Female Hardliner Politician, Zohreh Elahian, Registers to Run for Iran’s President
New
Age Islam News Bureau
02 June 2024
•
Female Hardliner Politician, ZohrehElahian, Registers to Run for Iran’s
President
•
Brig. Helen Mary Roberts, First Christian Female BrigadierInspiration For Pakistan
Women: Pakistan PM
•
Iraqi Court Advises Christian Woman In Duhok To Convert To Islam
•
Calls Made for Full, Meaningful Participation of Women in Doha Meeting
•
Man Hurls Abuse At Muslim Woman And Is Instantly Handcuffed At Tommy Robinson
Protest
•
Vietnamese Ambassador’s ‘Missing’ Wife Traced After Four Hours: Islamabad
Police
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
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Female
Hardliner Politician, ZohrehElahian, Registers to Run for Iran’s President
Maryam
Sinaiee
02-06-2024
Zohreh
Elahian, in a military weapons exhibition in Tehran in August 2023
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Former
female lawmaker ZohrehElahian has registered to run in Iran's June 28 snap
presidential vote, potentially becoming the first woman ever allowed to stand
if approved by the Guardian Council.
Elahian,
57, is a physician and former member of the parliament’s National Security and
Foreign Policy Committee. She was elected to parliament twice on the
hardliners’ slate.
In
her speech following registration, Elahian declared her motto: “Sound
government, sound economy, sound society,” and pledged to combat corruption.
Like
other hardliners, Elahian supports compulsory hijab rules. In March, Canada
imposed sanctions against her for endorsing the death penalty for protesters
involved in the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement. Her candidacy comes after
months of harsh policies and actions by the government against women who defy
compulsory hijab.
Elahian’s
qualification to run hinges on the Guardian Council's interpretation of a
controversial article of the Constitution. The Guardian Council, the sole body
empowered by the Constitution to interpret it, has historically disqualified
female candidates. This disqualification is based on Article 115, which
stipulates that candidates must be from among political or religious "rijal"
(the plural of "rajul"), a masculine Arabic noun meaning
"men."
However,
some constitutional experts and politicians interpret "rijal" to mean
"figures" or "persons" irrespective of gender, rather than
exclusively "men."
Azam
Taleghani, a veteran reformist politician and journalist, registered to run in
every presidential election from 1997 until her death in 2019. Despite being
described as an “Islamic feminist,” Taleghani was rejected by the Guardian
Council every time.
In
2009, populist Mahmoud Ahmadinejad proposed Elahian as Minister of Welfare and
Social Security. However, she declined the nomination, citing opposition from
senior Shia clerics (maraje’) to women serving as ministers.
Another
of Ahmadinejad’s female nominees, hardliner MarziehVahid-Dastjerdi, a physician
and former lawmaker, was approved by parliament as Minister of Health, making
her the first and only female minister in the history of the Islamic Republic.
Several
other political figures registered to run on Saturday, including ultra-hardliner
Tehran mayor AlirezaZakani, reformist lawmaker and former first deputy speaker
Masoud Pezeshkian, and VahidHaghanian, a member of Supreme Leader Ali
Khamenei’s office.
Haghanian’s
registration, dubbed by social media users as the “biggest surprise” of the
election registrations, and his motives has baffled observers. Like Elahian,
many believe there is no chance he will be qualified to run. Some people even
claim he no longer holds a position at Khamenei’s office.
“We
were quick to judge about him. He is known as the black box, but he has
apparently not held any positions in a long time,” Hossein Ebrahimi, a
conservative cleric and politician, tweeted. Ebrahimi added that there is a
high possibility of Haghanian’s disqualification, apparently due to open cases
with the judiciary.
This
may refer to allegations of espionage against him that surfaced in January
after the execution of Mohsen Saravani, 24, on charges of spying for Israel.
Saravani had been photographed with Haghanian and was said to be close to him.
Around the same time Haghanian ceased to appear in public.
Behnam
Gholipour, expatriate journalist, in a tweet on Saturday called Haghanian an
“scapegoat candidate”. “He will be sacrificed to mask disqualification of
others. Then everyone will say Larijani and Ahmadinejad don’t even count
[because] Khamenei’s right-hand man was disqualified,” he wrote.
Source:
Iranintl
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202406016958
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Brig.
Helen Mary Roberts, First Christian Female BrigadierInspiration For Pakistan
Women: Pakistan PM
AAMIR
SAEED
June
01, 2024
This
undated photo, shared by Pakistani journalist Sumaira Raja on social media
platform X on June 1, 2024, shows Pakistan Army’s Brig. Helen Mary Roberts.
