Iran's ‘Hanging Machine’ to Execute Reyhaneh Jabbari
New Age Islam News Bureau
1
Oct 2014
A campaign calling for a halt to the execution of Reyhaneh Jabbari was launched on Facebook on Monday
• Poster
Girls for Jihad: Young Women Raised In West Joining Militants
• Better
To Be Prostitute, Says Blogger of Muslim Woman Joining DAP
• Heroism
of Indian Muslim Woman in World War II Inspires Today
• Hijab
Selfies Fad Takes Off As Australians Show Solidarity with Muslim Women
• Pakistan:
Police Foil Marriage of Two Underage Girls
• Armed
Woman Arrested Outside Lahore High Court
• An
Unfortunate Name: Family Concern over Daughter Named ‘Isis’
• Muslim
Women Break Their Silence on Life under Honour Culture
• Pakistan
Empowering Women: ‘Minimum Age for Marriage Should Be Fixed At 18’
• Missing
Bristol Girl Feared To Be Heading For Syria to Join ISIS - Police
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/iran-‘hanging-machine’-execute-reyhaneh/d/99349
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Iran's
‘Hanging Machine’ to Execute Reyhaneh Jabbari
01 Oct,
2014
Reyhaneh
Jabbari has been transferred to Rajai-Shahr Prison to be hanged — while the
world parties at the UN and gets ready to permit Iran nuclear capability.
While
the West is focused on an Iran nuclear deal and defeating ISIS terrorists, the
executioner-regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran continues violating human
rights.
The
regime has just transferred Reyhaneh Jabbari to Rajai-Shahr Prison in Tehran
and, as she is transferred to be executed, told her to say goodbye to her
mother and family.
The
Petition to Save Reyhaneh Jabbari from being hanged has been signed by over
188,000 people, but as usual has been ignored by the Iranian regime.
Reyhaneh
Jabbari's execution may carried out by tomorrow.
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4743/reyhaneh-jabbari-execution
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Poster
Girls for Jihad: Young Women Raised In West Joining Militants
01 Oct,
2014
Hundreds
of young women and girls are leaving their homes in Western countries to join
Islamic fighters in the Middle East, causing increasing concern among
counterterrorism investigators.
Girls as
young as 14 or 15 are travelling mainly to Syria to marry jihadis, bear their
children and join communities of fighters, with a small number taking up arms.
Many are recruited on social media. Women and girls appear to account for about
10 per cent of those leaving Europe, North America and Australia to link up with
jihadist groups, including Islamic State (IS).
France
has the highest number of female recruits, with 63 in the region, which is
about 25 per cent of the total, and at least another 60 believed to be
considering the move.
In most
cases they appear to have left home to marry jihadis, drawn to the idea of
supporting "brother fighters" and having "jihadist children to
continue the spread of Islam", said Louis Caprioli, former head of the
French security agency Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire. "If
their husband dies, they will be given adulation as the wife of a martyr."
Five
people, including a sister and brother, were arrested in France this month on
suspicion of belonging to a ring in central France that specialised in
recruiting young French women, according to Bernard Cazeneuve, the interior
minister.
Counterterrorism
experts in Britain believe about 50 British girls and women have joined IS,
with some known to have travelled to Syria to fight. Many are believed to be
based in Raqqa, the eastern Syrian city that has become an Isis stronghold.
Twin
sisters Zahra and Salma Halane, 16, left their home in Chorlton, Manchester, in
July without their parents' knowledge to follow their brother to Syria.
The
girls, whose parents fled to Britain as refugees from Somalia, left home in the
middle of the night and were reported missing by their parents. Now both are
reportedly married to IS fighters. Another woman from Britain, Aqsa Mahmood,
wrote in a blog post last month: "Most sisters I have come across have
been in university studying courses with many promising paths, with big, happy
families and friends, and everything in the Dunyah [material world] to persuade
one to stay behind and enjoy the luxury … that's not what we want."
In
Austria, the case of two teenage friends, Samra Kesinovic, 16, and Sabina
Selimovic, 15, who ran away from their homes in Vienna to join jihadis in
Syria, may be "only the tip of the iceberg", said Heinz Gartner,
director of the Austrian Institute for International Politics.
