Another Saudi Woman, Nojoud al-Mandeel, Takes To Twitter to 'Escape Abusive Family'
New Age Islam News Bureau
19
Jan 2019
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• Saudi Female Bikers Ready to Chart a New Course
• Egyptian Women Take On Society With Bike Initiative
• UNSRs Condemn Denial Of Treatment To Women Prisoners In Iran
• Indian Women, 11 Other Reverts Share Their Journey to Islam
• Saudi Health Ministry Provides Clarity on Female Patients’ Consent
• Australia: Muslim Woman’s Hijab Ripped Off; Video Goes Viral
• Officers on the Hunt for Fugitive Wife of Slain Dusit Terrorist
• Regime Uproots Tree Standing for PMOI Women’s Courage to Free Iran
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/another-saudi-woman-nojoud-al/d/117509
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Another Saudi Woman, Nojoud al-Mandeel, Takes To Twitter to 'Escape Abusive Family'
17 Jan 2019
Another Saudi woman has turned to social media for protection from her father, just days after Canada granted refuge to Rahaf Mohammed (who dropped her family name of al-Qunun after her family denounced her), the 18-year-old Saudi woman who fled her family.
Identified only as Nojoud al-Mandeel on Twitter, her case differs from that of Mohammed. She has not fled the kingdom, has not revealed her face and has only made her pleas for help on Twitter in Arabic.
On Monday, al-Mandeel posted an audio clip on Twitter, alleging that her father had beaten and burned her "over something trivial".
She also posted a video looking onto a neighbour's gated pool, where she says she jumped from her bedroom window before a friend picked her up and they escaped.
"Don't tell me to report to police," she said, explaining that when she had done so previously, the police just had her father sign a pledge saying he would not beat her again.
After her story gained some traction online, she was promised help by a protection hotline in Saudi Arabia for domestic abuse victims. Prosecutors also reportedly began looking into her allegations of abuse, according to Saudi news sites.
She was placed in a domestic abuse shelter, but on Tuesday complained on Twitter about the shelter's restrictions on her movements.
Challenging male control
While their circumstances are different, claims of abuse by the two women mirror those of other female Saudi runaways who have used social media to publicise their escapes.
There has been speculation that Mohammed's successful getaway will inspire others to copy her. However, powerful deterrents remain in place. If caught, runaways face possible death at the hands of relatives for purportedly shaming the family.
Saudi women fleeing their families challenge a system that grants men guardianship over women's lives. This guardianship system starts in the home, where women must obey fathers, husbands, brothers and sometimes sons.
Hala Aldosari, a Saudi scholar and activist, said the male guardianship system replicates the ruling family's model of governance, which demands full obedience to the king, who holds absolute power in decision-making.
"This is why the state is keen to maintain the authority of male citizens over women to ensure their allegiance," she said, adding that this "hierarchical system of domination" necessitates "keeping women in line".
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has introduced social reforms loosening some restrictions on women, told The Atlantic that doing away with guardianship laws has to be done in a way that does not harm Saudi families and culture. He said abolishing these laws would create problems for families that don't want to grant their daughters freedom.
The issue of guardianship is extremely sensitive in the kingdom, where conservative families view what they consider the protection of women as a man's duty.
More than a dozen women's rights activists have been detained, many since May, after they campaigned against the guardianship system. Some had also wanted to create alternative shelters for women who had escaped their families.
Regardless of their age, women in Saudi Arabia must have the consent of a male relative to obtain a passport, travel or marry. In the past, a travel permit was a paper document issued by the Interior Ministry and signed by a male relative.
Today, Saudi men download a government mobile app that notifies them of a woman's travel. Through the app, men can grant or deny a woman permission to travel. Some young women who have fled the country had managed to access their father's phone, change the settings and disable its notifications.
'I am lucky'
In a statement read to reporters in Canada on Tuesday, Mohammed said she wants to be independent, travel and make her own decisions.
"I am one of the lucky ones," she said. "I know there are unlucky women who disappeared after trying to escape or who could not change their reality."
That's especially true for women from conservative tribal families like hers.
Mohammed, one of 10 children, posted online that her father, Mohammed Mutliq al-Qunun, is the governor of the city of al-Sulaimi in the hilly hinterland of Ha'il - a province where nearly all women cover their faces in black veils and wear loose black robes, or abayas, in public.
