Hijab Introduced To Police Uniform In New Zealand, First Officer; Zeena Ali To Wear It 'Proud'
New
Age Islam News Bureau
12
November 2020
• Islamia College of Peshawar Varsity Female Students Protest ‘Harassment’ By Teachers
•
France to Ban ‘Virginity Certificate’ For Marriage
•
‘We’re Making History,’ Says Women’s Golf Star Inci Mehmet
•
German Woman Charged Over Crimes Against Humanity In Syria
•
Jailed Saudi female activists may be freed before G20, says ambassador
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/hijab-introduced-police-uniform-new/d/123453
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Hijab Introduced To Police Uniform In New Zealand, First Officer; Zeena Ali To Wear It 'Proud'
10
Nov, 2020
Zeena
Ali will start her police career after graduation this week. She is the first
officer to wear a police-issued hijab. Photo: NZ Police
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When
the Christchurch terror attack happened, Zeena Ali was inspired to join the
police to help her Muslim community.
And
this week she will not only graduate as a police officer, but will become the
first in New Zealand to don a police-issued hijab as part of her uniform.
Ali,
30, even worked with police to design a garment that is both functional for her
new role and considerate of her religion.
She
told the Herald the design process started even before she started at Police
College, with her trialling various materials and styles and offering
recommendations and improvements.
Further
tweaks and changes were made before the recruit course started so she had the
required gear - and she even has a version to wear for graduation.
Ali
will be posted in the Tāmaki Makaurau area and is excited to get out on the
beat.
"It
feels great to be able to go out and show the New Zealand Police hijab as part
of my uniform," she said.
"I
think that seeing it, more Muslim women will want to join as well."
Ali
remembers the moment she decided to shift her career from customer service to
law enforcement.
"One
of the security guards I worked with was going to join the police and she asked
me to help her," she said.
"As
I started that process the Christchurch terror attack happened and that's when
I realised more Muslim women were needed in the police, to go and support
people with things like this.
"If
I had joined the police earlier I would have been down there to help."
Ali
was born in Fiji and moved to New Zealand with her family when she was a child.
She
said she was proud to represent the Muslim community - particularly women - and
hoped to inspire others to join the police and help broaden the demographic of
the front line.
Having
a police-branded hijab would mean women who may not have previously considered
policing because they were not sure of how the role would incorporate their
religion or culture.
"It's
great - the Police went out of their way to make sure the hijab I have on meets
health and safety requirements as well as my own personal needs," she
explained.
"They
worked closely with the Massey Design School, they came and visited me and we
made tweaks to the hijab.
"I
am proud to wear it and I hope other people out there will be proud of me as
well."
Ali
said she appreciated police considering her personal needs - both at college
and in her role going forward.
"At
college they had a prayer room and halal meals," she said.
"When
I had to go swimming they were ok with me wearing long sleeves."
Valuing
diversity is one of the six core values for Police - alongside professionalism,
respect, integrity, empathy and commitment to Māori and the Treaty of Waitangi.
"We
recognise the value different perspectives and experiences bring to making us
better at what we do," Police said.
"We
need people with a range of skills, backgrounds and experience levels -
diversity is essential so that we can effectively serve the needs of New
Zealand's communities now and in the future."
Police
said there were certain qualities and skills they look for during the
recruitment process as they worked to build a "high-performance culture,
where different perspectives are valued".
"By
reflecting the communities we serve and appreciating different thinking, we aim
to achieve better problem-solving and results."
Ali's
wing, who graduate tomorrow, was "highly diverse" and female recruits
outnumbered their male colleagues.
Of
the graduates, 51.3 per cent were females - and 48.7 per cent of the graduates
were ethnicities other than European.
Māori
officers make up 25 per cent of the wing.
"I
think it's great," Ali told the Herald.
"And
we need more Muslim women to help in the community, most of them are too scared
to talk to the police and would probably shut the front door if a man turned up
to talk to them.
"If
we have more women turning up, a more diverse front line, then we can reduce
more crime."
In
2008, Police introduced a turban into the uniform and Nelson Constable Jagmohan
Malhi became the first officer to wear it on duty.
Until
then he had to forgo the turban on duty, even though it is considered an
important part of his Sikh faith.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/the-future-of-the-frontline-hijab-introduced-to-police-uniform-first-officer-to-wear-it-proud/G3ZZEE4WW3RNERHENZXBCIKODA/
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Islamia
College of Peshawar Varsity Female
Students Protest ‘Harassment’ By Teachers
12
Nov 2020
Female
students of Islamia College University
----
PESHAWAR:
The female students of Islamia College University here on Wednesday held a
protest demonstration and demanded action against the teachers involved in
their harassment.
Enraged
by incidents of harassment, they gathered at Ahmad Faraz Block and marched
towards the office of vice-chancellor where they chanted slogans. They said
that not only teachers but male students also passed objectionable remarks and
blocked their way on the campus.
They
said that the administration should appoint a focal person to look into the
complaints of harassment as the present committee formed for the purpose was
confined to papers only and was doing nothing to address their problems.
The
protest was led by Jabir Khan of Law Department Islamian Fraternity and female
students. The protesters were holding placards inscribed with slogans against
harassment.