An
estimated 14 women and girls are known to have left Austria to fight in the
Middle East, according to the interior ministry.
Karim
Pakzad, of the French Institute of International and Strategic Relations, said
some young women had "an almost romantic idea of war and warriors. It's an
adventure."
Mia
Bloom, a security studies professor at Massachusetts University in the United
States, said recruiters painted a "Disney-like" picture of life in
the caliphate. Some young women were offered financial incentives, such as
travel expenses or compensation for bearing children. But the reality was
different, she said.
Bloom
and Rolf Tophoven, of Germany's Institute for Terrorism Research and Security
Policy, said reports indicated women had been raped, sold into slavery or
forced to marry.
Bedroom
radicals who went to Syria to marry Islamist fighters
France:
When Nora el-Bathy, 15, left her family home in Avignon last January with her
school bag, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But she did not return.
Instead, she took a train to Paris, withdrew €550 (HK$5,400) from her savings
and changed her mobile phone. She flew to Istanbul, and took a flight to the
Syrian border.
Later,
her parents - practising but not strict Muslims - discovered that she had
opened a Facebook account to contact "jihad recruiters". In one
picture, a veiled woman brandishing Kalashnikovs appeared with the caption:
"Yes, kill! In the name of Allah."
Nora's
eldest brother, Fouad, a former French soldier, was devastated.
The
family received two calls: one from a man speaking Arabic and a second from a
man speaking French. The caller asked for permission for Nora to marry. Her
parents refused.
Fouad
eventually succeeded in getting to Syria to see Nora. He said she told him:
"'I've made the biggest mistake of my life.'
"She
was thin and sick. She never sees any light. She has to look after young
children, orphans, but she lives surrounded by armed men."
Britain:
Aqsa Mahmood, also known as Umm Layth, left Glasgow for Syria last November and
has married an Isis fighter. She is a prolific social-media user and writes a
blog in which she advises other women on the best way to travel to Syria and
marry a fighter.
Mahmood,
20, has described the difficulty of phoning her parents to tell them she wanted
to become a martyr.
In her
blog she wrote: "How does a parent who has little Islamic knowledge and
understanding comprehend why their son or daughter has left their well-off
life, education and a bright future behind, to go live in a war-torn
country."
This
month her parents, Muzaffar and Khalida Mahmood, publicly appealed for their
daughter, who was privately educated and went to university, to return home.
Her father said: "If our daughter, who had all the chances and freedom in
life, could become a bedroom radical then it's possible for this to happen to
any family."
Austria:
Samra Kesinovic, 16, and her friend Sabina Selimovic, 15, whose families
emigrated to Austria from Bosnia, ran away from their Vienna homes in April,
telling their families in a note: "Don't look for us. We will serve Allah
- and will die for him."
It is
thought the girls were radicalised after attending a local mosque. Police
believe both girls married Chechen fighters in Syria and it is suspected that
they are both pregnant, as their names on social media have changed to include
the Arabic word for "mother" (Umm).
They
have been described as "jihad poster girls" whose story is inspiring
other young women to join the holy war. Earlier in September the government
said two other young girls had been stopped from leaving the country to fight.
http://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1604680/poster-girls-jihad-young-women-raised-west-joining-militants
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Better
To Be Prostitute, Says Blogger of Muslim Woman Joining DAP
01 Oct,
2014
A blogger
has attacked the actions of a Purdah-wearing Malay woman in joining the DAP,
saying she should have become a prostitute instead.
The
writer, who calls himself "KuntaKinte Malaysia", slammed the woman,
who is known as Melati, claiming that her decision to become a DAP member was
akin to selling herself and her religion just for the riches offered.
In a
posting entitled "Melati, Lebih Baik Jadi Pelacur Dari Sertai DAP”, the
writer said the actions of Muslim girls or any Muslim youth in joining the DAP
was actually strengthening the party's efforts to weaken the role and position
of Islam in the country.
"A
prostitute who sells herself would not decay the position of Islam in the
country, but those who join the DAP are helping them destroy Islam in Malaysia.
"The
reality is, it is more noble to be a prostitute who sells herself for a mouth
of rice, than being those in tudung and purdah who 'sell themselves' to the DAP
for the riches of the world until it weakens Islam', he said in a website,
www.mykmu.net.
