Islam, Women and Feminism ( 14 Oct 2014, NewAgeIslam.Com)
India: Bihar Madrasa Bans Admission for Girls, Citing Co-Education 'Un-Islamic'
Girl students of Madarsa Azizia during a
protest
Citing
Love Jihad, Sanskriti Bachao Manch Stops Court Marriage in MP, India
How a
Jewish French Girl Joined ISIS, Tried to Blow up Parents
2 Pak
Women Killed For ‘Honour’
Women
‘Allowed To Enter’ Saudi Soccer Stadium for Match
Lowering
Marriageable Age for Women in Bangladesh Will Encourage Child Marriage
New Taxi
Hailing Service Eases Commuting For Saudi Women
Indian
Cop Wins UN’s International Female Police Peacekeeper Award
Malala
Yousafzai Pleads For Nigerian Abducted Girls
AFC U-16
Women's Qualifiers: Girls Eager to Make a Mark
800
Violations Found At EP, Saudi Arabia’s Women’s Beauty Salons
Private-Event
Videos On Social Media Irk Saudi Women
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
------------
India: Bihar
Madrasa Bans Admission for Girls, Citing Co-Education 'Un-Islamic'
Giridhar
Jha |
Mail Today | Patna, October 15,
2014
Calling
co-education "un-Islamic", a prominent madrasa in Bihar has banned
admission of the girls into the institution and even barred their entry into
its campus.
Issuing
a diktat recently, Madrasa Azizia, located at Biharsharif in Nalanda district,
has stopped enrolment of girl students on the ground that co-education of boys
and girls was against the basic tenets of the Islam.
Mohd
Mumtaz Alam, headmaster of the madrasa, said that the decision had been taken
in keeping with the directive of the madrasa administration. He said that the
Islam did not permit co-education of boys and girls under one roof.
S.M.
Sharaf, secretary (Mutawalli) of the Soghra Waqf Estate Committee, which runs
the madrasa, said that a decision to discontinue co-education had been taken
since it was against the religion. "Boys and girls cannot study together
under one roof," he said. "Besides, male teachers are not supposed to
teach the female students."
He said
that no enrolment of girls would be possible at the madrasa until separate
arrangements were made for them on the campus.
Sharaf
said that the decision of his predecessors to allow coeducation at the madrasa
was completely un-Islamic. "I do not know under what circumstances the
girls were allowed to join the madrasa but it is illegal as per the Islamic laws,"
he said.
The
secretary said that education for women at the madrasa would resume after
separate arrangements were made for them. "Women teachers would be
appointed for them but it will take some time," he said.
The
decision came as a rude jolt to the girls who were enrolled there in the
current session. Protesting against the move, they assembled outside the gate
of the madrasa on Monday demanding rollback of the decision. They were,
however, not allowed to enter the campus.
They
alleged that the madrasa had taken the regressive step at a time when the
governments and charitable institutions were trying to promote girl education
across the world. They said that the girls, who had already been enrolled in
the current academic session, were also not being allowed to attend their
classes.
"We
have been told that classes for girl students would no longer be held at the madrasa
for now," Farzana, a student, said. "This has put our future at
stake."
The
decision evoked sharp response from the locals. "This institution takes
grant from the Bihar government which has done so much for female
education," Mohd Murtaza, a local social worker, said. "There is so
much importance on the Taleem (education) of girls in our religion and yet,
they are being denied the opportunity to learn."
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bihar-madrasa-bans-girls-madarsa-azizia-co-education-un-islamic/1/395786.html
------------
Citing
Love Jihad, Sanskriti Bachao Manch Stops Court Marriage in MP, India
India Today.In
New Delhi, October 15, 2014
Some
advocates and activists of the right-wing Sanskriti Bachao Manch on Monday
reached the Bhopal district court premises and prevented the marriage between a
25-year-old Muslim man and a 22-year-old Hindu woman tagging it as Love Jihad,
Indian Express reported.
The
couple, Reena Uikey and Shoaib Khan, were looking for a notary when some
advocates tipped off the right wing activists who reached the district court
premises and posted volunteers at all exit points, the report stated.
