Afghan Women Illegally Forced Into 'Virginity Tests': Independent Human Rights Commission
New
Age Islam News Bureau
20
October 2020
• Dr. Hanan bint Abdulrahim Al-Ahmadi, Appointed Assistant Speaker of the Saudi Shoura Council
• Participation of Women in World’s Floral
Shows Highlights Pakistan’s Soft Image, Says Farah Hamid Khan
• Conversions of Hindu Girls in Sindh: In Some Cases, It Has a Degree of Willingness
On The Part Of the Girl: Senator
• Malaysian Court sets Dec 16 For Hearing on
Woman’s Religious Status, Who Was Born to a Muslim Father and a Buddhist Mother
• Muslim Man Denied German Citizenship for
Refusing to Shake Woman’s Hand
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/afghan-women-illegally-forced-virginity/d/123207
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Afghan Women Illegally Forced Into 'Virginity Tests': Independent Human Rights Commission
OCTOBER
19, 2020
By
Stefanie Glinski
A
girl looks on among Afghan women lining up to receive relief assistance in
Jalalabad, Afghanistan, June 11, 2017. Photo: Reuters
-----
KABUL
(Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Women in Afghanistan are being forced to undergo
so-called virginity tests, more than two years after a law requiring consent
was introduced, researchers said on Thursday.
The
test involves a doctor performing an examination to identify whether the hymen
- the thin tissue that may partially cover the vagina - is intact, and has been
condemned by the United Nations as “painful, humiliating and traumatic”.
A
study by Afghanistan’s Independent Human Rights Commission found forced
gynecological examinations were still being conducted without the consent of
the patient or a court order, as required by a 2018 law.
The
Commission interviewed 129 women across Afghanistan and found 92% of tests were
performed without consent or a court order.
Most
of the victims were prisoners, while nine were under police surveillance. Just
nine said they had agreed to the examination and one said she had received a
court order, said the Commission, which wants the tests to be banned
completely.
“Afghan
women have always been victims of violence, with women often mistreated due to
crimes committed by men,” said chairwoman Shaharzad Akbar.
“Compulsory
gynaecological examinations are one of the types of violence that have been
perpetrated against Afghan women and violate their human dignity by humiliating
and insulting them.”
Global
health and women’s rights organisations have called for the practice to be
banned, with the World Health Organization calling it a “violation of the
victim’s human rights.
Medical
experts say the test does not prove whether a girl or woman has had sex as the
hymen can be torn during physical activity or use of a tampon. Some girls are
born without a hymen.
Yet
it remains widespread in some countries, including Indonesia, where women
applying to the police are often required to undergo tests for “mental health
and morality reasons”.
In
Iraq, Yazidi women who had been kidnaped by the Islamic State were routinely
tested by Kurdish officials until 2016.
Lyla
Schwartz, a psychologist who set up a mental health initiative after working
with young Afghan women forced to undergo testing, said they were often used to
prove intercourse outside of marriage.
“Girls
and women feel assaulted and violated – and girls who may have endured
traumatic experiences and undergo testing feel assaulted yet again,” she told
the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
“It
is degrading and serves to retraumatise the assault survivor.”
Fatimeh,
a woman living in detention who underwent a forced test, said she was “shocked”
to discover she had been referred.
“I
felt humiliated and insulted. I will never forget the experience,” Fatimeh,
whose name has been changed to protect her identity, told the researchers.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-women-rights-trfn/afghan-women-illegally-forced-into-virginity-tests-idUSKBN2741I0
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Dr.
Hanan bint Abdulrahim Al-Ahmadi, Appointed Assistant Speaker of the Saudi
Shoura Council
October
20, 2020
Dr.
Hanan bint Abdulrahim Al-Ahmadi
----
Dr.
Hanan bint Abdulrahim Al-Ahmadi, an academic who specializes in economics and
health management, has been appointed the assistant speaker of the Saudi Shoura
Council.
She
is the first woman to assume a leadership position in the consultative body.
Al-Ahmadi was also part of the first batch of women to be elected to the Shoura
Council seven years ago.