Melati,
whose real name is Jamila Rahim, is a UniSel graduate and has written a novel
titled, "Pelacur Kelas Pertama”.
The
22-year-old's decision to join the DAP shocked many, especially since she dons
the purdah.
While he
said he would be praying that Melati and other Muslim girls in DAP, including
the party's candidate for the Teluk Intan by-election Dyana Sofea Mohd Daud,
would return to the right path, KuntaKinte also flayed Johor PAS Youth for its
support for Melati.
Sheikh
Omar Ali, a Johor PAS Youth member, who is also an assistant to Kluang MP Liew
Chin Tong from DAP, had written in a blog calling Melati's decision, the
"Melati Move".
He said
that her joining the DAP would somewhat serve as an example to young Malaysians
who dared to go against the flow.
"It
is a signal that the Y-generation do not hold any racist sentiments as a basis
for them to be part of a process in building the future of the country to be
more fair and democratic," he said.
KuntaKinte
claimed that Omar's reaction proved that the involvement of young Muslims in
DAP was only for money.
"Omar's
statement and justification only confirms the thousand-year-old theory that
riches and property are everything in a human world," he added.
He also
questioned PAS which, he said, used to be a party that went all out to reject
non-Muslim votes.
"It
is extraordinary, they who once thought that voting for a non-Muslim as a
representative was prohibited, today justifies the involvement of Muslim youth
into a party with a majority of non-Muslim leaders who want to weaken Islam in
the country," he said.
In an
interview with Malaysiakini today, Melati revealed her reasons for joining a
party whose detractors never tire of branding as a threat to the position of
Malays and Islam.
“If you
look at the DAP constitution, it places humanism and human rights as its main
thrusts.
“In
Islam, humanism is one of the core factors. So DAP is closer to the concept of
justice as prescribed by Islam. And Islam is my main principle in life,” she
was quoted as saying by Malaysiakini.
Melati
stressed that the humanism agenda pushed forth by DAP was crucial in dealing
with people of various races and faiths.
She also
disagreed with critics who claimed that DAP is a "Chinese, anti-Islam
party".
Malaysiakini
also reported that previously, Melati was an activist and had worked with soup
kitchens around Kuala Lumpur and with orphanages.
The
proceeds from her book, Pelacur Kelas Pertama, will go to an orphanage in Teluk
Intan, Perak.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/better-to-be-prostitute-says-blogger-of-muslim-woman-joining-dap#sthash.Y7okDkTR.dpuf
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Heroism
Of Indian Muslim Woman In World War II Inspires Today
The
Florida Times-Union
01 Oct,
2014
The
quiet, unwavering heroism of a young Indian Muslim woman who sacrificed her
life to fight against Nazi domination during World War II offers lessons of
faith; courage and inspiration as relevant now as it was back then, say those
who heard her story Sunday.
“It
really makes you think. What would I do in a situation like that? … I hope I
would have had her courage,” said K.C. Emerson of Jacksonville, who decided at
the last minute Sunday afternoon to attend the screening of “Enemy of the
Reich: The Noor Inayat Khan Story” followed by a panel discussion at the
University of North Florida’s Andrew A. Robinson Jr. Theatre.
The film
is the true story of Khan, who sacrificed her life to fight against Nazi
domination during World War II. The daughter of an American mother and Indian
Muslim father, Khan grew up in a home that nurtured interfaith dialogue and
cooperation at a Sufi centre of learning in Paris.
In early
1943, she was recruited as a covert operative into Winston Churchill’s Special
Operations Executive. By then Khan had trained as a wireless operator in
Britain’s Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. As a covert agent, Khan was instrumental
to the French Underground’s direct attack on Nazi units in preparation for the
Allies’ D-Day invasions.
In
August 1943, Khan was the last surviving clandestine radio operator in Paris
and signalled London for additional weapons and explosives for the French
underground. Khan ultimately was captured and executed at Dachau, the Nazi
concentration camp in Germany.
On
Sunday, Emerson was among Northeast Florida residents as well as UNF students
nearly filling the theater for the screening and panel discussion, part of the
2014 Distinguished Voices Lecture Series. The program co-hosted by UNF and
Better Together at UNF, a student organization composed of religiously diverse
students with a mission of mobilizing their peers to voice their values, engage
with others, and act together to make the world a better place.
