My dream is to see India and Pakistan become true good friends: MalalaYousafzai
New
Age Islam News Bureau
02
March 2021
FILE
- Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai (AP)
-------
• Jihadist
Women’s Demands Come at Crucial Time for France
• Kidnappers
finally release abducted Nigerian schoolgirls
• Swiss
citizens set to vote on controversial burqa ban referendum
• Self-defence
class organized after attacks against Edmonton Muslim women
• Muslim
Woman Targeted in Racist Attack Says Call to Edmonton Police Left Her Doubly
Traumatized
• Does
Islam marginalize women?
• How
a group of Saudi female showjumpers took over the reins
• Loujain
Al-Hathloul Released From Prison: Saudi Arabia Silencing Human Rights Advocates
• BushraBibi
visits shelter home near Data Darbar in Lahore
• 'I'd
like to join Pixar one day': meet Afghanistan's first female animator
• Women
revolutionizing Istanbul’s public transportation
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/my-dream-see-india-pakistan/d/124435
--------
My
dream is to see India and Pakistan become true good friends: MalalaYousafzai
01
Mar 2021
FILE
- Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai (AP)
--------
The
old philosophy of having borders and divisions doesn't work anymore and the
people in India and Pakistan want to live in peace, Nobel laureate
MalalaYousafzai said on Sunday, stressing that it is her dream to see the two
countries become "good friends".
She
also said that minorities need protection in every country, be it Pakistan or
India, adding that the issue is not related to religion but to the
"exploitation of power" and must be taken seriously.
Yousafzai,
a Pakistani activist for girls education who miraculously survived a bullet to
the head from the militant Taliban in October 2012, said the news of internet
shutdown and arrests of activists "protesting peacefully" in India is
"worrying" and expressed the hope that the government will make sure
that people are heard.
"It
is my dream to see India and Pakistan become true good friends and that we can
visit each other's countries. You can continue to watch Pakistani dramas, we
can continue to watch Bollywood movies and enjoy cricket matches," the
youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner said.
She
was speaking on her book "I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up
for Education and was Shot by the Taliban" on the concluding day of the
Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) which is being held in the virtual mode.
"You
are Indian and I am Pakistani and we are completely fine, then why is this
hatred created between us? This old philosophy of borders, divisions and divide
and conquer... they just don't work anymore, as humans we all want to live in
peace," she said.
The
actual enemy of India and Pakistan is "poverty, discrimination and
inequality" and both countries should unite and fight them, not each
other, she added.
Apart
from "India-Pakistan friendship", Yousufzai said she also dreams of
the day when every girl would get to go to school and have access to quality
education.
The
23-year-old activist also raised her voice for minorities across the world and
said they are at "risk" and need to be protected globally by
governments and human rights organisations.
"Minorities
are at risk. Minorities' rights are not given to them. Be it Hindus and
Christians in Pakistan, Muslims, Dalits and other minorities in India ... Palestinians,
Rohingya refugees. It is not religion, it is the exploitation of power, it is
just elitesvs the poor and minorities.
"Minorities
need protection globally from every country. They need a voice, need
protection, and it is a reminder to governments, to human rights organisations
to take this very seriously," she noted.
During
the discussion, she also applauded Indian girls and young women fighting for
human rights, "speaking out" for farmers in India, climate change and
protection of the minority rights, and called their work "empowering and
inspiring".
However,
the news of the internet shutdown and arrests of activists protesting
peacefully in India is "worrying", she claimed.
"..
You may not like their political opinion but it does not mean that you put them
in jails and arrest them. It is a democratic right of every individual --
including women and girls -- to highlight their political opinions... So I hope
that the government makes sure that people can protest peacefully and ask for
their rights, and that they are heard," she added.
The
14th edition of JLF featured over 300 speakers and performers representing
around 25 Indian and 18 international languages and over 23 nationalities.
