This morning I was greeted with the horrible news of the torture and killing of Nika Shakarami, a 16 year old girl who participated in the protests in Iran, gone missing for 10 days, kidnapped by security forces. They buried her on her 17th birthday. Her death comes after the death of Mahsa Amini who, at the age of 22 years old, was taken into police custody on September 16 for having worn an “improper” hijab and then killed by the “morality” police. Her death sparked a wave of unrest leading large-scale protests on the violence against women. Iran’s internet access has been shut down. I pray for the people of Iran under such a brutal Islamic regime. There needs to be more than sanctions against these human rights violations (this happening as U.S. seeks new nuclear deal). What can we do to help the people of Iran besides just donating to some human rights agency?

The turmoil oceans away makes the quarrel I had with my sisters seem so inconsequential. They tried to accuse me of not being nice to my cousin when all I have been was nice to her. She broke a promise last time she was in town and I was upset because, being on the spectrum, I get anxiety when there’s a change of plans. I got over it because there was good reason, that being the death of my Uncle. My sisters have a way of telling me to get over the past when all they do is bring it up. It’s counterintuitive. They also have a way of mobbing up against me, which has become a thing of habit since my parents have always made it quite aware, growing up, that I was different and that they should not be like me. Luckily, we were able to squash the quarrel by bringing their own worlds to light to show how cruel and passive aggressive they can be towards me. I shouldn’t really group them together, because it’s not fair on the quiet ones like Aileen, in this instance. I need to work on looking at my sisters as individuals and not a mob or some morality police.