“It’s an
exploration into meaning and purpose of life, and what values might be worth
risking it,” Tarah Trueblood, director of UNF Interfaith Center, said of the
program.
Such
dialogue, she said, is especially crucial now, given the conflict in the Middle
East and fear generated by ISIS and other terrorist groups.
“Peace
happens one relationship at a time. And getting to know your neighbor can be
that one big step you take today,” said Trueblood, adding sometimes that can
take a lot of courage to reach out to our neighbors if they are different from
us.
“We want
our politicians to make peace or somebody else to make peace. But making peace
takes us going over to our neighbors and getting to know them,” Trueblood said.
The
panelists included Alex Kronemer, one of the film’s producers, UNF Interfaith
students, Cheryl Tupper of the OneJax Institute at UNF and vice president of
the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation and Rabbi Jonathan Lubliner of the
Jacksonville Jewish Center. UNF President John Delaney facilitated the
discussion.
Kronemer
is co-founder and executive producer for Unity Productions Foundation. A
Muslim, he has delivered talks on religious diversity and Islam for the U.S.
departments of Justice and State, FBI and other organizations.
Refusing
an order to return to England, Khan stayed in Paris and continued radioing
information to the Allies after all her comrades were captured by the Nazis.
“In her
case, she just had the determination. She had come with these people, bonded
with these people and they had all been captured, but she didn’t want their
sacrifice to be meaningless. In retrospect, it was a giant decision to make
because it led to her ultimately being killed. But at the time, it was a small
decision of heroism,” Kronemer said. “That’s really where I think heroes are
made. … Today, what are the small decisions of heroism that we’re making?”
Parvez
Ahmed, a faculty mentor and UNF professor, encouraged the audience to continue
the conversation sparked Sunday through the program.
“I want
us to draw upon the inspiration that Noor gave us through our life and our
sacrifices. It would be nice if we could all go beyond the lip service that we
often give such inspiration and do something that is actually long-lasting and
sustainable,” Ahmed said.
To that
end, Ahmed said the UNF Interfaith Center is instituting a service award to be
presented annually to one or more deserving students. In the form of a
scholarship, it will be the Noor Inayat Khan Interfaith Service Award, he said.
Khan was
posthumously awarded the George Cross, the highest civilian medal for bravery
and sacrifice in Great Britain. The French awarded her the Croix de Guerre with
Gold Star. A plaque bearing her name hangs at Dachau, and a memorial statue of
her was erected in London’s Gordon Square in 2012.
http://members.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2014-09-28/story/heroism-indian-muslim-woman-world-war-ii-inspires-today
http://www.firstpost.com/tag/indian-muslims
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Hijab
Selfies Fad Takes Off As Australians Show Solidarity with Muslim Women
01 Oct,
2014
AUSTRALIAN
women are being encouraged to post “Hijab Selfies” as a sign of solidarity with
their Muslim sisters in a new social media campaign aimed at de-stigmatising
traditional Muslim dress.
As
debates flares in Canberra with calls to ban religious garments, Australian
women of all faiths are donning headdresses and proudly posting their pictures
online joining the campaign started by lawyer and activist Mariam Veiszadeh.
Studio
10 presenters Jessica Rowe, comic Meshel Laurie and Labor MP Julie Owens are
among high profile woman who have joined the Women in Solidarity with Hijabis
(#WISH) campaign that aims to “counter anti-Muslim sentiments”.
The
Facebook group, which has attracted 14,000 followers since starting only last
week, asks women to “stand in solidarity with Australian Muslims by posting
photos of themselves on social media, donning the Hijab”.
The
campaign has grown from Ms Veiszadeh’s Facebook initiative, the Islamophobic
Register, aimed at addressing a surge in incidents targeting Muslim women.
“I’d
been hearing about absolutely horrific examples of Muslim women being abused on
the streets, mothers who’ve had their prams kicked, friends who are too fearful
to leave their homes,” she tells news.com.au.
“Once
these incidents were brought to people’s attention through that group, the
response was just overwhelming and it came largely from Australian women
wanting to help.”