It's
unclear who called police but the cops intervened and the two were eventually
taken to the MP Nagar Police Station with right-wing activists following them.
A
resident of Narsinghpur, Reena is an engineering graduate while Shoaib, a
resident of Shahzahanabad in Bhopal, repairs coolers for a living. After
completing her graduation Reena moved to Bhopal and was taking classes for
competitive examinations where she met Shoaib, who has studied till Class XII.
Citing
the difference in the couple's educational qualifications, the right-wing
activists said it was a clear case of love jihad and that Shoaib had lured
Reena by doling out false promises.
This
forced the police to intervene. The woman was handed over to a local guardian
and eventually to her mother while the man was sent home.
Chandrashekhar
Tiwari of the right wing group told The Indian Express that his organisation
got a tip from advocates about the impending marriage. "Hindu girls are
made to believe that notarized marriages are legal and then they are exploited
only to be abandoned after bearing a child or two," he said adding,
"we are not against love but we won't let such unions take place because
they are part of a conspiracy."
Devendra
Rawat, who was till recently president of Bhopal district bar association,
said, "We have prevented several such marriages in the past by developing
a proper system (intelligence) on the court premises and get timely
information."
SP
(South) Anshuman Singh told the Indian Express the police reached the court
premises because the issue threatened to disrupt public order. "We just
wanted to make sure that the girl had not been offered any enticement as was
being alleged. She is major and free to go anywhere. She told that she had
accompanied him of her own will."
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/love-jihad-hindu-group-stops-court-marriage-hindu-muslim-bhopal-mp/1/395839.html
------------
How a
Jewish French Girl Joined ISIS, Tried to Blow up Parents
October
15, 2014
Center
against Islamic cults reveals how girl from religious Jewish family turned to
anti-Semitic Islamic extremist bent on jihad in Syria.
After it
was revealed last Friday that a Jewish girl was among 100 French women and
girls joining the brutal Islamic State (ISIS) terror group in Syria and Iraq,
another Jewish girl has been revealed as having joined ISIS - and trying to
blow up her parents' shop for jihad.
The
girl, a 17-year-old identified only as A who grew up in a religious family and
today covers her face with a traditional Muslim face veil, was set to leave for
Syria but was caught before takeoff.
Anthropologist
Dounia Bouzar, founder of the Center for the Prevention of Islamic Related
Sects (CPDSI) that works to rescue French youth from radical Islamic
brainwashing, told the Hebrew-language Channel 2 about the details of the case
which she has been working on.
The girl
referred to as A tried to leave for Syria, but at the last minute the Center
succeeded in keeping her with her parents "so that the family connection
won't be broken - that's important to prevent even more serious
extremism," said Bouzar.
According
to the anthropologist, A's case is unusual because she was not brainwashed from
a recruiter, but rather "is a victim of brainwashing that she did to
herself. Today her face is totally covered; she is an extreme anti-Semite and
claims she is the victim of a conspiracy. It's a hard case and we still have a
long way to go."
Understanding
how A reached the point she arrived at is difficult, as she "grew up in a
Jewish home that was religious but open with loving parents," said Bouzar.
The
parents contacted Bouzar in March, and are "pretty affluent merchants who
are trying to rescue A from this trap. Imagine the shock of the parents when
they found out that their daughter intended to blow up their store!"
A was an
outstanding student in a good high school in Paris, reports the anthropologist,
but signs of a problem first were raised when her parents found their
daughter's grades had dropped "from 90 to 10, and she started to refuse to
leave home."
The
Jewish girl turned ISIS fanatic doesn't fit the mold Bouzar reports seeing, in
that "the overwhelming majority come from atheistic homes. It can be
assumed that the lack of spiritual elements in education is one of the causes
of extremism." However, Bouzar stresses A's parents "are also
believers and also open."
One
point about A's case that is similar to the trend is that she - like 70% of
others trying to join jihad in Syria - is not Muslim.