(Photo courtesy: X/ @SUMAIRA__RAJA)
------------
ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday congratulated Brig. Helen Mary
Roberts after she became the first Christian female officer to achieve the
senior army rank in the 76-year history of Pakistan.
The
military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), confirmed that
Brig. Roberts of the Army Medical Corps had been promoted to her new position
in response to an Arab News query.
Women
have been integral to the medical corps for decades and have more recently
begun to join combat divisions as soldiers. Several other members of minority
religious communities are also affiliated with the Pakistan military on
different ranks.
“Brig.
Helen Mary Roberts has proven through her hard work that Pakistani women are no
less than men in any field,” the prime minister said in a statement released by
his office.
“The
entire nation, including the Pakistani Christian community, is proud of Brig.
Helen Mary Roberts and thousands of other hardworking women from the minority
community,” he added.
Sharif
said Brig. Roberts would be an inspiration for the new generation of women
through her dedication, commitment and passion for humanity.
Muslim-majority
Pakistan has strived for religious inclusivity in recent years amid continuing
social challenges for minority communities.
Last
year, Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir commended the role played by the
country’s Christian community in its development during a Christmas celebration
at Christ Church in Rawalpindi.
He
praised their contributions to promoting quality education, health care and
philanthropy, as well as their notable contributions to national defense.
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.pk/node/2521466/pakistan
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Iraqi
Court Advises Christian Woman In Duhok To Convert To Islam
June
1, 2024
DUHOK,
Iraqi Kurdistan region,— A Christian woman, whose mother converted to Islam
when she was 15, was informed by Iraqi authorities that she and her children
must also convert, Rudaw TV reported.
According
to Iraq’s Personal Status Law, passed in 1959, if a parent converts to Islam,
their children under 18 are required to adopt the new faith.
“I
am Christian. I am married to a Christian man. I have three Christian kids. My
education was in our language. All my official documents identify me as
Christian. “Our marriage is officially registered with the Church,” she
explained.
At
the national ID card office, “they said your mother-in-law had converted to
Islam and therefore your wife must become Muslim too. This rule affects our
children too. They’re saying our kids must change from being Christian to being
Muslim.” he said.
He
said, “This makes people convert to Islam, which is not what Islam is about.
Even though I’m not an expert in Islam, everyone knows that Islam doesn’t allow
making people change their religion by force.”
The
law further dictates that if one spouse converts to Islam, Sharia law becomes
applicable. This means Joseph is not permitted to marry a Christian man. The
law also affects inheritance and custody rights.
Source:
Ekurd.Net
https://ekurd.net/iraqi-court-advises-christian-2024-06-01
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Calls
Made for Full, Meaningful Participation of Women in Doha Meeting
01-06-2024
The
NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security has emphasized the need for
full, meaningful, and equal participation of women in the Doha meeting and
other discussions related to Afghanistan.
This
group, which operates under the United Nations, has provided recommendations to
the members of the Security Council regarding the qualifications of the UN
special envoy for Afghanistan and the removal of restrictive policies against
women in the country.
The
proposal states that the UN special envoy, who will be appointed for
Afghanistan in the future, should have a strong background in human rights and
engage with Afghan women.
The
group’s report states: "Ensure that the Special Envoy on Afghanistan, due
to be appointed, has a strong track record on human rights and women’s rights,
and senior gender and human rights expertise on their team, and that they
regularly and meaningfully engage with diverse Afghan women civil society.”
Mina,
a women's rights activist, told TOLOnews: "The presence of women in such
meetings can be beneficial for the women of Afghanistan, especially those who
can represent Afghan women."
Ayesha,
a student, said: "We are also part of humanity. Afghan women are among
those who cannot exercise the rights that women in other countries can
generally benefit from."
The
third Doha meeting on Afghanistan is scheduled to begin on June 31. Although
the United Nations has invited the Islamic Emirate to participate, the Islamic
Emirate has made its attendance conditional on the acceptance of its demands.
Suhail
Shaheen, head of the Islamic Emirate's political office in Qatar, said:
"Since the Doha meeting is about Afghanistan, the issues highlighted by
the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan should be included in the agenda to build
trust between the parties and address the real issues of the Afghan
people."
SangarAmirzada,
an international relations expert, said: "When the world tells you to talk
to your people, it is not the world’s job; it is the job of the Afghans
themselves to think about and find a solution."
Previously,
at the second Doha meeting on February 18-19 this year, hosted by the UN
Secretary-General and attended by representatives from over 25 countries, a
delegation of civil activists and Afghan women also participated.