One of
these women, a follower named Ruth, asked Ms Veiszadeh if it “wouldn’t be
offensive” to put on a Hijab herself and post that online as a show of
solidarity, and the #WISH movement was born.
Though
the response has been mostly positive, some women who have posted their
pictures have been subject to abuse, and questions over whether what they are
doing is offensive to Muslims.
“Women
can post these pictures saying they’ve got the endorsement of an Australian
Muslim woman,” Ms Veiszadeh says.
“The
fact that the social media campaign exists says it’s not offensive, it has been
started by Muslim women.”
Another
criticism that the campaign has faced, like other social media based campaigns
before it, is that it’s not inciting any real change, and could be labelled
“clicktivism” or “slacktivism”.
But
psychologist Jocelyn Brewer, who specialises in social media, society and
behaviour, says this campaign is different.
“WISH is
a bit more action based (than other campaigns)”, she tells news.com.au.
“It
requires women to take a bunch of steps and it’s much more personal that just
liking or sharing something pre-existing.”
The call
for women to don the religious garment as a show of solidarity coincides with
calls to ban another Muslim garment, the Burqa.
Prime
Minister Tony Abbott today said he found the garment “confronting” and he
wished “it wasn’t worn”.
“Frankly,
I wish it was not worn but we are a free country, we are a free society and it
is not the business of Government to tell people what they should and shouldn’t
wear,” the PM said.
When
asked specifically whether the garment should be worn in Parliament House, he
said: “It should be governed by the rules that are appropriate for a secure
building and obviously people need to be identifiable in a secure building such
as this.”
Ms
Veiszadeh said she “fully supports” the discussion over whether the concealing
garment should be removed when it is a security issue, and that the very few
women who wore the garment would likely comply if asked to identify themselves
or if they were refused entry to a “secure building”.
“Part of
the Muslim faith is to follow the laws and regulations of the country that you
live in,” she said.
“But
when it comes to banning a garment, that’s just ridiculous. The irony is people
are concerned men are controlling women over how they should dress when it
should be up to the individual, but by banning a garment, that's just another
group of men telling women what they’re not allowed to wear.
“This
campaign is partly about building up that understanding that Muslim women are
not oppressed, they’re wearing the Hijab or whatever they choose to wear
because they choose to, and to have so many Australian women sharing that
message is heartening.”
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/hijab-selfies-fad-takes-off-as-australians-show-solidarity-with-muslim-women/story-fnixwvgh-1227076530105
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Pakistan:
Police foil marriage of two underage girls
01 Oct,
2014
GHOTKI:
The Ghotki police on Monday foiled a bid to marry underage girls as settlement
of a dispute on the orders of a council of local elders (panchayat) in Kot
Sabzal near the Sindh-Punjab border. According to the police, they raided the
village on a tip-off and rescued 6-year-old Farzana and 8-year-old Aamna. The
police also arrested Nikah registrar and elders of the village who gave the
orders besides seizing Nikah register. The suspects were produced before area
magistrate, who remanded them into police custody.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/30-Sep-2014/police-foil-marriage-of-two-underage-girls
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Armed
woman arrested outside Lahore High Court
01 Oct,
2014
LAHORE:
Police on Monday arrested a woman soon after the security staff recovered a
loaded-pistol and two magazines with bullets from her handbag at the checkpoint
when she tried to enter the Lahore High Court (LHC) premises.
The
woman, later identified as Abida Bibi, was handed over to the Old Anarkali
police for further investigations. A case was also registered against the lady.
Police
sources said the resident of Shadbagh, Abida, had come to the court along with
her husband in connection with the love-marriage case of her niece. Police are
investigating why the woman tried to enter the high court premises with a
loaded-pistol.
Investigators
say they believe the possibility of gun attack to target the girl for
contracting love marriage could not be ruled out.
First,
the woman argued with the policemen deployed at the main gate to skip physical
search. But the policewomen searched her handbag and recovered a 30-bore pistol
and two magazines with bullets. Abida claimed she had a license for the weapon
and she was carrying the pistol for her safety. She said that she did not know
that it was against the law to bring a gun to the court.
Police
security and checking of the visitors has been intensified outside the Lahore
High Court to avoid any untoward incident.
In June
2013, two accused in a murder case were shot dead in the Sessions’ Court
premises while two others wounded by their opponents.
