colonialism
The term “South Asia” promotes unity
October 19, 2026The southern subcontinent of Asia has had many names — Jambudvipa, Hind, Bharathavarsh. The terms listed reflect the richness and complexity of geographical etymology. The multitude of names shows the long, diverse, and arduous history of the subregion. Today, most people refer to the area as simply “South Asia” or the “Indian subcontinent.” Especially in a Western context, the two terms are often applied interchangeably without understanding the full diversity of the subregion. Some might see “South Asia,” and thus “South Asian,” as inadequate terms to represent an area of nearly two billion people. As someone from the subcontinent, I…
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Backlash reportedly not the British Museum’s tea and crumpets
June 22, 2026In 2025, the British Museum unveiled an online exhibit titled Colonialism: A Digital Experience. The paywalled, by-subscription-only website was created to make stolen artifacts more accessible, and held the controversial mission statement, “History belongs to everyone, as long as it…
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The grand history of the spice trade
December 20, 2025The modern world is full of magic if you take a minute to peek under the hood. One such thing that has struck me lately as absurd is owning a spice rack as a student in Canada. Cinnamon, allspice, ginger,…
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SFYou: Dr. Shivaji Mukherjee
December 19, 2025Editor’s note: In the printed version of this article, The Peak mistakenly noted that Mukherjee is an assistant professor at SFU. This is incorrect, as he is an associate professor at SFU, and the piece has been updated accordingly. Dr.…
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My journey infiltrating the country of Islam
November 11, 2025Mission report: Desert Day 1 Subject: Bringing Civilization™ to the so-called Orient. “Girl, we going to Islam?” That is what I asked my adjutant upon dismounting the camel. He nodded gravely. Neither of us knew exactly where the country of…
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Activists discuss the intersection between Palestinian liberation and disability justice
November 10, 2025Content warning: mentions of genocide, forced sterilization, and embodied and psychological trauma. On September 12 at the Harbour Centre, the Disability Justice Network of BC and the SFU Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies (CCMS) hosted a panel of five speakers…
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Canada’s 2025 Express Entry system updates stall the government from solving its own problems
March 18, 2025The government of Canada is no stranger to using immigration to exploit foreign labour and distract from the source of the country’s domestic woes. They have done it again with the new year’s changes to the Express Entry system. Since…
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We are no better than our neighbours down south
January 13, 2025Content warning: mentions of the transatlantic slave trade, segregation, anti-Indigenous violence, and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. There’s a tendency to compare Canada and the US on the issue of police brutality, and the sentiment I usually hear…
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From Turtle Island to Gaza
June 27, 2024Content warning: mentions of genocide and residential schools. Orientalism by Edward Said, published in 1978, examines the way western society views “the Orient,” which was known as South Asia, East Asia, and the Middle East. Said was a Palestinian scholar,…
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Dehumanization from the past to the present
January 10, 2024Content Warning: Mentions of genocide, violence, eugenics, and rape. Dehumanization is a concept that justifies treating a group of people as inhuman, portraying them as “less than,” or even a criminal based on defined characteristics such as gender, ideology, skin…
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Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.
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For promotional inquiries: [email protected]
Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.
For advertising inquiries: [email protected]
For promotional inquiries: [email protected]