Call for Indonesian Women to Cover Up, Wear Hijabs and Avoid Close Contact With Men Sparks Backlash
New
Age Islam News Bureau
23
December 2021
•
Taliban Begin Removing Pictures Of Women From Beauty Salons In Kabul
•
All Afghan Girls To Return To School After Winter Break: Taliban Official
•
I Will Never Marry a Muslim Guy; Currently Reading the Bhagavad Gita Says Urfi
Javed of Bigg Boss Fame
•
Moroccan NGO Condemns Israeli Abuses of Jailed Palestinian Women
•
PHCC MD Dr. Mariam Honoured With ‘Excellence Award For Arab Women’
•
New Centre at Princess Nourah University to Promote Saudi Women’s Role In
Society
•
Life In Turkey Takes Toll On Female Afghan Mps Who Fled Taliban Rule
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/indonesian-women-hijabs-backlash/d/126019
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Call
for Indonesian Women To Cover Up, Wear Hijabs And Avoid Close Contact With Men
Sparks Backlash
The National Commission on Violence against Women
recorded 431,471 cases of sexual violence against Indonesian women in 2019.
(Photo: AFP)
----
Katharina
Reny Lestari
December
23, 2021
A
civil society group in Indonesia has come under fire from rights activists
after it called on Muslim women to cover up, wear hijabs and avoid close
contact with men to prevent them from falling victim to an increasing number of
sex attacks.
In
a letter issued early this week, the Family Welfare Movement (PKK) in Salatiga
in Central Java province said all Muslim women should wear hijabs and cover up
when out in public.
The
PKK is a national voluntary movement of mainly women that focuses on
development, primarily in villages.
The
group also called for Muslim women “to dress modestly when they are at home”
and “to sleep in separate bedrooms with males unless they are married couples.”
It
justified the calls by saying the number of sex assaults on women in the city
had increased from 18 in 2020 to 23 in 2021.
The
number is relatively small compared with nationwide figures compiled by the
National Commission on Violence against Women, which recorded 431,471 cases of
sexual violence against women in 2019.
The
group’s calls immediately drew condemnation when the letter went viral on
social media, with critics accusing the group of being out of touch and
intolerant.
“We
appreciate the PKK’s goodwill in addressing the issue of violence against
teenagers and women in Salatiga. However, the PKK’s letter containing such an
obligation is not the right instrument to tackle sexual violence cases,”
Sayyidatul Insiyah, a researcher at the Setara Institute for Democracy and
Peace, said on Dec. 22.
“They
have failed to understand the reason why violence against women can happen. By
issuing the letter, they seem to agree that women’s clothes are the main cause
of violence against women.”
Calling
this view a “fallacy,” she said many sex attacks against women happened not
because of the way women dress but because men see themselves as dominant and
think they can get away with it.
“The
PKK’s letter fails to pay attention to the principles of equality and
non-discrimination, which are the main principles of human rights … The letter
should also have mentioned the role of males and what measures they should take
to such attacks. PKK volunteers are not only women but also men,” Insiyah said.
The
call “is a form of intolerance because it restricts the freedom to dress,” she
said, urging the group to withdraw its call for the sake of pluralism.
Source:
UCA News
https://www.ucanews.com/news/call-for-indonesian-women-to-cover-up-sparks-backlash/95502#
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Taliban
Begin Removing Pictures of Women from Beauty Salons in Kabul
Afghan men walk past the billboard of a beauty salon
with defaced posters of models in Kabul, Afghanistan, 20 August 2021.
EPA-EFE/FILE/STRINGER
----
December
22, 2021
Kabul,
Dec 22 (EFE).- The Taliban have begun to remove images of women from beauty
salons in Kabul for supposedly being anti-Islam, a member of the radical group
told EFE Wednesday.
“This
is the decision of the Islamic Emirate (the name used by the Taliban for
themselves) made in the cabinet meetings and suggested by the Ministry of
Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice,” said Niamatullah Barakzai, a
municipal spokesperson in the Afghan capital.
He
added the decision to remove the women’s faces from shop windows – many of
which had already been blackened due to fear of reprisals following the capture
of Kabul on Aug.15 by the Taliban – would soon be implemented across the
country.
“This
decision will be implemented throughout Afghanistan, but we are only
responsible for implementing it in all the 22 districts of Kabul province,”
said Barakzai.
Moreover,
the spokesman said that the measure not only affected posters at beauty salons
but all images considered to be contrary to Islamic law by the fundamentalists.
An
official at the powerful Ministry of Virtue, located in the same building that
formerly housed the Ministry of Women, however denied issuing an order for
removing the pictures of women.