Al-Ahmadi
obtained a bachelor’s degree in economics at King Saud University in 1986. She
did a master’s in health administration from Tulane University in the US in
1989.
Al-Ahmadi
did a Ph.D. in health administration from the University of Pittsburgh in the
US in 1995. She is the director general of the women’s branch of the Institute
of Public Administration (IPA).
Al-Ahmadi
is also a professor of health services administration at IPA.
She
is a member of the board of trustees of the Riyadh Economic Forum, the
editorial board of the Journal of Public Administration and the Scientific
Council of IPA, and a board member of the Saudi Management Association.
Al-Ahmadi
also serves as an evaluator at the Sheikh Khalifa Government Excellence
Program. She is a visiting fellow at the National Primary Care Research and
Development Center of the University of Manchester, UK.
During
her tenure at the Shoura Council as a member, she served in several committees
such as the economic and energy committee, health and environmental affairs,
and the Fifth Parliamentary Friendship Committee.
Al-Ahmadi
is also a member of the advisory board of the Center for Promising Research for
Social Research and Women’s Studies at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman
University.
She
has represented Saudi Arabia at several regional and international conferences
and seminars.
Al-Ahmadi
has authored many research papers published in several scientific journals.
Commenting
on her appointed as assistant speaker of the Shoura Council, she said the
decision showed the Saudi leadership’s keenness to boost women’s role in the
decision-making process.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1751401/saudi-arabia
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Participation
of Women in World’s Floral Shows Highlights Pakistan’s Soft Image, Says Farah
Hamid Khan
October
19, 2020
ISLAMABAD
-: Pakistani women had highlighted the soft image of the country among world’s
states through participating in various international floral exhibitions and
competitions, said Secretary Ministry of Federal Education and Professional
Training Farah Hamid Khan.
She
said that Pakistani women had also proved their metal with demonstrating their
abilities in creative work at international floral shows and exhibits. Such
events were very healthy, social, creative and admirable activities for women
of the society, she further said.
Farah
Hamid was addressing as chief guest to an annual general body meeting (AGM)
titled ‘Madre Nature’ organised by Floral Art Society of Pakistan Orchid Club
Islamabad at Marriott Hotel.
The
society held a competition of floral art in which designers from all over the
country contributed and presented their creative work. The competition was held
in three classes titled ‘Foliage Artistry,’ ‘Waxed Beauty’ and ‘Carved by
Nature.’ The participants made innovative exhibits in all classes.
The
president of the club Shandana Bangash on the occasion also gave a
demonstration in which she made five creative, artistic and innovative
exhibits.
Later,
the chief guest distributed prizes and trophies between the winners of the
competition.
The
AGM was attended by women FASP members and others belonging to the cities of
Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Islamabad.
https://nation.com.pk/19-Oct-2020/participation-of-women-in-world-s-floral-shows-highlights-pakistan-s-soft-image
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Conversions
of Hindu Girls in Sindh: In Some Cases,
It Has a Degree of Willingness On The Part Of the Girl: Senator
Kalbe
Ali
20
Oct 2020
ISLAMABAD:
The head of the parliamentary committee on forced religious conversions said on
Monday that most cases of forced conversion “have some degree of willingness on
the part of the girl.”
Senator
Anwarul Haq Kakar was speaking to the press alongside committee member MNA Lal
Chand Malhi and civil society activist from Tharparkar Krishan Sharma,
following a recent visit by the committee to parts of Sindh where forced
conversions of young Hindu girls have been reported.
The
committee has said that the state has not fulfilled its responsibility to
protect religious minorities from forced conversions.
When
asked about the definition of forced conversions, Senator Kakar told Dawn there
are several definitions of forced conversion, and the subject was debated by
the committee at length.
“Although
conversion to seek a better lifestyle is also considered forced conversion,
economic reasons can be considered exploitation and not force, as eventually it
is after consent,” he said.
Head
of Senate body says most cases ‘have some degree of willingness’
He
added that there was a thin line between consent and exploitation, and went on
to say that the conversion of Hindu girls in Sindh could not be considered
forced.