A
25-year-old woman was stoned to death by her father and two brothers outside
the LHC for contracting love-marriage in May.
http://nation.com.pk/lahore/30-Sep-2014/armed-woman-arrested-outside-lhc
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An
unfortunate name: Family concern over daughter named ‘Isis’
01 Oct,
2014
A
Sydney-family is calling the public and media to stop referring to the Islamic
State of Iraq and Syria militant group as ISIS, an acronym synonymous with
their eight-year-old daughter’s name.
The
Leskiens called their daughter after Isis, the ancient Egyptian goddess of
magic and life, the Daily Mail reported.
The name
spells and sounds like the acronym used to describe the notorious militant
group that has been accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity in addition
to displacing thousands in Iraq and Syria.
The
concerned parents hope to end the association between the extremist group and
their daughter’s name, in effort of barring harm from coming to one of the
'tens of thousands' of women who share the same name.
“It's a
beautiful name we spent so long choosing it. [The Egyptian goddess] Isis is a
nurturer and someone who cares. People used to say to us: ‘What a beautiful
name’,” Isis’ father, Frank Leskien told the Daily Mail Australia.
“This is
hurting my little family and we've lost family because they're scared and don't
want anything to do with us...it's soul-destroying,” he said, adding that
people are distancing themselves from his family out of fear.
“I have
been calling her Isis for eight years, if not longer, because I was calling her
Isis while she was in the womb…do we have to wait until something that happens
to one of them before [someone listens]?” he said.
The Mail
said that the family asserted that their calls had nothing to do with race or
religion, but only revolved around the safety of their daughter.
“I just
want her name to be safe and be what it's meant to be,' the father said.
“All I
really want is to go back to my quiet simple life. We’re just simple people,”
adding it his duty to “try as hard as I can as a father to protect my
daughter.”
Maximus,
Isis’ 13-year-old brother, told his father that he was put in a situation where
he had to defend his sister’s name at school.
“We go
to soccer and I call out ‘Isis’ and people look at me,” he was quoted as
saying.
“People
are scared to...be associated with us.”
The
Leskiens are not alone in their plight, as a U.S. woman recently started a
petition demanding news outlets to stop calling the group ISIS. But the
Leskiens are not the only one taking up the fight to reclaim the name, Isis.
“You can
help save the name of #ThousandsofWomenNamedIsis and save us from the backlash
of being associated with this horrific terrorist group of monsters,' Isis
Martinez, who started the petition, wrote.
“Little
girls, especially in the United States, named Isis have reported bullying while
women with the name are facing negative associations through their employment
and in public places like airports, airplanes even at times being called
terrorists themselves,” she said.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/variety/2014/09/30/An-unfortunate-name-Meet-eight-year-old-Isis.html
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Muslim
Women Break Their Silence On Life Under Honour Culture
01 Oct,
2014
Every
day, women around the world are at risk of female genital mutilation, forced
marriage and violence, all in the name of "honour".
But now,
grassroots documentary 'Honor Diaries' aims to shatter the silence surrounding
these sexist practices by exposing the truth about honour-based societies.
"In
many honour-based societies women are not viewed as equal to men," Paula
Kweskin, the film's producer, tells HuffPost UK Lifestyle. "Their voices,
bodies and lives are not seen to be as valuable."
The
documentary follows the lives of nine brave women who have been affected by
honour-based practices.
"I
grew up in a country where women are meant to be seen and not heard – it truly
is a patriarchal society," says Raheel Raza, one of the film's stars.
Raheel
is a Muslim journalist who was born in Pakistan, but now lives in Canada. The
64-year-old has dedicated her entire adult life to campaigning for women's
rights because of what she witnessed as a child.
Although
Raheel says she didn't suffer any direct abuse and describes her father as a
feminist, she admits to being treated differently to her brother - he was sent
to school in America on a scholarship, but the same education was denied of
her.
"There
are double standards for boys and girls in honour cultures - they are not given
the same opportunities," she says.
Some of
the women in the film were victims of honour culture themselves, having been
forced into marriage at a young age or denied education. Others witnessed
friends and family suffering from oppressive practices, and now campaign for
change.