The family belongs to the influential Shammar tribe, which extends to Iraq, Syria and other parts of the Middle East. Her father has considerable clout as a prominent town official and member of a powerful tribe.
Mohammed, who barricaded herself in an airport hotel room in Thailand last week to avoid deportation, said she was abused by a brother and locked in her room for months for cutting her hair short. She said she would have been killed if sent back to her family.
More than a dozen women's rights activists have been detained, many since May, after they campaigned against the guardianship system. Some had also wanted to create alternative shelters for women who had escaped their families.
Regardless of their age, women in Saudi Arabia must have the consent of a male relative to obtain a passport, travel or marry. In the past, a travel permit was a paper document issued by the Interior Ministry and signed by a male relative.
Today, Saudi men download a government mobile app that notifies them of a woman's travel. Through the app, men can grant or deny a woman permission to travel. Some young women who have fled the country had managed to access their father's phone, change the settings and disable its notifications.
'I am lucky'
In a statement read to reporters in Canada on Tuesday, Mohammed said she wants to be independent, travel and make her own decisions.
"I am one of the lucky ones," she said. "I know there are unlucky women who disappeared after trying to escape or who could not change their reality."
That's especially true for women from conservative tribal families like hers.
Mohammed, one of 10 children, posted online that her father, Mohammed Mutliq al-Qunun, is the governor of the city of al-Sulaimi in the hilly hinterland of Ha'il - a province where nearly all women cover their faces in black veils and wear loose black robes, or abayas, in public.
The family belongs to the influential Shammar tribe, which extends to Iraq, Syria and other parts of the Middle East. Her father has considerable clout as a prominent town official and member of a powerful tribe.
Mohammed, who barricaded herself in an airport hotel room in Thailand last week to avoid deportation, said she was abused by a brother and locked in her room for months for cutting her hair short. She said she would have been killed if sent back to her family.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/saudi-woman-takes-twitter-escape-abusive-family-190117100510499.html
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Saudi Female Bikers Ready to Chart a New Course
January 18, 2019
JEDDAH: Almost seven months since Saudi Arabia lifted its ban on female drivers, women hoping to be granted a license to ride a motorcycle are still waiting. According to Wael Huraib, founder of Bikers Skills Institute (BSI) — which he claims is the only motorcycle training school for female riders in the Kingdom — no motorbike licenses are currently being issued for women.
“For ladies, as of now, they’re not able to get a license yet, and we don’t really know why,” said Huraib. “We heard that women have received tractor-trailer licenses, but we know for a fact that no motorcycle license applications are being processed. We are assuming the traffic police are very focused on cars, but whatever the problem is, we hope it is resolved soon.”
The royal decree in September 2017 that gave women the right to drive in the Kingdom from June 2018 stipulated that the laws on driving would be equal for men and women. But it appears that is not yet the case, despite assurances from the Saudi Directorate of Traffic a year ago that women would be permitted to drive motorcycles and trucks.
Elena Bukaryeva, an instructor at BSI, said she suspects there is some confusion or miscommunication between the traffic police administration and the licensing division.
“My husband spoke to one of the highest-ranking traffic police officials in Riyadh,” she told Arab News. “He said that there was nothing at all to stop women being issued motorcycle licenses.
“But the following day, one of the ladies who finished our course went to the traffic police and she was told there are no motorcycle licenses for women, only for men. The same thing happened when I applied for my license and when other women did.”
The General Directorate of Traffic did not respond to Arab News’ request for comment.
Bukaryeva said that she has heard of women with licenses issued abroad riding motorcycles in the Kingdom, although added that they are “semi-disguised as men” when doing so.
“When you are wearing loose clothing and a full-face helmet, no one can tell if you are a man or a woman,” she said, adding that she has not tried it herself as her husband told her it was not worth the risk.
BSI began training female riders as soon as the driving ban was lifted.
The company has graduated 18 women so far, including Reem Al-Megbel, a 30-year-old Saudi financial operations manager.
Al-Megbel was at the motorcycle school on Wednesday evening to practice riding, because she cannot, yet, do so on the roads.
“My dream is to wake up one day and have a car and a motorcycle in my garage and be free to choose what to drive,” she said. “It would probably be the motorcycle.”
