black Lives Matter protests.
February 9, 2026 at 5:14 PM
You can enjoy the Halftime show, but please resist the urge to romanticize it. The ruling class commodifies resistance, too. There’s a reason they chose a Bad Bunny while Latinos are being forced into concentration camps, just as they chose Black artists during the Black Lives Matter protests.
Did we win?
I don't know anything about sports and I will not be watching the 🦉 and indeed I'm not sure who the other team is but go Seahawks!!
February 9, 2026 at 4:17 PM
Did we win?
I don't know anything about sports and I will not be watching the 🦉 and indeed I'm not sure who the other team is but go Seahawks!!
February 9, 2026 at 12:21 AM
I don't know anything about sports and I will not be watching the 🦉 and indeed I'm not sure who the other team is but go Seahawks!!
American views on Palestine are a striking social experiment in the difference between people caring about morality (e.g. "not violently oppressing an entire population on the basis of religion / ethnicity") and people caring about what they have been told is moral (e.g. "not criticizing Israel")
February 8, 2026 at 12:10 AM
American views on Palestine are a striking social experiment in the difference between people caring about morality (e.g. "not violently oppressing an entire population on the basis of religion / ethnicity") and people caring about what they have been told is moral (e.g. "not criticizing Israel")
Reposted by Sophia Babai
A fact very rarely discussed is that *settlement* is a war crime by definition.
February 7, 2026 at 7:33 PM
A fact very rarely discussed is that *settlement* is a war crime by definition.
Reposted by Sophia Babai
Yeah it is funny to see a bunch of people say there was a ceasefire on Oct 6th 2023 when a 21st century record number of Palestinians had already been killed by the army and the settlers in the oPt from January 1st 2023 to that day.
Similarly, it's depressing how many people (liberals mostly with Gaza and certain leftists with Ukraine) pretend to not realize occupation is not a meaningful peace.
The minute details are obviously significantly different but a core similarity between UKR and Palestine is that neither can actually reach a political solution because in each case their corresponding belligerent has an outwardly eliminiationist goal and has shown that it won't deviate from it.
February 7, 2026 at 7:27 PM
Yeah it is funny to see a bunch of people say there was a ceasefire on Oct 6th 2023 when a 21st century record number of Palestinians had already been killed by the army and the settlers in the oPt from January 1st 2023 to that day.
Reposted by Sophia Babai
Editing this manuscript is going SO well y'all.
And my alpha readers seem to be having a great time (by which I mean screaming crying throwing up)
Will be in search of beta readers soon (dear strangers and bots, plz do not use this as an opportunity to spam me)
And my alpha readers seem to be having a great time (by which I mean screaming crying throwing up)
Will be in search of beta readers soon (dear strangers and bots, plz do not use this as an opportunity to spam me)
February 6, 2026 at 10:37 PM
Editing this manuscript is going SO well y'all.
And my alpha readers seem to be having a great time (by which I mean screaming crying throwing up)
Will be in search of beta readers soon (dear strangers and bots, plz do not use this as an opportunity to spam me)
And my alpha readers seem to be having a great time (by which I mean screaming crying throwing up)
Will be in search of beta readers soon (dear strangers and bots, plz do not use this as an opportunity to spam me)
Reposted by Sophia Babai
OK, *ongoing* thread of books to read on Palestine. Some recent, some not at all so recent.
I’ve been thinking on this as I read more. Also how the settlers trigger response that the army uses to validate excessive force.
Also, I’ve concluded 100 Year War on Palestine. Do you have other suggestions for reading? If you don’t mind. I’d actually love a thread if you do. Not that you have to.
Also, I’ve concluded 100 Year War on Palestine. Do you have other suggestions for reading? If you don’t mind. I’d actually love a thread if you do. Not that you have to.
February 7, 2026 at 12:53 AM
OK, *ongoing* thread of books to read on Palestine. Some recent, some not at all so recent.
Editing this manuscript is going SO well y'all.
And my alpha readers seem to be having a great time (by which I mean screaming crying throwing up)
Will be in search of beta readers soon (dear strangers and bots, plz do not use this as an opportunity to spam me)
And my alpha readers seem to be having a great time (by which I mean screaming crying throwing up)
Will be in search of beta readers soon (dear strangers and bots, plz do not use this as an opportunity to spam me)
February 6, 2026 at 10:37 PM
Editing this manuscript is going SO well y'all.