“So
far we have not made any action and neither issued any order (in this regard),”
said Mohammad Sadiq Akif.
The
owners of shops and beauty salons claim that this order to remove the posters
is a new setback for their business, especially amid the severe economic and
humanitarian crisis in the Asian country.
“We
attract most of our clients thanks to photographs and posters, especially those
who cannot read and are guided by the images,” Razmina Rasooli, owner of a
beauty salon in the Afghan capital, explained to EFE.
Before
the Taliban seized power, her business had somewhere between 30-40 clients
every day.
“These
days it has reduced to 10-15 and some days we don’t have even a single client,”
rued Rasooli, whose salon helps support her six-member family.
The
Taliban have claimed that they will allow women to work and study, but have so
far banned secondary and higher education for girls until a so called ideal
environment could be created for them to return to classrooms.
The
Islamic fundamentalists have also limited women’s return to certain jobs,
triggering international condemnation. EFE
Source:
La Prensa Latina
https://www.laprensalatina.com/taliban-begin-removing-pictures-of-women-from-beauty-salons-in-kabul/
---------
All
Afghan girls to return to school after winter break: Taliban official
December
19, 2021
By
Moncho Torres
Kabul,
Dec 18 (EFE).- Taliban official Mohammad Sadiq, who wields a great influence
over the fate of Afghan women as a spokesperson of the all-powerful ministry
for propagation of virtue and prevention of vice, says female students will
return to schools and universities after the winter break.
The
only member of the ministry authorized to speak to the press receives EFE in
his office in one of the buildings of the former women affairs ministry.
On
the way to the office, there are several closed doors with a mutilated sticker
of a breastfeeding woman on one of them.
The
decisions made in this ministry are based on strict interpretation of Islam
passed through the filter of the conservative Afghan culture, where the main
obsession is to protect women from the corrupted male gaze.
Here
are the excerpts of an EFE interview with Sadiq.
QUESTION:
A few weeks ago, the ministry issued a series of recommendations for media,
specifying, among other things, that women cannot appear in movies or the type
of clothes that journalists must wear on screen. Could you clarify this?
ANSWER:
We distributed some principles to the media that mentioned that women, even
men, should not work in movies or series that disrespect Islamic and Afghan
values. Women working in the media must wear a hijab (headscarf).
Q:
There are anti-vice patrols aimed at ensuring that society complies with
aspects that you consider important in Islam, such as men keeping beard and
woman covering up. Do you strictly impose this or are they only
recommendations?
A:
So far we have not said anything because someone cuts his beard nor have we
threatened him. You can see my secretary, who trims his beard (…) We only
explain to them what the Islamic law says.
Q:
Could you explain the relationship between a beard and Islam?
A:
We have several ahaadith (sayings) of our prophet (Muhammad) regarding having a
beard and it is even mandatory in Islam. Science has also recently confirmed
the advantages of having a beard. None of the prophets of Islam shaved (…) It
is prohibited.
Q:
In the previous Taliban regime between 1996 and 2001, these measures were
forcefully imposed. Is there a change of mentality?
A:
I don’t want to say anything about the previous Taliban government as I was not
an adult at the time, but I can say that there was a lot of propaganda about
the Taliban, such as that they were forcing women into marriage or beating
them.
Q:
For the West, one of the most important issues in relation to the new Taliban
regime is women’s rights, whether they will be able to go to work, school, or
go out alone in the streets. Will they have those rights?
A:
The rights Islam has given to women are not in other religions. Before Islam,
girls were buried alive, women were forced to be with animals when they were
menstruating. Before Islam, the birth of a girl in the house was a shameful
thing but Islam grants perfect rights to women… Islam does not use women as a
means for marketing but gives them respect and honor. Islam has given women
education and working rights. We want to facilitate a safe, working environment
for women.
Q:
In the previous government too, the Taliban promised that women would be
allowed to work and get education, something that ultimately did not happen.
Will the same thing happen now?
A:
At that time, we were at war and recognized by only a few countries. The world
didn’t allow us to build the ideal platform for women to work and receive an
education. Today too, the world says that we must meet some points in order to
be recognized and we complete all the requirements.
In
the previous (Taliban) government, there were some female workers, such as at
airports, and this time also we have female workers in some positions where
they are required. Women are not totally prohibited from working, they are
invited to work in some departments.
Q:
After girls were not allowed to return to secondary schools in mid-September,
there is now talk that they will be able to return after the winter break. Is
this official, will it happen?