Al-Megbel added that her “ultimate” dream, though, would be to take a road trip across the Kingdom with a group of fellow female bikers.
“That,” she said, “would be freedom.”
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1437861/saudi-arabia
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Egyptian Women Take On Society With Bike Initiative
January 18, 2019
Cairo: More than five months after launching an initiative aimed at promoting the cycling culture among women in largely conservative Egypt, Sara Jamal sounds satisfied and upbeat.
“The feedback has been fantastic,” the 28-year-old woman said.
“Instead of disapproving comments, we are hearing cheers of encouragement when we hit the streets,” she told Gulf News.
“Since the start of the project in July, we have trained 600 girls and women aged from three up to 57,” added Sara, the founder of the “She can Ride” initiative.
The project is now covering Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt’s second biggest city.
Cairo, one of the world’s most populous cities, is inhabited by an estimated 20 million people.
The mega-city is blighted by high pollution levels mainly blamed on frequent traffic congestion.
“Our aim is to change society’s perception that riding bicycles is unfeminine and that training in biking is inappropriate for old women,” Sara said.
“Cycling teaches patience, endurance and determination. It spares the rider from paying a fare. It also spares the woman unease when riding on public transportation.”
Women often complain of sexual harassment or groping on overcrowded transportation.
Females account for 48.8 per cent of Egypt’s population of nearly 100 million, according to a recent demographic census.
In recent years, the country has unleashed a series of initiatives to empower women.
“My aim is to teach Egypt’s girls how to ride the bicycle so that cycling replaces cars and buses in getting to the workplace and the university,” Sara, a business administration graduate, said.
Two weeks into the project, she co-partnered with her friend Eman Sulaiman.
“Some mothers asked us to train their children too. So, we started taking in children at the age of three and above. We are the only ones doing this in the field,” added Sara.
Up to 90 per cent of trainees master cycling from the first session, she said.
Trainees are charged nominal fees as the project, according to Sara, is a non-profit enterprise.
With a five-member crew at present, they also hold classes in repairing bikes so that the female users will be able to handle any breakdown.
“I dream that our project will cover the whole of Egypt and that cycling will become a lifestyle that will replace car riding,” she said.
“I also hope that there will be lanes designated for bikes in our streets.”
Cycling is increasingly proving an attraction to Egyptians, including young women.
“I have been fond of riding the bike since I was 16,” said Nashwa Sultan, a university student.
“At the time, my father gave me a bike as a birthday gift. I use it in doing most of my errands and ride it to my university in Al Tagamuh,” Nashwa said, referring to a Cairo suburb.
“I am also keen to take part in weekly cycling races. Cycling makes me feel free, healthy and energetic. It is superb exercising,” she added.
“Even when the streets are choked with cars, the bike helps me beat the congestion,” the 21-year-old woman said.
While at first people would shout negative comments to her while she was riding, it has taken a while for society to get used to it.
She now rarely hears any comments at all.
There are around 12 million vehicles, including 7 million private cars, running on Egypt’s roads, according to traffic figures released earlier this year.
Since he took office in 2014, President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi has been seen on several occasions participating in street cycling rallies.
He has also encouraged Egyptians to adapt healthier lifestyles to tackle the rising obesity problem, including more exercise and healthier diets.
https://gulfnews.com/world/mena/egyptian-women-take-on-society-with-bike-initiative-1.61421469
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UNSRs Condemn Denial Of Treatment To Women Prisoners In Iran
Jan 18, 2019
Six UN Human Rights Special Rapporteurs (UNSRs) called on Iran to urgently provide Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Narges Mohammadi access to appropriate health care, and reiterated calls for their immediate release.
In a statement issued on January 16, 2019, the UN human rights experts said the situation of these two prisoners is dire and urged the Iranian regime to comply with its international obligations.
“We urge the Government to immediately and unconditionally provide Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Narges Mohammadi with access to the appropriate treatment and care they have repeatedly requested in light of their serious health concerns,” UNSRs said in part of the statement.
Nazanin Zaghri-Ratcliffe, a project manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment “for allegedly plotting to topple the Iranian government.” Her husband, Richard Ratcliffe has said that she has been denied appropriate health care by the Iranian authorities for lumps in her breasts, and numbness in her arms and legs.
