Natalie Hilder
The Other Rami
Recent reports of peace activist Rami Aman’s arrest by Hamas transported me back to the story of another Rami—Rami Khader Ayyad—the operator of a Christian bookstore in Gaza (the only one in the area), who was brutally murdered by Hamas militants for his faith. On...
Flight to Freedom: Venezuelans in Exile
The heat and the humidity enveloped us like a tight embrace, even as dusk deepened. Strings of brightly colored Christmas lights shone hazily through the ocean fog that steadily rolled in from the nearby beach. A strong Caribbean wind whipped the tops of the stately...
Justice For Armenia Is Justice For All
Justice delayed is justice denied, but sometimes it is better late than never. The 105th anniversary of the inadequately acknowledged Armenian Genocide is a stark reminder of one of humanity’s most deplorable mass murders as well as the international community’s...
10 ways my immigrant family prepared me for the coronavirus crisis
You may feel that the unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19 has replaced your normal life with a dystopian one. News reports of increasing worldwide anxiety, including the suicides of anyone from a teenage girl to a German finance minister, seem to reflect and fuel a...
My Visit to the Ranch in the Sky
I recently visited the Reagan Ranch, hidden in the hills of Santa Barbara. Also known as the Rancho del Cielo and “the Western White House”, this delightfully situated property was President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy’s sanctuary away from the noise of...
When the Arabs Were Zionists (And May Be Again)
The Arab world has long been characterized (and caricatured) for its rejection of Jewish self-determination (as well as that of other minorities in the region that include but are not limited to the Kurds, Yazidis, Assyrians, and Armenians). While this understanding...
Examining the International Community’s Long-Standing Double Standard on Refugees
The plight of Palestinian refugees was catapulted back into the spotlight last month, after a pair of events brought the issue to the forefront of international attention. While the Trump administration unveiled a new peace plan, the United Nations Relief and Works...
Venezuela: The Tide is Turning
While the world watches with bated breath, Venezuelans are taking their country back from the grip of tyranny. Or at least trying to. Just as the people of East Germany and other nations resisted and overthrew the despotic Soviet empire, thousands of Venezuelans have...
Persecuted religious minorities reveal flaws in global immigration systems
Sentenced to death by hanging for drinking water out of the “wrong” cup while on a hot workday of harvesting berries, the case of Asia Bibi has made global headlines. This Christian woman from Pakistan spent nearly eight years on death row for making this seemingly...
How BDS Hurts Palestinians and Hinders Peace
Believed by many to be a crusade that espouses human rights—particularly Palestinian rights—can the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement provide the solutions it promises, were its demands to be met? BDS claims to be working to better the lives of the...