Source:
La Prensa Latina
---------
I
Will Never Marry a Muslim Guy; Currently Reading the Bhagavad Gita Says Urfi
Javed of Bigg Boss Fame
Grace
Cyril
December
22, 2021
Urfi
Javed, who was the first contestant to get evicted from Bigg Boss OTT, is often
in the news because of her interesting fashion choices. In an exclusive
interview with IndiaToday.in, Urfi, who comes from a conservative Muslim
family, opens up about being trolled on pretty much a daily basis, her views on
marriage and love. Urfi Javed says it outright that she will never marry a
Muslim man and that she’s currently reading the Bhagavad Gita.
“MUSLIM
MEN WANT THEIR WOMEN TO BEHAVE IN A CERTAIN WAY”
Urfi
Javed feels that the reason society disapproves when she flaunts bold looks is
because she doesn’t have a Godfather in the industry. But, more importantly,
because she is a Muslim. Urfi starts off, “I am a Muslim girl. Most of the hate
comments I receive are from Muslim people. They say that I am tarnishing the
image of Islam. They hate me because Muslim men want their women to behave in a
certain way. They want to control all the women in the community. I don’t
believe in Islam because of this. The reason why they troll me is because I
don't behave the way they expect me to as per their religion.”
“I
WILL NEVER MARRY A MUSLIM GUY”
When
asked if she will ever marry someone out of her community, if she fell in love,
Urfi says, “I will never marry a Muslim guy. I don't believe in Islam and I
don't follow any religion, so I don't care who I fall in love with. We should
marry whoever we want to.”
“I
AM CURRENTLY READING THE BHAGAVAD GITA”
Urfi
believes religion shouldn't be forced, and everyone should have the free will
to choose what religion they want to follow. And that's something she's learnt
at home. “My father was a very conservative man. He left me and my siblings
with our mother when I was 17 years old. My mother is a very religious woman,
but she never forced her religion on us. My siblings follow Islam and I don't,
but they never force it on me. That's how it is supposed to be. You cannot
force your religion upon your wife and children. It should come from the heart,
otherwise neither you nor Allah would be happy,” says Urfi.
In
fact, the actress is currently reading the Bhagavad Gita. “I am reading the
Bhagavad Gita right now. I just want to know more about that religion
[Hinduism]. I am more interested in the logical part of it. I hate extremism,
so I just want to extract the good part of the holy book.”
Urfi
Javed gained fame after her short stint on Bigg Boss OTT. Since then, she has
mostly made headlines because of the various controversies she's courted.
Source:
India Today
---------
Moroccan
NGO condemns Israeli abuses of jailed Palestinian women
Khaled
Majdoub
22.12.2021
RABAT,
Morocco
A
Moroccan women advocacy group on Wednesday condemned abuses against Palestinian
female prisoners in Israel.
“We
express our condemnation and outrage at the brutal assault on Palestinian
female prisoners, including placing some of them in solitary confinement,” the
Moroccan Women Against Political Detention said in a statement.
The
NGO stressed its "full solidarity with the Palestinian female prisoners
brutally assaulted by the Zionist repressive apparatus inside prison.”
It
also demanded the immediate release of all Palestinian prisoners from Israeli
prisons.
On
Tuesday, the Prisoners' National Movement, a group representing Palestinian
prisoners, called for dedicating the coming Friday to show solidarity with
Palestinian female prisoners in Israel.
Palestinian
factions have earlier called for “an appropriate response” to attacks on female
prisoners in Damon and Nafha prisons.
Prisoners’
rights groups on Sunday accused Israeli prison authorities in Damon of
"carrying out successive abuses against Palestinian female prisoners.”
There
are around 4,500 Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons, including 32 women,
and 170 minors, according to institutions concerned with prisoners’ affairs.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
---------
PHCC
MD Dr. Mariam honoured with ‘Excellence Award for Arab Women’
23
Dec 2021
Doha:
The General Secretariat of the Arab League awarded Managing Director (MD) of
Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) Dr. Mariam Ali Abdulmalik, the
‘Excellence Award for Arab Women’ in its first session, in recognition of her
role in confronting the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, as this year’s award
has been allocated to women working in the field of medicine in appreciation of
their efforts in the health sector.
Dr.
Mariam heads the tactical leadership team for health services in the community,
which consists of a number of key partners, in addition to clinical and
operational leaders from the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), PHCC, and Hamad
Medical Corporation (HMC) - considering that they are responsible for leading
the planning and implementation of quarantine/isolation facilities in the
country.
These
institutions are also responsible for planning and managing the capacity of the
isolation facilities, as well as preparing policies and procedures related to
sanitary isolation practices and ensuring their compatibility with the services
of the sector on a larger scale.
The
healthcare services provided by PHCC are an essential part of the planning and
response process for the emergency measure, to ensure a consistent and
integrated approach by the concerned authorities in the country in case of any
emergency, to ensure an immediate, effective and optimal response to major
emergencies.
