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About Me

Hello! My name is Salma Mourad, and I graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in May 2025 with a BA in Global Studies and a minor in Political Science. I am passionate about writing and research, particularly at the intersections of music, politics, media, and cultural production in the Middle East and its diasporas. My academic interests include ethnomusicology, Arab popular and experimental music, critical theory, and the ways music creates spaces for expression, community, and resistance. After graduation, I received a CBYX Young Professionals Fellowship to study and engage with Germany’s cultural and artistic communities, including studying Musicology and Media Studies at Philipps-Universität Marburg. I hope to pursue graduate studies in ethnomusicology and continue exploring the relationships between music, power, and social life. In my free time, I love discovering new music, producing radio shows, reading, and supporting community arts initiatives.


Editorial Work

Here are a sample of editorials that I’ve written for various student journals at UNC Chapel Hill

Carolina Political Review •

The Cost of Drowning Out Dissent: Why Arab Voters Turned Away from Kamala Harris — Carolina Political Review

"I am speaking now," was Vice President Kamala Harris's response to chants from pro-Palestinian protestors at a Michigan rally back in August. After being confronted with chants of “Kamala, Kamala, you can’t hide! We won’t vote for genocide,” rather than addressing their call for a ceasefire, Harris responded with an ultimatum: “If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I’m speaking.” The crowd then erupted in chants of “Kamala! Kamala!” drowning out the protesters’ demands as t...
Journal of Foreign Affairs at Carolina •

K-Pop, K-Dramas, and the Rise of Korean Soft Power — Journal of Foreign Affairs at Carolina

From the Academy Awards to Saturday Night Live Korean culture has become a recurring part of U.S. mainstream media—whether it's a K-pop group performing their latest hit or celebrities discussing the newest Netflix K-drama sensation. This cultural dominance might seem sudden, but it represents decades of careful planning and strategic investment by the South Korean government. Milestones such as PSY's "Gangnam Style" reaching 1 billion views in 159 days; BTS charting over two dozen songs on the...
Journal of Foreign Affairs at Carolina •

Mahraganat and the Egyptian Public’s Struggle for Artistic Freedom — Journal of Foreign Affairs at Carolina

Since the 2011 Arab Spring, Egypt has undergone profound cultural and political shifts. Emblematic of these changes is the political struggle surrounding the rise of mahraganat; a raw, energetic, and unapologetic blend of hip-hop and techno that emerged from the working-class neighborhoods of Cairo. This genre is driven by Egypt’s youth, who mix their music using pirated software, secondhand equipment, and free music samples, spreading it through the streets via self-taught DJs. Mahraganat captu...
Carolina Political Review •

Palestinian Canadians Sue Their Foreign Affairs Minister — Carolina Political Review

On Tuesday, March 5, a group of lawyers and Palestinian Canadians filed a lawsuit against Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly addressing the export of military equipment to Israel. They argue that these exports breach Canada’s obligations under international law—based on the Genocide Convention and the Arms Trade Treaty of the UN—as well as domestic law outlined in the Export and Import Permits Act (EIPA).The legal action spearheaded by Al-Haq, a Palestinian non-profit organization, the Canadi...
Carolina Political Review •

The Aftermath of Deadly Moscow Concert Hall Attack: ISIS-K and Putin's Disinformation Campaign — Carolina Political Review

On March 22, 2024, Russia experienced its deadliest terror attack in two decades at the Crocus City Hall music venue in Krasnogorsk, a suburb north of Moscow. The tragic event unfolded around 8:00 PM MSK when four gunmen began firing at the crowd of an estimated 6,000 people and subsequently set fire to the building. The attackers' actions led to fires that engulfed the venue, resulting in the partial collapse of the roof. The aftermath was devastating, with reports of 144 fatalities, including...

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