Narges Mohammadi is suffering from a pulmonary embolism and has been in prison since 2015. She was sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment.
In light of the hunger strike by the two prisoners, the UNSRs said, ” The authorities must urgently address the violations that are the basis of their hunger strike protest, including denial of appropriate treatment and care, which may well amount to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, or even torture.”
The UNSRs include Mr. Dainius Pῡras, Special Rapporteur on the right to health; Mr. Diego García-Sayán, Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers; Mr. Nils Melzer, Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; Mr. Seong-Phil Hong, Chair-Rapporteur, Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; Mr. Michel Forst, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; and Mr. Javaid Rehman, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
International human rights organizations have a clear position on human rights abuses in Iran and in particular on prisons and on women political prisoners, and support human rights in Iran.
Nevertheless, Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi, Tehran Prosecutor said that the physical situation of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her statements about her conditions is prejudiced and the greatest attention is given to these convicts.
https://women.ncr-iran.org/2019/01/18/unsrs-condemn-iran-treatment-women-prisoners/
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Indian Women, 11 Other Reverts Share Their Journey to Islam
January 18, 2019
Jeddah: Twelve women who have embraced Islam recounted their first step toward Islam on a platform provided by Moulana Hifzur Rahman Seoharvi Academy in Jeddah. The 12 included expatriate women from India, Britain, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.
After a successful event organized last month for male reverts, the academy honored the women who found peace in Islam. They recounted stories of their quest for peace and serenity, and the many obstacles they encountered in the pursuit of truth, Saudi Gazette reported.
Seoharvi Academy is dedicated to preaching and spreading Islam in the Kingdom and to assist hundreds and thousands of pilgrims coming to perform Haj and Umrah.
The women narrated the trials and tribulations on their way to coming into the fold of Islam.
Iman, a dentist by profession, explained how she came out of darkness and saw the light of Islam and how she faced the obstacles on her path.
Batool said she was a devout Christian before accepting Islam. In her pre-Islamic days, she helped build a church in her hometown. "However, something was missing in my life. There was no satisfaction and no inner peace," she said.
Her endeavor to attain peace of mind brought her into the fold of Islam and now she is a proud and practicing Muslim.
For Ayesha, recitation of the Holy Qur'an is an experience that she cannot describe in words. "My heart beats increased when I recited Surah Fatiha for the first time," she said.
Ayesha said she experienced the difference between her two lives, before and after Islam.
"Earlier I was confused in many things but now I am satisfied. Although some problems crop up in my day-to-day life, I know this is only a transitory phase. The real importance of life will be in the Hereafter", she said.
Alina was a Catholic before embracing Islam in 2001. Her colleagues guided her and gave her books on Islam. After reading several books including the English translation of the Qur'an, she realized that Islam was a pure and real religion.
"The best thing was that I recognized Allah, learned many values that I was unaware of. Now I regret that I waited to accept Islam for so long," she said.
Fatima Joy, formerly Linda Joy, said she faced a lot of problems after coming into the fold of Islam. "But I was steadfast and faced all my trials with a brave heart. Of course, it could not have been possible without Almighty Allah's mercy and help," she said.
Her journey toward Islam, the problems she faced initially and the way she met all the challenges will definitely guide those who want to revert to Islam but are still confused. The way she overcame all challenges is an eye opener even for born Muslims but who have forgotten their responsibilities.
Joy was just four years old when she came to Saudi Arabia. Initially she has had some bitter moments with her Muslim schoolmates. The pain and anguish she suffered steeled her resolve to find the truth.
"I was born and brought up in a Christian family. Because of my lack of religious knowledge I became an atheist. At that time I met a teacher of Umm Sulaim School, who explained to me the true meaning and purpose of life in Islam. I was amazed by the simplicity of the religion and its teachings," said Joy.
She developed an interest to know more about Islam and then accepted it as a way of life. "Now I am feeling blessed and have a clear vision about my life," Joy added.
Joy, who was the chief guest of the evening, expressed her immense gratitude to that teacher who guided her to the right path and became her mother-in-law. She was also grateful to her husband and all those who stood by her in the toughest situations.
She talked about the misconceptions about Islam, saying: "Today's media portrays a distorted picture of Islam."