Some
of the big names who made it to the festival this year included American
linguist Noam Chomsky, 2020 Booker Prize winner Douglas Stuart, Nobel Laureates
Joseph Stiglitz, Microsoft Corporation co-founder Bill Gates, and actor-author
Priyanka Chopra.
https://www.livemint.com/news/india/my-dream-is-to-see-india-and-pakistan-become-true-good-friends-malala-yousafzai-11614572679397.html
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Jihadist
Women’s Demands Come at Crucial Time for France
By
Nicolas Pinault
March
01, 2021
Wives
and children of IS fighters are detained in al-Hol Camp in Syria, Feb. 18,
2020. (Heather Murdock/VOA)
---------
PARIS
- A group of French women who joined the so-called Islamic State militant group
and are currently detained in Syria continue a hunger strike as the French
government denies their requests to be repatriated to France, along with their
children.
At
least 12 French women who had joined the so-called Islamic State in Syria
launched a hunger strike last week to protest what their organizers describe as
“the stubborn refusal of the French authorities to organize their
repatriation.”
A
total of 80 women and their 200 children live in poor conditions in camps or
underground prisons in Syria. They denounce what they described as “an
arbitrary detention which deteriorates to infinity and without aim." They
asked to be brought to justice in France for their alleged crimes. Marie Dose
is a lawyer representing these women
She
explains that these French women live in harsh conditions in camps in Al Hol
and Roj, in Northern Syria. She describes their situation as a dead end as a
French judge has issued international warrants for their arrests and the French
judicial system wants to prosecute them. Therefore, these French women cannot
face trial in Syria or Northern Kurdistan. However, French authorities refuse
to repatriate them.
France
faces mounting pressure to tackle this humanitarian crisis on its own.
Recently,
a UN special rapporteur on protecting human rights described these camps in
Syrian as having “subhuman conditions”
Yet
French authorities have declined to repatriate all French citizens involved in
crimes in Iraq and Syria since March 2019. It is a difficult proposal for
French leaders, considering the Islamic State group has been linked to the
killings of hundreds of French citizens at home and abroad.
France’s
Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti says France will not forget that they
betrayed the motherland to fight on behalf of the so-called Islamic State.
According to him, the repatriation is a very complicated issue and a dangerous
mission that puts at risk French soldiers, agents to get these French nationals
out of the camps. A total of 35 children have been relocated to France so far,
the last ones on January 13th, he said.
The
timing does not play in favor of these women and their children as France is
heading into a presidential race. Candidates’ positions on security issues and
whether to have a strong hand against jihadists could sway voters.
Marie
Dose says only Emmanuel Macron could make the decision to repatriate these
women and their children but she says he refuses to do it as it would seem too
risky, politically speaking, ahead of the 2022 presidential election in France.
On
Sunday, UNICEF called for “the safe reintegration and repatriation of all
children in al-Hol Camp and across the northeast of Syria.” According to the UN
agency, about 22,000 foreign children of at least 60 nationalities live in this
camp in dire conditions.
https://www.voanews.com/europe/jihadist-womens-demands-come-crucial-time-france
--------
Kidnappers
finally release abducted Nigerian schoolgirls
02
March ,2021
Some
of the girls who were kidnapped after their release in Zamfara. (Reuters)
-----------
Gunmen
have released girls kidnapped from a boarding school in northwest Nigeria, the
governor of Zamfara state said in a message posted on Twitter on Tuesday in
which he shared pictures girls wearing Muslim veils.
An
armed gang abducted 279 girls from the Government Girls Science Secondary
(GGSS) School in the town of Jangebe at around 1 am on Friday. The governor’s
tweets did not state how many girls had been released, but carried images of
girls.
“Alhamdulillah!
It gladdens my heart to announce the release of the abducted students of GGSS
Jangebe from captivity”, Zamfara State Governor Bello Matawalle said on
Twitter.
“This
follows the scaling of several hurdles laid against our efforts. I enjoin all
well-meaning Nigerians to rejoice with us as our daughters are now safe,” he
said.
Schools
have become targets for mass kidnappings for ransom in northern Nigeria by
armed groups, in a trend started by the jihadist group Boko Haram, and later
its offshoot Islamic State West Africa Province. Criminal gangs have carried
out kidnappings since.
The
government has repeatedly denied paying ransoms. But President MuhammaduBuhari
issued a statement on Friday in which he urged state governments “to review
their policy of rewarding bandits with money and vehicles, warning that the
policy might boomerang disastrously”.