And my alpha readers seem to be having a great time (by which I mean screaming crying throwing up)
Will be in search of beta readers soon (dear strangers and bots, plz do not use this as an opportunity to spam me)
And my alpha readers seem to be having a great time (by which I mean screaming crying throwing up)
Will be in search of beta readers soon (dear strangers and bots, plz do not use this as an opportunity to spam me)
Reposted by Sophia Babai
I'm not posting about the Epstein files, not because I'm not disgusted, but because they're intentionally waving (the barest tip of the iceburg of) their crimes around so we'll fall apart with horror and helplessness. Take care of yourselves. Keep doing the work. Throw your phone away when you must.
February 5, 2026 at 8:52 PM
I'm not posting about the Epstein files, not because I'm not disgusted, but because they're intentionally waving (the barest tip of the iceburg of) their crimes around so we'll fall apart with horror and helplessness. Take care of yourselves. Keep doing the work. Throw your phone away when you must.
Reposted by Sophia Babai
And notice, really REALLY notice, how every single aspect of our society is designed to keep us constantly overwhelmed with awful information.
That doesn't mean close your eyes and pretend it isn't real.
It does mean know the difference between staying aware and repeatedly traumatizing yourself.
That doesn't mean close your eyes and pretend it isn't real.
It does mean know the difference between staying aware and repeatedly traumatizing yourself.
February 5, 2026 at 8:54 PM
And notice, really REALLY notice, how every single aspect of our society is designed to keep us constantly overwhelmed with awful information.
That doesn't mean close your eyes and pretend it isn't real.
It does mean know the difference between staying aware and repeatedly traumatizing yourself.
That doesn't mean close your eyes and pretend it isn't real.
It does mean know the difference between staying aware and repeatedly traumatizing yourself.
I'm not posting about the Epstein files, not because I'm not disgusted, but because they're intentionally waving (the barest tip of the iceburg of) their crimes around so we'll fall apart with horror and helplessness. Take care of yourselves. Keep doing the work. Throw your phone away when you must.
February 5, 2026 at 8:52 PM
I'm not posting about the Epstein files, not because I'm not disgusted, but because they're intentionally waving (the barest tip of the iceburg of) their crimes around so we'll fall apart with horror and helplessness. Take care of yourselves. Keep doing the work. Throw your phone away when you must.
Reposted by Sophia Babai
It's not particularly surprising, but it is exhausting watching Western commenters twist the protests in Iran into whatever suits their existing agenda.
February 5, 2026 at 5:33 PM
It's not particularly surprising, but it is exhausting watching Western commenters twist the protests in Iran into whatever suits their existing agenda.
Reposted by Sophia Babai
Current status of the fundraisers for those killed by ICE:
Renee Good: $1,499,580
Alex Pretti: $1,289,249
Keith Porter, Jr. $302,423
Parady La: $45,848
Heber Sanchez Dominguez: $47,991
Luis Beltrán Yanez Cruz: $18,640
Victor Manuel Diaz: $2,538
Geraldo Lunas: $2,260
Luis Gustavo Núñez: $1,935
Renee Good: $1,499,580
Alex Pretti: $1,289,249
Keith Porter, Jr. $302,423
Parady La: $45,848
Heber Sanchez Dominguez: $47,991
Luis Beltrán Yanez Cruz: $18,640
Victor Manuel Diaz: $2,538
Geraldo Lunas: $2,260
Luis Gustavo Núñez: $1,935
January 26, 2026 at 9:27 PM
Current status of the fundraisers for those killed by ICE:
Renee Good: $1,499,580
Alex Pretti: $1,289,249
Keith Porter, Jr. $302,423
Parady La: $45,848
Heber Sanchez Dominguez: $47,991
Luis Beltrán Yanez Cruz: $18,640
Victor Manuel Diaz: $2,538
Geraldo Lunas: $2,260
Luis Gustavo Núñez: $1,935
Renee Good: $1,499,580
Alex Pretti: $1,289,249
Keith Porter, Jr. $302,423
Parady La: $45,848
Heber Sanchez Dominguez: $47,991
Luis Beltrán Yanez Cruz: $18,640
Victor Manuel Diaz: $2,538
Geraldo Lunas: $2,260
Luis Gustavo Núñez: $1,935