ISIS
recruiting networks - not only online
While A
presumably began her descent into Muslim extremism from ISIS's numerous French
recruitment sources online, Bouzar warns "there are worse things that the
virtual enemy and more dangerous - there are actual networks to recruit
candidates for Syria planted in France and the Paris region. She made contact
with them and they won't leave her alone."
A's
parents have been forced to move to a new apartment out of fear of the
extremist jihadist recruiters, but report worrying signs that their daughter is
still under the influence of her ISIS handlers.
"When
they take away her iPhone they find a new iPhone on her a few days later,"
notes Bouzar. "The same thing regarding propaganda books that keep popping
up in her room despite her parents' alertness."
A French
official on Monday revealed that the Jewish girl who left for Syria last week
was not the only Jew to have joined ISIS, apparently hinting at A, and added
that over 1,000 French citizens have so far joined ISIS.
Meyer
Habib, a member of French parliament, told Channel 2 that if the French Jewish
teenager had indeed joined ISIS "it really is the end of the world."
For
those women who make it to Syria and Iraq and join the jihadist group, they
generally serve as wives, concubines, babysitters and housekeepers for the
terrorists, positions they can never leave in most cases.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/186188#.VD4piLDF84U
------------
2 Pak
Women Killed For ‘Honour’
15 Oct,
2014
LAHORE:
Two women were shot dead by their relatives in the name of honour in different
parts of the provincial metropolis on Monday, police sources said.
A youth
forced his entry into the house of his uncle in Munir Town, Hanjarwal, and shot
dead his 22-year-old cousin, identified as Adeela Batool, after a brief
altercation. The alleged killer, Taseer Haider, fled the crime scene instantly.
The police reached the spot and removed the body to the morgue for autopsy.
Police are yet to ascertain the motives behind the gruesome killing. However,
investigators say they believe the young woman was killed over an affair.
Further investigation was underway.
In
another incident, a man shot dead his wife allegedly over an affair in Kot
Lakhpat area.
The
family told the police that Akram exchanged harsh words with his wife Firdous
Bibi at their house in Bhatti Colony. The man took out gun and opened fire at
his wife, resulting in her on-the-spot death. The killer immediately fled the
crime scene. According to police, the man killed his wife on suspicion of
developing an affair with someone.
Police
have removed the body to the morgue for autopsy. Firdous had tied her knot with
Akram a couple of years ago. The relations between the couple were not cordial
as they used to quarrel frequently.
http://nation.com.pk/lahore/14-Oct-2014/2-women-killed-for-honour
-------------
Women
‘Allowed To Enter’ Saudi Soccer Stadium For Match
15 Oct,
2014
Female
supporters of Western Sydney Wanderers Football Club will be allowed to enter
King Fahd International Football Stadium (KFFS) in Riyadh.
The fans
will accompany the Australian club for its final match against al-Hilal of
Saudi Arabia on Nov. 1 in the AFC Champions League.
Adnan
al-Moaibid, spokesman of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF), however,
said the entry of the Australian women fans is not their prerogative but rather
a decision of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) that is organizing the
final match. He said the SAFF is committed to honoring the rules and
regulations of both FIFA and the AFC regarding all soccer matches held under
their umbrellas.
He told
Dammam-based Alsharq newspaper: “Any football match under FIFA or AFC is their
concern. We in the SAFF have to implement any rules or bylaws put by them in
this regard.”
The
spokesman said if the rules of the two football federations allow women to
attend soccer matches the SAFF has to make plans to accommodate them in the
stadium.
The
spokesman said this is not the first time women have been in Saudi stadiums.
“Women fans attended soccer matches in the Kingdom before,” he said.
Khaled
al-Aqeel, director of KFFS, said they were still waiting for instructions. He,
however, recalled women fans of foreign football clubs attended matches in
Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam before. The Australian club has asked the Saudi
authorities to issue visit visas to a number of its female fans.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/sports/2014/10/14/Women-allowed-to-enter-Saudi-soccer-stadium-for-match.html
-------------
Lowering
Marriageable Age for Women in Bangladesh Will Encourage Child Marriage
15 Oct,
2014
Reducing
the threshold of marriageable age for females from 18 to 16 would encourage
child marriage, said the National Committee to Observe International Day of
Rural Women yesterday.