The
raid in Zamfara state was the second such kidnapping in little over a week in
the northwest, a region increasingly targeted by criminal gangs. On Saturday,
gunmen released 27 teenage boys who were kidnapped from their school on
February 17 in the north-central state of Niger.
Nigeria’s
most high profile school kidnapping was that of more than 270 schoolgirls
abducted by Boko Haram from the northeastern town of Chibok in 2014. Around 100
of them remain missing.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2021/03/02/Kidnappers-finally-release-abducted-Nigerian-schoolgirls
--------
Swiss
citizens set to vote on controversial burqa ban referendum
Mar
02, 2021
The
Swiss are set to vote on whether they want to ban full facial coverings in
public on March 7, when they will also vote on a range of other issues as part
of the country’s direct democratic system.
The
text of the proposed ban does not mention Muslim veils explicitly, stating only
that “no one shall cover their face in public, nor in areas accessible to the
public or in areas where services are ordinarily accessible to all”.
A
similar burqa ban was imposed previously by other European nations including
the Netherlands, Germany, France, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland and Denmark.
But
the proposal, which has been opposed by the Swiss government, is widely seen as
targeting niqabs, burqas and other face-covering veils worn by some Muslim
women.
The
initiative proposes some exceptions to the ban, including in “places of
worship” and for “health reasons”.
The
main argument by the proponents of the ban appears to be security concerns and
to a lesser extent Islamophobic sentiments.
The
ballot on the proposed burka ban comes nearly 12 years after Swiss voters
approved a ban on the construction of new minarets, in what was seen as a
political upset.
The
grouping behind the burqa ban proposal - the “EgerkingerKomitee” that includes
members of the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP) - was also behind the 2009
move to ban minarets, which was approved by nearly 60% of voters.
Supporters
of the 2009 proposal saw the minarets as alien to Swiss traditions and values
at a time of growing unease over the activities of Islamist militants in Europe
and the Middle East.
Muslims
make up only about 5% of Switzerland’s 8.6 million people, official statistics
show.
https://www.wionews.com/world/swiss-citizens-set-to-vote-on-controversial-burqa-ban-referendum-367361
--------
Self-defence
class organized after attacks against Edmonton Muslim women
Mar
01, 2021
Aisha
Barise says martial arts has always been a source of empowerment.
As
a Muslim woman who wears a hijab, she says even the naysayers, skeptical of her
place in taekwondo and karate, were just fodder for her competitive fire.
"Nobody
can tell me what to do," she said. "I'm very competitive and it
drives me and it motivates me, going out there looking different and then
competing."
Now,
after a string of attacks on six Muslim women in a 10-week span, she is sharing
what she knows with other women in self-defence classes organized by Muslim
community groups in Edmonton.
"There
aren't many people who look like me that train in martial arts, that compete in
martial arts. So that's why I took this opportunity," she said in an
interview before Sunday's class at Markaz-Ul-Islam mosque.
The
four weekly classes, which began Feb. 21, each host around 24 people after
organizers got the go-ahead from provincial health officials, said Noor
Al-Henedy, director of communications at Al-Rashid Mosque.
They
sold out within hours, she said, with requests to add at least six more classes.
It's a sign, she says, of widespread concern among the city's Muslim community.
"When
we look at the bigger picture, there's a huge education piece that needs to be
done. Our city has to come together, our province, our country, to fight Islamophobia,
anti-Semitism, hatred and racism," Al-Henedy said.
'You
are very strong'
The
recent spate of daytime attacks against Muslim women wearing headscarves dates
back to December. A mother and a daughter were assaulted in the parking lot of
Southgate Centre on Dec. 8. A week later, a woman was assaulted while waiting
for a train at the nearby Southgate LRT station.
On
Feb. 3, two women were assaulted in separate incidents, one at the University
Transit Centre and the other near 100th Street and 82nd Avenue. Then, two weeks
later, a Black Muslim woman was threatened at the Century Park LRT.
"It
cannot be something that's acceptable or something that only pops on the news
and is normal. It cannot become the norm," Al-Henedy said.
Barise,
the instructor, says that while the physical element of self-defence is a
given, there's an important psychological dimension as well.
"As
women we're always taught to not fight back ... to not to do anything, to not
act, to not retaliate," she said.