In
addition to the rapid and immediate measures taken to ensure business
continuity and the sustainability of basic services during the coronavirus
pandemic, the Corporation launched a package of distance services, that reduce
direct contact between patients and service providers, which - in turn, should
reduce the chances of spreading the virus.
The
distance services included telephone and video counselling services, the inauguration
of the community call center and home delivery of medicines, in the context of
taking advantage of the latest technology tools and harnessing them to confront
the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as provide more innovative and
advanced health solutions to meet the needs of patients.
In
cooperation with MOPH and HMC, PHCC is at the forefront of institutions that
provide COVID-19-examination services, follow-up and direct COVID-19 cases
through their centers that have been designated for this purpose, in addition
the vehicle-examination service in 14 centers, which contributed to the
successful implementation of the national immunization program against
coronavirus.
These
services have been provided within the framework of expanding the national
program for vaccination against the virus, as the center was able to vaccinate
more than 650,000 people during its operation period.
Source:
The Peninsula Qatar
---------
New
Centre at Princess Nourah University to Promote Saudi Women’s Role In Society
December
22, 2021
RIYADH:
Saudi Education Minister Hamad Al-Asheikh, announced a royal approval for the
establishment of the Sarah Al-Sudairi Center for Women’s Studies, at Princess
Nourah University.
The
center aims to enhance the role of women and their participation in society, as
well as support scientific research projects on them.
Al-Asheikh
also announced an SR20 million ($5.3 million) royal grant from King Salman to
support the center.
The
minister expressed his thanks and appreciation to the king and Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman for their approval.
Al-Asheikh
underlined the leadership’s reiteration on the importance of women’s studies,
which will contribute to enriching the role of Saudi women.
He
said the establishment of the center is a qualitative leap in women’s studies,
providing activities, events and programs that contribute to building
knowledge, strengthening partnerships with community institutions, and
maximizing the impact of their scientific and research contributions.
He
praised the scientific and research capabilities of Saudi women, and their
successes in this field, affirming that the center represents one of the most
important initiatives to support them.
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1991431/saudi-arabia
---------
Life
in Turkey takes toll on female Afghan MPs who fled Taliban rule
December
22, 2021
LONDON:
Dozens of female former Afghan government officials seeking refuge in Turkey
have lamented their treatment at the hands of the Turkish government.
Cut
off from their bank accounts, which have been frozen by the Taliban, dozens of
women have said they are struggling to access nourishing food, medical support,
and education for their children.
A
former senior minister, who did not want to be named, told The Independent: “We
don’t have any direction. We never thought the country would collapse in August
suddenly. Right now we don’t have any opportunities.”
The
politician, 56, has been in Turkey for four months, but has been unable to
access financial support, leaving her family, which includes a severely
disabled daughter, simply “sitting in the house.”
Speaking
on behalf of 35 female Afghan politicians, including ministers and deputy
ministers, she said: “We don’t have any support from the Turkish government.
There is no welfare support for immigrants. No medical support, no education,
no financial support. I have three daughters. They can’t go to school as the
cost of education is too high.”
She
added: “It is really, really challenging. I did not cry for three or four
years, now I’m crying every day, as we don’t have any future.”
The
former minister said the uncertainty of their situation is exacerbated by a
lack of clarity over their right to remain in Turkey.
She
added that she and her former colleagues had only been issued temporary
six-month visas, and they are unsure if they will be able to renew them.
The
anonymous politician said they feel abandoned by the West, having had multiple
asylum applications ignored.
Despite
visiting the UK twice during her tenure in the Afghan government, she said her
asylum applications to Britain had gone unanswered three times.
The
same had happened for citizenship applications to Germany, France, Italy,
Canada and other countries.
“We
are now eating cheap, basic food,” she said. “We had a big house in
Afghanistan. All of the luxuries. We came to Turkey with nothing. The Taliban
froze our bank accounts. We were on the frontline, standing up for human rights
and women’s rights in Afghanistan, and now the international community ignores
us.”
Heather
Barr, associate director of the women’s rights division at Human Rights Watch,
told The Independent that the hardship faced by female politicians and
campaigners who have escaped Afghanistan is “sadly really familiar.”
She
said: “The number of people who feel like they have no choice but to escape
Afghanistan is so much larger than any country has been willing to resettle.
“Their
situation is incredibly precarious ... they have no ability to resettle (in
Turkey) permanently. No ability to renew their visas. No ability to work and
earn an income and send their children to school.” She added: “It feels like
the door is slamming in Afghan refugees’ faces.”
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1991211/middle-east
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