Umm Hudhaifah, formerly Scarlett Jane Condon, presided over the function. She was born in a Christian family and raised as an atheist.
"I had many doubts as science could not explain many things. I read about Hinduism and Buddhism but was not satisfied. But when I read Islamic literature, everything I found was logical", she said.
She visited many Muslim countries and observed people leading their life following Islamic teachings. Her experience in Yemen was amazing. She took the oath of Shahadah embracing Islam in Yemen. She learned Islamic teachings and memorized the Qur'an in Yemen before moving to Saudi Arabia three years ago.
"I look back to my parents and my relatives now; they have everything in life and live luxuriously but they are not happy, not satisfied with their lives. They are always disturbed. True happiness lies only in Islam. Islam is the only faith that guarantees satisfaction and a true happiness," said Umm Hudhaifah.
http://www.ummid.com/news/2019/january/18.01.2019/indian-among-12-women-converted-to-islam-in-saudi-arabia.html
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Saudi Health Ministry Provides Clarity on Female Patients’ Consent
January 18, 2019
RIYADH: The confusion surrounding whether women need a male guardian’s permission to undergo vital childbirth procedures, including C-sections, was cleared on Wednesday.
In a statement, the Ministry of Health said it had eased the way for expectant mothers to make their own decisions over medical interventions.
Ministry spokesman Dr. Mohammed Al-Abdulaali said patients’ rights were a “top priority” in meeting the Kingdom’s ethical standards in health care.
“Female patients’ rights are handled with a great deal of attention and effort,” he added. “Women are provided the right to give their consent for medical care, including surgical procedures, in accordance with the policies and procedures.”
He stressed that this is “nothing new,” but part of ongoing “efforts to engage the community and promote positive behavior.” He said it is an “awareness campaign” that could potentially save many lives.
Dr. Emad Sagr, chairman of the women’s health unit at the International Medical Center in Jeddah, said the ministry’s announcement has cleared up any confusions.
Previously, he said, there had been no firm guidelines in place to inform medical professionals on female rights of consent without first getting a male guardian’s permission.
This uncertainty had the potential to put pregnant women at risk, particularly if a C-section was urgently required, he added.
“Twenty years ago, we used to go by the fatwa (a ruling on a point of Islamic law),” Sagr told Arab News.
“I’ve never waited for the consent of a male guardian, as there’s nothing clear in Shariah law which states that a pregnant woman isn’t allowed to have a say about her own body.”
He said the ministry’s statement also covered general surgical interventions on women. “It’s the individual woman’s life that might be at stake, and they should have the right to protect themselves,” Sagr added.
He said the only procedure that required both the husband’s and wife’s approval was “sterilization.”
In the past, some hospitals adopted their own policies surrounding informed consent for female surgical interventions. If a male guardian refused to give his consent, the matter was referred to an ethics committee.
In the future, consent to treatment will only have to be gained from the next of kin, not necessarily a male guardian, if the patient is under the age of 18.
“Hospitals are now bound by the consent form signed by a female patient,” said Dr. Yassir Kalakitawi, an obstetrician-gynecologist at the King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital in Jeddah.
“If a male guardian disapproves, he is then referred to an ethics committee to discuss the matter further.”
Dr. Firas Jameel, a GP, said whenever possible, doctors would still always recommend that families discuss any intervention procedures in advance with medical experts.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1437906/saudi-arabia
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Australia: Muslim Woman’s Hijab Ripped Off; Video Goes Viral
by Rasia Hashmi
Jan 18, 2019
Melbourne: A young Muslim Australian woman suffered cuts and bruises when she intervened to save a woman and her child being racially targeted on a train. Fahima Adan, 20, narrates that she was travelling towards Westall train station in Melbourne’s southeast shortly after midday on Saturday when she saw a Muslim woman and her child were confronted.
The video of the incident went viral which shows another woman yelling, “I hate Islam.”
A Melbourne woman has spoken of a shock attack on a train in the city's south-east. The 20-year-old was left with bruises when she tried to intervene, when a mother and child were being allegedly abused. #9News pic.twitter.com/H2CJkmAzWh
— Nine News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) January 13, 2019
Ms Adan, who took to Facebook to share her experience, states that when she intervened, her hijab was ripped from her head. She lamented that nobody else intervened during the attacks.
