Some People Don't Deserve Names

Hanoona and Romana are a pair of unlikely friends. Romana is the outgoing girl with the attitude that both keeps people attracted to her while also not befriending her. Hanoona is the opposite, she is hard working and diligent in both her studies and friendships. Although they may seem like two peas in a pod to the outside eye, they are anything but. So, when Romana decides to meet up with the boy she likes at the park despite Hanoona's distant nagging voice in her head, she is left scared and scarred.

In the moments leading up to Romana's inevitable faceoff with her friends and teachers about what happened to her, she begins to understand that in her life, SOME PEOPLE DON'T DESERVE NAMES.

Marah Siyam is a 22-year-old Palestinian American. Marah graduated from Rutgers University- Newark with a bachelor's degree in English as well as a minor in Fine Art and Art History.

Born in Jerusalem and raised in both Palestine and the United States, she has a unique perspective on the struggles of balancing both cultures. Her work illuminates the perspective of the young Muslim American and aims to share it with readers of all ages.