It would
jeopardise women's reproductive health and be an obstacle to lowering maternal
mortality rate, it added during a conference held at Jatiya Press Club in the
capital ahead of International Day of Rural Women today.
To
observe the day, the committee will hold rallies and organise seminars in 60
districts.
While
addressing the event, Shamima Akhtar, the committee vice-president, said child
marriage was still prevalent in the country, proving the anti-child marriage
campaigns a failure.
Ferdous
Ara Rumi, a member of the committee, said although the existing laws dictate
women should not marry before 18, the law was violated rampantly.
Committee's
members from different districts were present in the event.
http://bd.thedailystar.net/city/move-will-encourage-child-marriage-45736
-------------
New Taxi
Hailing Service Eases Commuting For Saudi Women
15 Oct,
2014
A global
taxi hailing service has enabled Saudi women to contribute to the Kingdom’s
economic future by being able to commute safely and securely.
The
introduction of Easy Taxi has come to the rescue of many.
“Almost
80 percent of Easy Taxi’s customers in Saudi Arabia are women, according to
research,” said Easy Taxi’s Middle East CEO Mahmoud Fouz.
He added
that females in the Kingdom face barriers to driving and, as such, must rely on
commuting services.
“Nevertheless,
they are reluctant to ride with a stranger, leading to a potential loss of
comfort that has boosted spending power and economic contribution,” he said.
“Easy
Taxi’s remit has always been to connect customers with a verified taxi service
securely and easily. Saudi Arabia is a market where female customers face
challenges in commuting.”
“It is
brilliant to see Saudi women using our service regularly to commute with the
certainty that every experience will be safe, secure and respectful. Whether
they are commuting for work or leisure, all these activities contribute to
economic growth,” he said.
“We are
delighted that Easy Taxi is their service of choice,” he said.
Aside
from Saudi Arabia, Easy Taxi also operates in other countries in the Middle
East, like Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain.
Fouz
added that under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King
Abdullah, women in the Kingdom are making great strides toward participation in
economic and social development.
“Easy
Taxi is delighted to be able to play a positive role in helping women move
around more easily, while staying completely respectful and abiding by the
Kingdom’s cultural norms and legal regulations,” he said.
He added
that it is no secret that women represent an enormous source of untapped potential
for the Kingdom’s economy.
“Easy
Taxi is delighted to be playing a role in King Abdullah’s vision of empowering
women to benefit the Kingdom’s social and economic affairs, while meeting
family and social obligations,” he said.
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/644621
-------------
Indian
Cop Wins UN’s International Female Police Peacekeeper Award
15 Oct,
2014
Inspector
Shakti Devi of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, who is currently deployed in the
UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), has been named recipient of the
International Female Police Peacekeeper Award 2014 by the UN’s Police Division
for her “exceptional achievements” with the UN mission in Afghanistan,
including her efforts towards helping victims of sexual and gender-based violence.
Ms. Devi
has been honoured for her “exceptional achievements” in leading the
establishment of Women Police Councils in several parts of Afghanistan, the UN
Police Division said in a communication to the Indian mission.
It said
Ms. Devi has contributed to the improvement of the status of female police and
has effectively helped the police of Afghanistan move towards achieving their
goals of fully adopting democratic principles of policing.
“In
addition, her consistent engagement in improving the service for victims of
sexual and gender-based violence has led to successful investigation and
prosecution,” the UN agency said.
The
award was delivered during the International Association of Women Police (IAWP)
conference held earlier this month in Winnipeg, Canada.
India is
the largest contributor to UN peacekeeping operations, having contributed more
than 170,000 troops in 43 out of 69 peacekeeping missions mandated by the
United Nations Security Council so far. The UN also owes India $110 million,
the second highest outstanding payment to any country, for costs relating to
peacekeeping operations and troops.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/indian-cop-wins-uns-international-female-police-peacekeeper-award/article6499179.ece
-------------
Malala
Yousafzai pleads for Nigerian abducted girls
15 Oct,
2014
Malala
Yousafzai has called on Nigeria to intensify efforts to free 219 schoolgirls
who were abducted by Islamist militants six months ago.