She wrote: “Today around 12:20 pm I believe on the train going towards Westall Railway station I was attacked along with another lady & her child, I of almost 30+ on my carriage on the train protected this innocent women and her child against this racist crazy lady who almost could of physically hurt her & the child over her religion, this women ran for her safety away from the lady to the other side of the train leaving her belongings where she was harassed, it really opened my eyes how no one even tried to stop the lady once she jumped towards me trying to take my hijab off, when they saw that it was getting worse and I was fighting back as self defence, this man stopped it half way into the fight, all everyone did was record, I’m so hurt and disgusted that I was even disrespected like that, I’m an Australian citizen, I work and take public transportation just like everybody else, when I got outside the lady continued to harass me and actually took my scarf off me, threw into the bushes and fought with me again, she didn’t only just do that but scratched me in multiple areas on my body during this fight, I’ve been effected and couldn’t no longer go to work, I waited for police to arrive for an hour and a half but never showed up, I feel belittled and disgusted in a country I call “home” I was disrespected in so many ways, this was so wrong and justice never came, it was thrown to the side like it was nothing, I was harassed the night before & a few weeks ago as well and this was the worst one yet, I fear for my safety at this point, I no longer feel safe outside and don’t know what’s next.
Victoria Police
You guys have truly failed me and hope that next time these situations happen, don’t wait for the person to be in a certain extent to make an appearance, these situations need to be taken more serious because now both victims are seriously scared for their safety, one even has a child.
I ADVISE THE PUBLIC IF YOU SEE ANYONE BEING HARASSED/ATTACKED ANYTHING, PLEASE STEP UP AND PROTECT AS MUCH AS YOU CAN ESPECIALLY IF A CHILD IS INVOLVED.
peace & love”.
Today around 12:20 pm I believe on the train going towards Westall Railway station I was attacked along with another…
Posted by Fahima Adan on Saturday, January 12, 2019
According to reports, a 39-year-old woman was arrested and charged with assault on Saturday but has been released on bail.
https://www.siasat.com/news/australia-muslim-womans-hijab-ripped-video-goes-viral-1457715/
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Officers on the Hunt for Fugitive Wife of Slain Dusit Terrorist
JANUARY 19 2019
Police have trained their guns on one woman believed to have been at the centre of the Tuesday terror attack at the DusitD2 hotel in Nairobi.
Where is Violet Kemunto Omwoyo, the widow of Ali Salim Gichunge? Was she the financier of the 14 Riverside attack? Was she the planner? Did she recruit her husband into the barbaric act in which more than 21 people died?
How could a young woman who cut the image of the average Nairobi girl and who, according to accounts, was a kind, friendly, calm person suddenly turn into an extremist?
DETECTIVES
Detectives are mulling over these questions that continue to haunt Kenyans. Investigators Friday stormed into the house in which she lived with Ali Salim Gichunge to find out answers.
Whereas reports earlier this week indicated that the police had arrested her, the mystery further deepened Friday when she was not among the five suspects presented in court in connection with the attack.
Since Tuesday, Kemunto has become one of the most wanted women in the world with investigations being launched into the places she has visited and extending to her friends and relatives living in various places in Kenya, the US, Turkey, Uganda and Somalia where it is believed she might have travelled to after she disappeared in the period between 2016 and 2018.
On Friday, the Saturday Nation spotted about 30 officers camping at house number E7 in Guango Estate, Kiambu, where she lived with her husband.
The number of police officers and the kind of equipment they carried, which included specialised forensics investigation gear, pointed to the residence being the important clue to solving the Dusit attack.
The officers, stationed in various parts of the expansive estate, said they had orders to eject, if need be violently, anyone who came close to the house including journalists.
SOCIAL MEDIA
The kind of force present at her residence proved that solving how a university graduate who, as recently as 2016, enjoyed partying in the clubs of Kisii town, was complex.
Whatever happened to Kemunto is a question that her friends and relatives want answered.
In June 2016, Kemunto travelled to Kisii to visit her relatives. During the visit, she met a couple of friends and relatives with whom she took pictures and posted on various social media platforms.
While in Kisii, Kemunto went about her routine without the normal Muslim dressing of a buibui.
During that time, Kemunto was using Violet Omwoyo as her Facebook name.