“The
committee, which included members from other religious as well, did not find
any trace of kidnapping and illegal confinement of Hindu girls who later came
to give statements in court,” he said.
During
the committee’s visit, members held public meetings in Sukkur and Mirpur
Mathelo in Ghotki district, as well as a meeting with senior officials in the
Sindh government in Karachi. Meetings were held with the families of victims of
forced conversions, officials and accused groups.
Mr
Malhi said that around 200 members of the Hindu community participated in a
public meeting in Sukkur while around 800 people attended the meeting in Mirpur
Mathelo.
Senator
Kakar also said that people who “encourage girls from the Hindu community to
move out and marry according to their own wishes are not as liberal about their
own daughters.” He said people facilitate the elopement of girls and boys and
then present the girls as converts in court.
He
said the worst part of the situation was that the family’s “pain and shame”
were not taken into consideration.
“If
we all start taking the families into confidence and devise a mechanism to
console them, the cases of forced conversions will decline,” he said.
Senator
Kakar claimed there were no forced conversions, saying that most incidents
began with willingness in the form of chats or some other form of
communication.
”What
we observed is that the majority of girls and boys had secretly decided to
elope and marry,” he said, adding: “But that was because the family of the two
would not accept them as life partners.”
Mr
Malhi said the problem was the established role of some powers that facilitated
such couples to run away and presented them in court under their custody.
He
said: “Those who run away from their homes should be provided state protection
for some time so that the girl may finalise her decision.”
Senator
Kakar suggested introducing a new marriage rule that includes the mandatory
presence of a vali at the time of marriage and the establishment of shelters
managed by the district administration to house underage girls who wanted to
get married, in order to clear the confusion between force and consent.
The
most vulnerable districts for forced conversions are Sanghar, Ghotki, Sukkur,
Khairpur and Mirpurkhas. There have been negligible reported cases from
Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while a few cases involving Christians have
been reported in Punjab.
Mr
Malhi said that people such as Mian Mithu and Pir Sarhandi house girls and manage
the system to keep the girl away from her family. He said there was no evidence
that they were backed by an authority, political power or state organ.
Mr
Sharma, an activist, said there are two kinds of forced conversions, the first
involving kidnapping and illegal confinement, and a second kind.
“The
second kind is rampant in Sindh and that has to be taken care of by the state –
this is procedural forced conversions, [in which] the whole system of the
country, from the police, the courts, etc, are violating the laws and
facilitating such conversions,” he said.
“When
the parents present a certificate that the age of the girl is below 18 years,
the police usually do not attach this document in the FIR, but we have women
protection laws in the country and we need to implement them. Besides that,
Pakistan is signatory to several international obligations,” he said.
Mr
Sharma said there has to be a law stating that the minimum age for religious
conversion is 18, which is also the marriageable age in Sindh.
“The
courts too should take note of marriages of girls below the age of 18 years,”
he said.
He
said that, as a civil rights activist, he believes there should be no role of
religion in a marriage between two people.
“Marriage
is a civil contract and it should be looked at separately from a religious
issue, and people from two different religions can live together following
their own faith,” he said.
Asked
if there have been any cases of Hindu men converting to Islam, Senator Kakar
said there have been several cases of young men converting for various reasons.
“We
believe that converting due to any reason, including economic hardship, social
pressure, etc, are all incorrect. But conversion with free will after proper
understanding is justified,” he said.
He
said there had been a case of a Hindu boy who converted to Islam to marry a
Muslim girl he had known for some time. “This case was reported while we were
holding a public hearing in Mirpur Mathelo,” he said.
Mr
Sharma said that boys also face social pressure from their families and such
conversion ceremonies are usually held in a local mosque or seminary, where
they receive financial support.
The
parliamentary committee will also meet with the Council of Islamic Ideology to
discuss cases where a Hindu girl wishes to return to her family after
expressing consent to a marriage with a Muslim in court.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1585956/conversions-of-hindu-girls-in-sindh-cannot-be-considered-forced-senator
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Malaysian
Court sets Dec 16 For Hearing on Woman’s Religious Status, Who Was Born to a
Muslim Father and a Buddhist Mother
October
20, 2020
PUTRAJAYA:
The nine-member Federal Court bench will convene on Dec 16 to hear an appeal by
a woman for a declaration that she is a not a Muslim.