But
self-defence instills a participant with a sense of their own agency, with the
message that "you are very strong and you're very capable," Barise
said.
Despite
the empowering message, Barise says she's still heartbroken to see a group of
mostly mothers join a class out of fear for the safety of themselves and their
families.
"Mothers
that genuinely want safety for their kids," she said. "These really
vulnerable people were coming here asking for my help, and for me it was such a
personal thing for a mother to come here with her kids in order to defend them
and empower them."
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/self-defence-muslim-women-attacks-1.5931572
--------
Muslim
Woman Targeted in Racist Attack Says Call to Edmonton Police Left Her Doubly
Traumatized
February
27, 2021
The
woman, a student in her 20s who wears a hijab, says she remains terrified after
the racially-motivated attack earlier this month.
She
said a member of the Edmonton Police Service discouraged her from filing an
official report on the attack, a rejection she feels was motivated by her race
and religion.
"I'm
dealing with two sets of trauma," the woman said Thursday in an interview
with CBC News. "I'm dealing with the trauma of the attack and I'm dealing
with the trauma of that EPS officer that day that I called, that kindly
rejected me."
Due
to the woman's concerns for her safety, CBC News has agreed to keep her
identity confidential and will only identify her as M.W.
She
was waiting for a bus at the Century Park LRT Station on the morning of Feb. 17
when she was approached by a stranger who was flailing his arms. He made a fist
and swore at her, threatening to physically assault and kill her, she said.
"I've
never, ever seen that type of violence. I was scared for my life," she
said. "I had nowhere to run to. I couldn't run away from this person. I
couldn't move."
The
EPS Hate Crimes and Extremism Unit is investigating. An EPS spokesperson said
city police have repeatedly condemned violent racism and are investigating the
possible "customer service issues."
CBC
News is awaiting an official statement from the hate crimes unit investigators
who have been tasked with reviewing the recorded call.
The
assault — the fifth such attack in Edmonton on Black women wearing head
coverings in a 10-week period — has been denounced by Mayor Don Iveson and the
National Council of Muslim Canadians.
The
woman said she has no doubt her hijab made her a target.
"This
is really sad, you know," she said. "I never thought that my
appearance would make me a vulnerable person."
She
said no security officers were present but that the assault was witnessed by
others.
"This
happened in broad daylight," she said. "Nobody offered to give me
help.
"The
perpetrator had ample opportunity to carry out those threats but by the grace
of God, I didn't suffer like some other women have suffered."
The
woman got help later from an ETS bus driver and peace officers.
'He
laughed at me'
Two
hours after the assault — upset, confused and seeking advice — she called the
non-emergency EPS line.
She
said an officer told her there would be "no point" in filing a report
and, as the conversation came to an end, laughed at her.
"He
told me in that phone call that I should be satisfied with what the peace
officers did. And he didn't want to help me.
"I
am just trying to do the right thing and be of the service to the city and
report it. You know, that's what we're supposed to do if we can do it. And he
laughed at me."
The
woman said peace officers at the LRT station told her police would likely investigate
her attack as harassment.
She
wanted to put her account of the incident on record.
"He
did not allow me to file a report," she said of the EPS member she spoke
to on the complaint line. "He discouraged me.
"I
told him that I wasn't satisfied with just the harassment charge that the peace
officers could file," she said. "I told him it was more than
harassment. Threats were uttered to me. My safety was put in jeopardy. And
that's not OK."
She
said the interaction demonstrates a lack of empathy toward people who
experience racism, and undermines efforts to root out Islamophobia in Edmonton.
She
wants a written apology from the EPS member and is calling on police to
publicly condemn the recent string of racist attacks against Muslim women. She
is also calling for increased security patrols on transit.
"Islamophobia
is at an all-time high and it needs to be addressed," she said.
"That
statement made by EPS, it's not going to suffice," she said. "They're
going to have to really, really work hard to mend the relationship back with
the Muslim community, because it's disintegrating."
The
woman said she finally received the support she needed after emailing her city
councillor's ward office.
The
mayor's office then put her in touch with an EPS official who helped her file a
report on Feb. 19. She has since been in contact with investigators and feels
her case is being taken seriously.