Both
Paula and Raheel are hoping the film will raise awareness about the inequality
women face in honour cultures. They believe the silence surrounding honour
crimes has enabled them to be committed without consequence for so long.
The UK
Government reports estimate that approximately 60,000 girls aged 0 to 14 years
old were born in England and Wales to mothers who had undergone FGM. In 2013,
the Home Office Forced Marriage Unit found 1,302 cases in the UK, although many
others almost certainly went undetected.
"I
feel that the reason the statistics are so high for forced marriage, FGM and
violence is because we do not speak about them – these issues have been around
for a long time but they’ve always been off limits to talk about," Raheel
says. "If there isn’t awareness, we cannot begin to work towards a
solution."
Paula
adds: "Unfortunately these issues are so entrenched in society that
they’re not spoken about enough.
"The
film is all about shattering the silence so people feel comfortable speaking
about these issues – then hopefully we’ll see further action taking
place."
Paula's
passion for women's rights stems from her full time occupation as a human
rights lawyer. 'Honor Diaries' is the her first film, she decided to create the
documentary after working with women during the Arab Spring uprising.
The work
has steadily received acclaim and praise from international media and has
recently been made available to view on Netflix.
Those
involved with making the film are hoping more people in the Western world will
now watch it since it's now available to Netflix's 13.8 million subscribers.
The hope is that women who are "free" will feel compelled to help
those in honour cultures while recognising that violence against women is not
restricted to the Middle East.
Although
we still have a long way to go, there does seem to be some movement towards
tackling these crimes already.
With
Egypt and Kenya increasing the amount of FGM trials they hold and David Cameron
holding the UK's first Girl Summit in March, it seems the world may finally be
starting to pay attention to violence against women.
"The
issues have been buried because it’s considered taboo to even talk about these
things - those who think it’s taboo have managed to hide behind the message
that ‘this is culture , this is tradition’ – but it’s not in anyone’s culture
to be abused.
"But
the conversation has flourished over the last couple of years, and I think
that's because of social media.
"Women
in Kenya and women in the UK are able to connect and draw strength from each
other, which empowers them and enables then to speak up," Paula says.
'Honor
Diaries' aims to keep this burgeoning conversation alive and inspire change, so
what can viewers in the West do to help women in honour cultures?
Paula
says helping to promote the film and its message is a start.
"People
in the UK can tell their friends to watch it, tweet it, put it on their
Facebook page or even host a screening," she says.
"We
also have a global coalition of women’s rights activists that are listed on our
website, so anyone who feels moved by the film can check those out and maybe
volunteer."
And
Raheel echoes Emma Watson's UN speech by saying that it's not just women who
need to speak up for women's rights - but men as well.
"This
is not a anti-men movement, it is very a pro-men movement," she says.
"We need to involve the men to move towards change. Men are an essential
component when it comes to woman’s rights in the Muslim world."
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/09/30/honor-diaries-muslim-culture-netflix_n_5888278.html
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Pakistan
Empowering women: ‘Minimum age for marriage should be fixed at 18’
01 Oct,
2014
LAHORE:
Participants of a two-day youth conference demanded legislature set the minimum
age for marriage at 18 years for both boys and girls and urged the government
to stop child marriages.
Shirkat
Gah – a women’s resource centre – had organised the National Youth Convention
on Peace, Pluralism and Democratic Norms.
The
objectives of the event were: advancing women’s participation in public and
political arenas for strengthening democratising processes; building women’s
leadership, especially amongst youth, to resist the undermining of societal
pluralism; advocacy for women’s inclusion in all public forums; and promoting
the accountability of government officials.
The
participants came up with a charter of demands and presented it to the
parliamentarians.
“In
order to stop child marriages, governments in the Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
and Balochistan must pass legislations that set 18 years as the legal age for
marriage for both girls and boys,” the first demand read.
The
participants welcomed the recent legislation and guidelines on child marriage,
domestic violence and Darul Aman in Sindh and demanded strict implementation of
the legislations. They demanded that other provinces follow Sindh’s lead.
“Governments
in all four provinces are asked to recruit women police officers. So that
common women are not reluctant to approach police,” the second demand read.
The
convention demanded immediate implementation of Article 25(A) of the 18th
Amendment. “Free education should be provided to all children aged between 5
and 16 years. In addition, vocational training institutes should be developed
so that unemployment and poverty was reduced,” the charter said.