Selangor
state assistant legal adviser Siti Fatimah Talib said the new date was fixed
today following case management before deputy registrar Azniza Mohd Ali.
The
state government and the Selangor Religious Council are respondents in the suit
brought by Rosliza Ibrahim, while the Federal government is brought in as a
friend of the court to assist the judges in the case.
The
hearing was vacated on Oct 6 after a lawyer appearing for the council came in
close contact with a minister who tested positive for Covid-19.
Rosliza,
who was born to a Muslim father but raised as a Buddhist by her Buddhist
mother, has taken the position that the Islamic laws of Selangor do not apply
to her and that the shariah court has no jurisdiction over her.
She
said it had been presumed that she had been born a Muslim, based on an
assumption of a valid marriage between her parents and an assumption that her
late mother had converted to Islam.
Rosliza
said she had gone to the religious authorities in 10 other states and obtained
confirmation that her parents did not have any records of her mother converting
to Islam or that a Muslim marriage had taken place.
The
High Court in Shah Alam dismissed her suit in April 2017 on grounds that the
evidence she produced was insufficient and her remedy was the shariah court .
The
Court of Appeal in 2018 upheld the High Court ruling.
Early
this year, the Federal Court allowed Rosliza’s application for leave to appeal
based on two legal questions.
They
were whether the civil court had the exclusive jurisdiction to determine
whether a person is or is not a Muslim under the law, and whether any
information contained in the identity card is conclusive proof that one is a
Muslim.
The
legal and religious fraternities are closely following Rozliza’s case as it is
an opportunity to revisit a 2007 case involving Lina Joy, a Muslim woman who
sought, but failed, to be allowed to change her religion from Islam to
Christianity.
The
Federal Court had ruled that Lina must first obtain a certificate from the
shariah court to leave the religion before presenting it to the National
Registration Department for the word “Islam” to be removed from her identity
card.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/10/20/federal-court-sets-dec-16-for-hearing-on-womans-religious-status/
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Muslim
Man Denied German Citizenship for Refusing to Shake Woman’s Hand
October
20, 2020
A
Muslim man who passed the German naturalisation test but refused to shake hands
with a female official has been denied citizenship.
The
Administrative Court of Baden-Württemberg (VGH) ruled on Friday that someone
who rejects a handshake due to a “fundamentalist conception of culture and
values” because they see women as “a danger of sexual temptation” was thereby
rejecting “integration into German living conditions.”
The
40-year-old Lebanese doctor, who came to Germany in 2002, said he refused to
shake women’s hands for religious reasons.
He
studied medicine in Germany and now works as a senior physician in a clinic. He
applied for citizenship through naturalisation in 2012, for which he signed a
declaration of loyalty to the German constitution and against extremism. He
passed the naturalisation test with the best possible score.
Nevertheless,
he was not granted citizenship because he refused to shake hands with the
responsible official when the naturalisation certificate was handed over in
2015. The woman therefore withheld the certificate and rejected the
application.
The
VGH described a handshake as a common nonverbal greeting and farewell ritual,
which is independent of the sex of the involved parties, adding that the
practice goes back centuries.
The
judge found that the handshake also has a legal meaning, in that it symbolises
the conclusion of a contract.
The
handshake is therefore “deeply rooted in social, cultural and legal life, which
shapes the way we live together,” the judge said.
The
court found that anyone who refuses to shake hands on gender-specific grounds
is in breach of the equality enshrined in the German constitution.
In
addition, the man’s refusal in this case had the effect of lending validity to
a “Salafist perspective” on the social ramifications of relations between men
and women.
The
handshake ruling was also handed down despite health officials cautioning
against handshaking right now due to the coronavirus pandemic. The judge said
he was convinced that the practice would survive the pandemic.
https://5pillarsuk.com/2020/10/19/muslim-man-denied-german-citizenship-for-refusing-to-shake-womans-hand/
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