400 Cancelled Paid Subscriptions—My Response

I am elevating my human rights advocacy, and I cannot do it without your support

Dear Friends -

I need to take a moment to write this brutally honest and frankly vulnerable piece. I’ve shared multiple examples over the past few weeks of the spike in anti-Muslim hate I’ve received. Even now as I write this, here’s the latest note that popped into my DMs.

Vulnerability and Honesty

Unfortunately, this hate is taking its toll. Since August, more than 400 paid subscribers have cancelled their subscriptions to my human rights newsletter, Let’s Address This with Qasim Rashid. Yes, 400+ Paid Subscribers.

Reasons given include:

• “Propping up Muslim scientists”

• “Criticizing Christopher Columbus”

• “Too critical of Israel and genocide”

As I’ve written before, I am unapologetic in my human rights advocacy. My “no paywall” policy depends on earning the trust of readers who can afford to become paying subscribers. And my vision to grow this platform—and we will grow this platform in 2026—requires financial investment so we can expand our reach and counter the disinformation from billionaire owned corporate media.

My Ask Of You

I seek support only from people committed to universal human rights. Therefore, I hope you might act on one, two, or all three of the below asks.

1. If every current paid subscriber gifted a subscription to a friend, or asked their network to subscribe, we could immediately make up for 400 cancelled subscriptions, and instead expand our growth.

2. If you are not yet a paid subscriber and you have capacity in your budget, I would be privileged to earn your support this holiday season. A cup of coffee a month goes a long way towards ensuring my writing remains accessible and sustainable.

3. If you use social media, do share this newsletter with your network and ask your friends to subscribe—including as free subscribers. Help Let’s Address This grow.

Closing Thoughts

Let me be clear. I am proud that I can look in the mirror every morning and know that my writing, protests of ICE, and work with dozens of local and national non-profit orgs is dependent on principles and values, not profits and payouts. This is about our collective humanity—something I hold deeply sacred.

I know that as an immigrant, a person of color, and a Muslim American, my demographic is one this regime heavily targets. It am not surprised to see how escalation from the Trump regime targeting people like me corresponds to a major backlash. A backlash I see both in my DMs and in cancelled paid subscriptions.

And let me also be clear: To those who have cancelled their paid subscriptions due to budget constraints, please know this message is not directed at you. I never want anyone to feel pressured to become a paying subscriber. I am grateful for your support as a free subscriber, for reading, and for sharing my writing and scholarship.

Finally, to those who are paid subscribers, or have the budget to become paid a new subscriber, please know I have immense gratitude to you. Gratitude for your trust, sincerity, and generosity. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for standing up with courage and solidarity in this critical moment. ✊🏽

Sincerely,

Qasim