The
Nobel Peace Prize winner said campaigners needed to raise their voices
"louder than ever" to demand the freedom of the girls.
The Boko
Haram group sparked global outrage when it seized the girls.
Foreign
governments including the US and China, have sent experts to Nigeria to help
track them down.
Boko Haram
fighters abducted the girls during a raid on their boarding school in Chibok
town in north-eastern Nigeria in April.
Malala
said in a statement that the schoolgirls needed to be reunited with their
families and receive a quality and safe education.
"I urge
the Nigerian government and the international community to redouble their
efforts to bring a quick and peaceful conclusion to this crisis," Malala
said.
Critics
accuse government of not doing enough to secure the release of the girls - a
charge ministers deny.
A
mother's pain
"We
are in a desperate situation. Sometimes, when we go to the farm and remember
what has happened we just start crying and can't work," Hannatu Dauda told
the BBC.
She says
she last heard from her abducted daughter, Saratu, when Boko Haram raided her
boarding school in Chibok in April.
"When
she called, we were all lying in the compound. She said: 'Some people have come
to take us and they have rounded us up. Please pray for us'. And then her
father and the rest of us kept praying," Mrs Dauda recalls.
"After
some minutes she called again to say: 'Daddy they have taken all of us from
school. We have been loaded onto a truck and we don't know where they are
taking us to. Please tell my mummy to forgive me until we meet again',"
she adds.
Activists
earlier tried to march to the official residence of President Goodluck Jonathan
in Abuja.
But
Maureen Kabrik, an organiser of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign in Nigeria,
said an "army of policemen" halted the protest.
"We're
here. We're a civil group. We're not a disobedient group," she told BBC
Focus on Africa.
"Yet,
they stopped us with heavy arms."
The
police have not commented on why they blocked the march.
Malala,
a 17-year-old Pakistani campaigner for girls' education, met Mr Jonathan in
July to discuss the abductions.
She won
the Nobel Peace Prize earlier this month, making her the youngest ever
recipient of the award.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29615162
-------------
AFC U-16
Women's Qualifiers: Girls Eager to Make a Mark
15 Oct,
2014
Social
and religious constraints have long been a hindrance to the growth of women's
sports in Asian Muslim countries, but those hindrances will be set aside as
four of the Asian Muslim countries along with India lock horn in the AFC U-16
Women's Championship Qualifiers, which begins in Dhaka today.
Bangladesh,
Iran, Jordan and United Arab Emirates (Qatar pulled out of the qualifiers at
the last moment) have been placed along with India in Group B of the AFC U-16
Championship Qualifiers from where the group champions would get a ticket for
the eight-team final round to be held in China in 2015.
Though
there was interest among journalists to know about the state of women's
football in these countries, the coaches of the respective sides were more
interested to talk about their target and preparation for the qualifiers, at
the official press conference yesterday.
Preparation
wise, Jordan are ahead of the others as they trained in Germany and played two
practice matches there. The Jordan Football Association and their royal family
are eager to take women's football ahead.
“Our
Queen is eager to take country's women forward, not only in sports but in all
arenas. We have three age-level women's teams starting from the U-14 team,”
said head of Jordan delegation Rana Ahmad Ali Husseini.
Jordan
coach Manar Mustafa Ahmed Fraij is thinking of securing the final berth for
China and believes they are strong enough to become group champions.
Like
Jordan, Iran have the same target to win the group stage and they are on the
back of seven-month's preparation, having played three practice matches in
Uzbekistan.
“The
federation has been very supportive for the last 12 years and we have now three
women's leagues. We are facing no problems playing football at home and I think
we are on the right path,” said Iran captain Fatemah Geraelisheikh.