They
demanded of the administration to take notice of several complaints lodged by
students in that regard.
The
protesters alleged that teachers harassed students under the garb of checking
of examination papers and research projects but the relevant authorities were
not taking action against them.
Students
of other universities also participated in the protest and demanded formation
of harassment committee in line with Harassment of Women at Workplace Act,
2010 to safeguard the female students against the intimidation and other
pressure tactics used by the teachers against them.
They
pledged to highlight the issues faced by female students and take to justice
the people involved in their harassment. They said that the university
administration shouldn’t close their eyes to the big problem faced by the
students.
“We
would try our level best to expose the people involved in harassing students.
We would work for scaling up awareness against the practice and enabling the
girl students to continue their studies,” said the protesters.
They
asked the female population of the educational institutions to break silence
and boldly come out against such teachers, who were bent upon teasing the
students. They said that the protest campaign would continue during which
seminars and walks would also be organised to expose the hidden faces behind
the crime on the campuses.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1589929/peshawar-varsity-female-students-protest-harassment-by-teachers
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France
to Ban ‘Virginity Certificate’ For Marriage
November
11, 2020
New
Delhi: French President Emmanuel Macron is looking to ban the ‘virginity tests’
in the country as part of his campaign against what he calls “Islamic
separatism”. Macron said that in a country like France, there should be no need
to issue a “virginity certificate’ as a prerequisite for marriage in any
community. Also Read - France's COVID-19 Daily Infections Top 60,000, an
All-time High
“In
the Republic, one cannot require certificates of virginity to get married”, he
asserted, adding that his government is planning to introduce punishment for
the perpetrator. Also Read - After Attacks in Austria & France, Britain's
Terrorism Threat Level Raised to 'Severe'
Macron’s
administration has also prepared a draft legislation for reinforcing French
secular values that prevent such practices. It is being said that the bill
proposes a year in jail and a fine of €15,000 (more than Rs 13 lakh) against
any medical professional who issues the so-called “virginity certificate”. Also
Read - French President Emmanuel Macron Receives Threat From Al-Qaeda, After
Country Kills 50 Jihadists
In
a speech last week, the French President vowed to fight against radicalisation
in the country as seen in certain French Muslim communities, claiming that a
minority of the country’s nearly six million Muslims was in danger of forming a
“counter-society”.
However,
Macron has faced severe backlash for proposing the legislation.
The
World Health Organization (WHO) has called the ”testing” of a woman’s
“virginity” unscientific as it violates human rights, and can have harmful
consequences for those who undergo it.
https://www.india.com/news/world/france-plans-hefty-punishment-against-those-issuing-virginity-certificate-for-marriage-4207816/
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‘We’re
Making History,’ Says Women’s Golf Star Inci Mehmet
November
10, 2020
KAEC,
Saudi Arabia: Pro golfer and broadcaster Inci Mehmet can’t wait for the start
of the first women’s golf tournament in Saudi Arabia.
Arab
News caught up with Mehmet, from the UK, after Tuesday’s practice round ahead
of the Aramco Saudi Ladies International that is part of the country’s
professional women’s golf week.
The
Ladies European Tour event offering prize money of $1 million and featuring a
full field of 110 players will be held from Nov. 12-15 at the Royal Greens Golf
& Country Club, followed by the Saudi Ladies Team International from Nov.
17-19 in a safe biosecure environment inside the King Abdullah Economic City.
“I’m
very excited to be here in Saudi Arabia. For me, the most exciting thing is
that we are making history. It will be an honor for whoever tees up for the
first time on the first hole — something very special,” she told Arab News.
“Hopefully
the season has changed in Saudi Arabia — something that is cool,” said the
23-year-old former junior standout who earned her LET playing card in 2017.
Mehmet,
who represented Surrey and England in tournaments around the world as a junior
player, said she didn’t know what to expect in Saudi Arabia.
“First
of all, the hotels are all beautiful, and the golf course is stunning as well.
It’s playing tough at the outset but quite forgiving off the tee,” she said.
“The
real challenge depends on the greens and its surroundings as well. It’s
important to keep yourself well hydrated. I will be drinking plenty of water at
lots of water stations out there.
“The
most important thing in golf is to make the right decisions and really commit
to it, and take your time on and around the green,” said Mehmet, whose family
background is Turkish and Korean.
Pairings
have not been made, but according to Mehmet, a commentator for Sky Sports,
players she would like to be with in a group include Laura Davies — “someone we
looked up to as a junior” — as well as “my friend” Charlotte Thompson and
Swedish major winner Anna Nordqvist.
Mehmet
seamlessly goes from the golf course to a studio booth.
She
said: “The whole thing is very much an experience, new territory. I think as a
player what I’m doing at Sky Sports is give my opinion from a player’s
perspective. I’m very lucky that I’ve been there, done that and am still doing
it, and that I am able to translate that in the studio.”
In
closing, Mehmet said: “The opportunity all of us players have here this week is
to provide young women with a platform — someone to look up to and believe that
if we can do it, they can do it, too.”