“The
provincial governments are asked to review curricula at private schools and
madrassahs. Any curriculum promoting hatred, violence or prejudice should be
banned.”
The
participants said that peace committees in all provinces should be made functional
and women’s and minorities’ participation in these should be ensured.
The
youth asked the provincial governments to hold local elections and to ensure at
least 50 per cent women’s representation. “Out of these 50 per cent seats, 10
per cent should be reserved for women from minority communities. Ten per cent
of the seats should be reserved for male representatives of minority
communities,” the charter said.
The
youth demanded that women be given the legal right to choices regarding
reproductive health.
Minister
for Planning, National Reforms and Development Ahsan Iqbal said that Pakistan’s
progress could not be ensured without the participation of women in all fields
of life. “Women in Pakistan face restrictions in the name of culture. Despite
the odds, they are growing stronger and are more committed to their cause
today,” he said.
Awami
National Party leader Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had
been hit the hardest by terrorism and other non-state actors. “Our province has
faced the brunt of war on terror. In order to achieve true empowerment, it is
extremely important to first ensure peace,” he said.
Senator
Saeed Ghani said that the Pakistan Peoples Party had always supported women
empowerment. “I am a senator today because my grandmother wanted her children
to be educated and become productive citizens,” he said.
Senator
Rubina Khalid, MNA Shaista Pervaiz Malik and Bushra Gohar too attended the
event.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/769036/empowering-women-minimum-age-for-marriage-should-be-fixed-at-18/
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Missing
Bristol girl feared to be heading for Syria to join ISIS - police
01 Oct,
2014
A
missing 15-year-old British girl is believed to have fled the UK to go to Syria
to join Islamist fighters after becoming radicalized, police have said.
The girl
left her family’s house in Bristol in the morning to go to school, but was not
there when her father came to pick her up in the afternoon.
The
Daily Mail identified the girl as Yusra Hussien, who was reported missing by
her parents last Wednesday in Bristol.
Instead,
she is believed to have traveled to London, where she met another 17-year-old
girl from South London, before they boarded a plane from London Heathrow
Airport to Istanbul. Officers are now trying to find her before she crosses the
border into Syria.
Police
fear that the girl, of Somali origin, may have been radicalized and that she
traveled to Syria via Turkey in the hope of fighting with Islamic extremists.
Louisa
Rolfe, Avon and Somerset’s assistant chief constable, said “We can confirm that
a 15-year-old student from Bristol has traveled to Turkey and we understand she
may be attempting to make her way to Syria.
“Since
she was reported missing by her parents we’ve carried out extensive work to
trace her footsteps from the time she left home to her arrival in Istanbul,
Turkey.
“There
are indications she may have been radicalized, but at the moment our priority
is to find her before she crosses the border to Syria and make sure she is
safe. We must all be vigilant and ready to spot the signs of radicalization.”
The
family of the missing Bristol teen urged her to come home. A spokeswoman, Hibaq
Jama, read this statement on behalf of the family: “Please come back, we miss
you very much. You are not in any trouble. We just want you to be safe and to
come home as soon as possible.”
Jama
added, “What we know about her is that she is an incredibly bright, incredibly
articulate, popular, gifted young lady who was admired by, and very much looked
up to, by her peers.
“She was
very aspirational, wanting to go on and become a dentist, so it has come as a
complete shock to the parents.”
An
expert said the schoolgirl will probably "become a jihadi bride.”
Haras
Rafiq from the Quilliam Foundation, a counter-extremism think tank, told Good
Morning Britain, "It's more than likely that she will actually go and
become a jihadi bride. She at the age of 15 will marry somebody who she
considers to be a holy warrior and that's how she will play a part in the
jihad.”
In June
this year, 16-year-old twins Zahra and Salma Halane from Greater Manchester
left the UK to join ISIS fighters in Syria. The girls were stellar students,
with 28 GCSEs between them, and were planning to become doctors.
Around
500 Britons are believed to have gone to Syria and Iraq to join extremists.
http://rt.com/uk/191900-bristol-schoolgirl-isis-fled/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/iran-‘hanging-machine’-execute-reyhaneh/d/99349