UAE just
started women's football a few years ago and it is the first time that the UAE
U-16 team is participating in an international tournament. They are taking the
AFC U-16 Championship Qualifiers as part of their preparation for AFC U-14
tournament to be hosted by UAE.
“Most of
the players are from U-14 team and this tournament has been taken as a
preparation for AFC U-14 championship,” said UAE coach Samir Al Andaluse.
“It is difficult
to find local girls for football but now we have nearly 1500 girls in different
ages and we are looking forward to form UAE national women's team within five
years with these girls,” said Samir.
India
coach Maymol Rockey has also set her sights on the final round but she believes
Jordan and Iran would be toughest opponents in the group.
“All
over the world, women's sport is treated with less importance and India is not
an exception. But the present situation in India is better than the past,” said
Rockey.
On the
opening day, Iran take on UAE at the Bangabandhu National Stadium from 2:00pm
while hosts Bangladesh will be playing against Jordan in the second match from
5:00pm.
http://www.thedailystar.net/sports/girls-eager-to-make-a-mark-45677
-------------
800
Violations Found At EP, Saudi Arabia’s Women’s Beauty Salons
15 Oct,
2014
The
Eastern Province Municipality found nearly 800 violations in women’s beauty
salons across the province during the first half of this year.
Muhammad
Al-Sufian, municipality spokesman, said that inspectors routinely found hair or
skin care products that are either expired or come from unknown sources during
rounds.
“Some
workers were found not to be in possession of health certificates, while other
shops had unlicensed medical devices inside salons or failed to sterilize tools
effectively,” he said.
Al-Sufian
said that the municipality has intensified field tours on female beauty salons
during the Eid Al-Adha holiday in order to raise awareness among owners,
workers and customers about the seriousness of transmitting infectious
diseases, especially during holiday seasons and special occasions, when demand
for services increases.
“There
is a specific mechanism for opening women’s beauty salons derived from a list
drafted by the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs. The list stipulates
requirements and work procedures to ensure customers’ and workers’ safety,”
Al-Sufaian added.
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/644011
-------------
Private-Event
Videos on Social Media Irk Saudi Women
15 Oct,
2014
Saudi
women have expressed concern over the increasing circulation of video clips and
photos of private, women-only events on social media.
Such
photos or footage, which are often secretly recorded by other attendees on their
smart phones, may lead to family disputes or even divorce in an
ultra-conservative society.
Sara
Abdullah, an employee, said women resort to many ploys to smuggle mobile phones
into wedding halls.
“Some
women hide their mobile phones under their clothes or even inside their shoes
while getting in,” she said. “They could simply want to have photos of the
event, which they have no intention of sharing, or actually want to harm others
by posting their videos on YouTube to tarnish their reputation.”
Adilah Al-Amri,
a housewife, attributed the unethical publication of private events at weddings
to stolen mobile phones. “The theft of mobile phones is on the increase these
days.”
Fatima
Al-Falqi, who runs a photo studio, said guests often want to capture clips and
snapshots for their own personal record. “Outsiders may be to blame for these
types of invasion of privacy,” she said, adding that confidentiality is top of
her list.
Al-Falqi
urges wedding organizers to trust only reputed photographers to capture images
of their wedding.
“Professional
photographers would not knowingly violate the privacy of wedding events because
a lack of reliability would harm their reputation and their profits,” she said.
Muhammad
Al-Nujaimi, a member of the Islamic Fiqh Academy, said women are not allowed to
take photos of other women without their consent.
“Publishing
pictures, whether purposefully or inadvertently, is a violation of women’s
honor, so I discourage taking photos at any wedding event,” he said.
Telecommunications
engineer Ziyad Ata said clips could be copied from stolen mobile phones since smart
phones can function as digital cameras. “However, there are also ways to stop
the circulation of illegally posted clippings with the help of authorities,” he
said.
Legal
expert Abdul Aziz Dashnan said such forms of cyber crime are dealt with at the
King Fahd Satellite Telecommunications City. “Perpetrators could be imprisoned
for up to 15 years and fined SR1 million.”
http://www.arabnews.com/featured/news/644071
-------------