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1761271/sport
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German
Woman Charged Over Crimes Against Humanity In Syria
November
11, 2020
FRANKFURT:
German federal prosecutors on Wednesday said they had charged a German woman
with crimes against humanity allegedly committed while she was living in Syria
as a member of the Daesh group.
The
suspect, identified only as Nurten J. and the mother of several children, is
accused of crimes related to the persecution of the Yazidi minority in
territory controlled by Daesh.
Nurten
J. is believed to be the first European woman charged with crimes against
humanity over abuses committed in Syria as part of Daesh.
In
a statement, prosecutors said the woman traveled to Syria with her then
three-year-old daughter in 2015 to join the extremist organization and marry a
Daesh fighter, also from Germany, with whom she had other children.
Throughout
2016 and 2017 she received frequent visits from a friend who owned a Yazidi
“slave” also forced to do housework at the suspect’s home.
Nurten
J. was “following the ideology of IS according to which the enslavement of the
Yazidis was justified,” the prosecutors in Karlsruhe said.
The
suspect also stands accused of war crimes against property for living in a home
that had been seized by Daesh from its rightful occupants, and for endangering
her daughter by taking her to a war zone.
In
addition, she faces charges for violating weapons laws.
After
Daesh lost its territories in Syria, the woman was held in Kurdish captivity
before being transferred to custody in Turkey and then sent back to Germany.
Germany
has charged several German and foreign nationals with war crimes and crimes
against humanity carried out abroad, using the legal principle of universal
jurisdiction which allows crimes to be prosecuted even if they were committed
in a foreign country.
Few
of the charges so far have involved women, however.
A
German woman named as Jennifer W. went on trial in Munich last year accused of
the war crime of letting a five-year-old Yazidi girl die of thirst in Iraq.
Both
the child and her mother were held captive as household slaves by Jennifer W.
and her terrorist husband, an Iraqi national. He is on trial in Germany for
genocide and murder.
Last
month, another German court sentenced the German-Tunisian wife of a
rapper-turned-radical to three and a half years in prison for having taken part
in the enslavement of a Yazidi girl in Syria.
Daesh
committed atrocities against the Yazidis in 2014 that are being investigated by
the UN to determine whether they can be qualified as genocide.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1761811/world
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Jailed
Saudi female activists may be freed before G20, says ambassador
10
November 2020
Female
activists in Saudi Arabia could be released from prison ahead of its hosting of
the G20 summit this month, according to the Saudi ambassador to the UK.
Fearing
potential scrutiny over the kingdom's human rights record ahead of the summit -
set to be held on 21 and 22 November virtually - Khalid bin Bandar bin Sultan
bin Abdulaziz Al Saud told the Guardian there was a "discussion"
underway over the issue.
However,
his comments were dismissed by Lina al-Hathloul - sister of women's rights
advocate Loujain al-Hathloul - as a "PR stunt".
“The
G20, does it offer an opportunity for clemency? Possibly. That is a judgment
for someone other than me,” continued the ambassador.
“People
ask: is it worth the damage it is causing you, whatever they did? That is a
fair argument to make and it is a discussion we have back at home within our
political system and within our ministry."
A
number of female activists, including Hathloul, who has been on hunger strike
at Al-Hayer high security prison since 26 October, were arrested and detained
in 2018 on charges including "attempting to destabilise the kingdom".
Hathloul's
family say she has been subjected to physical, mental and sexual abuse while in
prison.
The
Saudi ambassador said there were a variety of views in the kingdom, with some
holding the perspective that if "people knowingly break our laws they
should be punished according to those laws".
"Other
people say it isn’t worth it, let them out, let them live their lives and
ignore them," he said.
According
to her family, Hathloul began her hunger strike in protest at her conditions in
prison. While some of the around a dozen female activists who were arrested in
May 2018 - just weeks before the much campaigned for lifting of a ban on women
drivers - have been provisionally released, others still remain in jail.
In
response to the suggestion of "clemency" from the ambassador,
Hathloul's sister Lina pointed out that she and many other activists had not
been convicted of a crime.
"This
is simply a PR stunt, again. Loujain and most of the jailed Saudi activists
HAVE NOT BEEN CONVICTED! It’s
been nearly three years and they are still arbitrarily and illegally
detained," she tweeted.
"Also
what does 'let them live their lives and ignore them [mean]?'"
She
said that the kingdom was clearly feeling the pressure from international human
rights organisations and politicians, who have repeatedly raised the issue
ahead of the summit.
"Meanwhile,
my sister among others has been tortured in detention and sexually
abused," she said.
Human
Rights Watch (HRW) has urged G20 member states to pressure Saudi Arabia into
releasing activists detained unlawfully and provide accountability for past
abuses ahead of the summit.
The
New York-based rights organisation said in a statement on Monday that the G20
presidency conferred an "undeserved mark of international prestige"
on the rule of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman despite its
"unrelenting assault on freedoms".
"The
G20 is bolstering the Saudi government’s well-funded publicity efforts to
portray the country as ‘reforming’ despite a significant increase in repression
since 2017," Michael Page, HRW deputy Middle East director, said in a
statement.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/saudi-arabia-female-activists-may-be-released-g20-ambassador
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