In October 2016, she changed her Facebook name to Didgesupuu Omwoyo. Friends say the name ‘Didge’ in Didgesupuu is a short version of her Islamic name, Khadija, while ‘Supuu’ is slang for ‘beautiful’.
After that, Kemunto went under. “We don’t know where she went to. She disappeared and spoke to no one,” one of her sisters said.
DISAPPEARED
Not only had she physically cut links with friends and family, but she also changed her Facebook name from Didgesupuu Omwoyo to Didgesupuu Faruq.
Then she disappeared.
In 2018, she returned and announced she was marrying Ali Salim Gichunge, the man who neighbours said was among the terrorists captured on CCTV at the Dusit attack.
Before the Dusit attack, her childhood friend Issa Musa told the Saturday Nation that Kemunto had lived with her husband for about a year.
According to the friend, the couple put up a Facebook post announcing the sale of all their household goods in Muchatha as they were moving to a recently completed house in Ruai.
“We were supposed to attend the house warming party for the new house next month,” the relative said.
Kemunto was born in Ruai into a family of six — four sisters and two brothers. Her father, who died 14 years ago, was a Kalenjin while her mother is Gusii. Her brothers live in the US.
After the death of her father, their mother, who runs a shop in Ruai, remarried.
DEGREE
Kemunto’s was a normal Muslim family, although not very religious. They were known for missing prayers and avoiding the mosque and madrasas.
Her mother tried to force them to adopt names that were not necessarily Muslim. This is how Kemunto came to be known as Violet Kemunto Omwoyo.
Kemunto studied at Muslim Girls Secondary School before joining Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology in the year 2010.
After graduating in 2015 with a degree in journalism and public relations, she moved back to Nairobi and rented her own house in Ngumba estate off Thika Road.
At some point she worked at a phone shop in downtown Nairobi before she started importing electronics, jewellery and cell phones, mostly from the US.
During this period, she lived like a regular Nairobi woman. Some of the Facebook groups that she joined and often participated in included Kilimani Mums and Dads, Kisii Mums and Dads and Ngumba Times, an estate group.
Kemunto’s Instagram and Facebook profiles indicate a woman with a taste for expensive items.
“Mrs to a Mr F., God fearing, Allah first, Business Minded, PEACE,” Her Instagram profile reads.
https://www.nation.co.ke/news/Officers-hunt-for-slain-Dusit-terrorist-s-wife/1056-4941426-11cufpd/index.html
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Regime Uproots Tree Standing for PMOI Women’s Courage to Free Iran
Jan 18, 2019
The mullahs’ misogynist regime has uprooted a tree which stood for the courage and determination of the PMOI/MEK women in their struggle to free Iran by toppling the regime.
Thirty years ago, Tahereh Tolou, a PMOI freedom-fighter who had devoted her life to Iran’s freedom, a.k.a. as Commander Sara, was viciously killed by the mullahs’ revolutionary guards in a face-to-face confrontation. The IRGC guards who deeply resented her for her bravery, stabbed her in the heart and hanged her blood-drenched and lifeless body from a tree on the top of a cliff overlooking Islamabad-Kermanshah Road in a bid to teach a lesson to Iran’s women and youth and warn them against rising up against the mullahs’ Caliphate.
The photo of Commander Sara’s body hanging from the tree was later taken by a passing by conscript soldier and sent to the Iranian Resistance.
Over the past three decades and against the regime’s desire, the tree had turned into a national monument attesting to the determination of the People’s Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and particularly its pioneering women in their struggle to topple the mullahs’ religious tyranny and bring freedom to the country.
Every year, on the anniversary of Commander Sara’s battle and martyrdom, supporters of the PMOI/MEK went to the site and paid tribute to Tahereh Tolou (Commander Sara) and all freedom-fighters who have given their lives to free Iran.
This latest action by the mullahs’ misogynist regime in cutting the symbolic tree indicates their fear of the rising tide of uprisings and popular protests and the resistance units made up women and youths who are the driving force spearheading the protests. With great audacity and courage, they cry out the same demand in the streets of Iran “targeting the ruling regime in its entirety.
https://women.ncr-iran.org/2019/01/18/regime-uproots-tree-standing-pmoi-womens/
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/another-saudi-woman-nojoud-al/d/117509
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