Source:
Tolo News
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-189062
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Man
Hurls Abuse At Muslim Woman And Is Instantly Handcuffed At Tommy Robinson
Protest
ByMariam
Khan
1
Jun 2024
A
man has been filmed hurling vile abuse at a Muslim woman before being swiftly
handcuffed by police at a protest march led by Tommy Robinson.
Robinson,
real name Stephen Yaxley Lennon, called for people to join him as he demanded
Metropolitan Police chief Mark Rowley resign as he believes the justice system
in the UK is "two-tiered". The campaigner, who himself has been
jailed at least four times including once for the assault of an off-duty police
officer, marched through central London with a large group, who were heard
singing football chants at the start of the journey.
Thousands
of police officers were drawn in to monitor the protests through London today,
which involved people associated with "hooligan groups" and some who
were formerly involved with anti-lockdown protests.
One
man was filmed harassing a woman who attempted to hide her face with a pink
headscarf as she sat outside the 1 Parliament Street building using her phone.
The man then begins to shout abuse at the woman for covering her face, saying:
“Yeah you go all f***ing shy when it comes to the camera, go on f*** off.” Two
more people gather in the area but nobody intervenes as the man continues his rage
and says “Go on f*** off” to the woman, who continues to stay seated.
With
her scarf covering her face, the man becomes more agitated and instead gets up
from sitting across from the woman to move closer to her face. He stands
adjacent to her and then bends down to her level to film her face again which
is still covered.
Some
of what is said in the video is drowned out by other conversations and the
speakers talking at the protest. However, the man can next be heard saying: “Go
do your bulls*** somewhere else, you know what I mean.”
Moments
later officers rush in and grab the man. When the camera pans around
approximately eight officers can be seen, with three actively involved in the
arrest and holding on to the man. A woman can be seen being told by an officer:
“You can’t go around shouting and bawling at an innocent person sat there
minding her own business.” The officer can be heard asking the woman: “How
would you like it if someone came up and shouted at you?”
As
the exchange goes on the man who was hurling abuse at the Muslim woman is led
away from the protest with his hands cuffed behind his back, escorted by two
officers with a third carrying his bag.
Tommy
Robinson supporters were filmed chanting anti-Muslim slogans at the protest.
Marchers chanted “Who the f*** is Allah” and other hateful slogans at the
protest in central London.
People
take part in a protest march at Parliament Square in London, organised by Tommy
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley Lennon ( Image: PA)
The
number of Islamophobic incidents reported to TellMAMA, a project monitoring
anti-Muslim abuse in the UK has tripled over the past few months. In a recent
report they said: “In almost two-thirds of cases recorded, women are the target
of attacks.”
A
spokesperson for the Met Police told the Mirror: “Two arrests have been made in
the vicinity of Parliament Square. One arrest was for drunk and disorderly and
assaulting an emergency worker. The other relates to an incident where a woman
was subjected to racial abuse. We await confirmation of the exact offence.”
Source:
Mirror.Co.Uk
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/moment-man-hurls-abuse-muslim-32940078
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Vietnamese
Ambassador’s ‘Missing’ Wife Traced After Four Hours: Islamabad Police
Munawer
Azeem
June
2, 2024
ISLAMABAD:
Wife of the Vietnamese ambassador was found at a restaurant four hours after
she went missing on Saturday, police said.
Police
spokesman Taqi Jawad told Dawn that at around 12 noon the ambassador called the
police helpline and said his wife was missing for the last an hour. Inspector
General of Police Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi and other officers reached the
ambassador’s residence at F-8.
The
ambassador told the police that his wife had left for a beauty salon saying she
would return in an hour. Later, it transpired that she had left her mobile
phone and purse in the house.
Three
teams were constituted to trace the ambassador’s wife, comprising the DIG operations,
SSP operations, SP City and SDPO Margalla. Two teams searched her in shopping
centres and another examined the footages of Safe City Authority.
The
footages showed the woman leaving her residence on foot and entering F-9 Park.
The police reached the park and started a search in and outside the park.
Later, one of the teams found her sitting in a restaurant all alone. After
confirming from her photos, the senior police officers were informed.
A
police team took the ambassador to the restaurant where he identified her.
Later, the couple was driven to their house. The reason behind her leaving the
house without a mobile phone and purse and staying in the restaurant for hours
was not known, the PRO said, adding over the issue the police will follow the legal
procedure and get statements from the couple.
Earlier,
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also took notice of the incident and contacted
the police chief and directed him for all necessary measures for the safe
recovery of the diplomat’s wife.
Source:
Dawn
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/female-politician-zohrehelahian-president-iran/d/132431