"I
do have compassion for my attacker, but I still want to stand up for myself and
I want to stand up for the other women that have gone through this."
https://iqna.ir/en/news/3474096/muslim-woman-targeted-in-racist-attack-says-call-to-edmonton-police-left-her-doubly-traumatized
--------
Does
Islam marginalize women?
February
28, 2021
AhlulBayt
News Agency (ABNA): For centuries the Western civilization has been banging on
the drum for fighting against religion and religious traditions under the
pretext of defending and reviving women’s rights; this is in the case that
evidence attests that women’s rights have not been yet completely recognized
there. The following Op-Ed article attempts to investigate the possibility of
having an active socio-political role for women in the Islamic point of view
with special attention to the character of Lady Zaynab (pbuh) before, during,
and after the Battle of Karbala.
The
history of political thoughts is replete with controversies over the extent and
quality of women's presence in politics and society. In the political
philosophy of the West up to the 19th century, although sometimes in the works
of philosophers such as Plato there is a reference to the equality of men and
women’s rights[1], but the dominant approach stresses the female inferiority.
Aristotle, in Politics, considers a woman as a subhuman being who is a
second-class citizen[2], so she cannot maintain an active role in the political
arena, and this view with almost the same trend continues in later
philosophers. Describing this centuries-old misogynist history in his 1861
essay, The Subjection of Women, John Stuart Mill states that all relations and
laws in societies are regulated by the logic of coercion and domination, and
this system of domination forces them on people in the form of traditions and
customs. These traditions and customs have historically made men the superior
sex and women the inferior sex, and now if we want to achieve justice and
equality between the two genders, we must fight against these traditions and
customs. The liberal feminist movement, centered on this idea of Stuart Mill
since the nineteenth century, has embarked the fight against traditions and
customs for the realization of women's rights and their liberation from the
historical subjugation by men.
However,
these efforts have not yet succeeded. Susan Moller Okin in Women in Western
Political Thought acknowledges that theories of contemporary politics, although
accepting the equality of rights of men and women and having a neutral approach
to traditions and customs, but the globalization of the economy and modern
plans and developments, etc. all have resulted in the continued marginal role
of women in society[3]. This result calls into question that solution.
Reviewing
a tradition
The
situation that has arisen for modern women as a result of the fight against
traditions and the critique of religion casts doubt on John Stuart Mill's
solution. Has “tradition”, regardless of its cultural origins, been the main
factor in making women inferior throughout history.
Islamic
thinkers have a different view on this issue. In Islamic sources, in the stage
of creation humans are valued equally regardless of gender. In other words,
human beings have an intrinsic value as human beings, and being human by itself
gives them the possibility of growth and excellence, and enjoying the same
rights and duties as other humans, and in this respect, there is no difference
between men and women. So, every individual has an equally active role in
society and enjoys its benefits. The major social mission of humans, both men
and women, is to build a world in which the monotheism and perfection of
mankind are crystallized, and femininity and masculinity are containers in
which this task is poured and takes various forms. This perspective on human
beings is the basis for the philosophical foundations on which Islamic politics
rest. It is to be emphasized that the said view on the essential equality of
human beings is not limited to the theoretical spheres in Islamic principles
and traditions and has had many practical instances throughout the history of
Islam. In such scenes, women who were inspired by their religion, not at a
lower status than men, but alongside them, have taken active and historical
roles in politics and society.
One
of the most representative examples of the active socio-political presence is
that of the women of Ahl al-Bayt. As ones trained in the school of Islam and
attached to the household of infallibility, they are real examples of the idea
that Muslim thinkers have put forward in their views on the role of women. Lady
Zaynab (s.a.) is a prominent example in the history who shows the active
presence of a woman in one of the most important socio-political scenes of the
history[4].
Women
of Ashura, revolutionary activists
Shia
identity is tied to Ashura culture; So that after the event of Ashura and the
martyrdom of Imam Hussain (a.s.) and his companions, every socio-political
movement formed in the history of the Shia has a relation, whether direct or
indirect, to Karbala and benefit from its teachings. This close relationship
between the socio-political currents of the Shia and the Ashura event shows
that one of the most important aspects of this uprising is political. Now, the
question is whether this historic and identity-making political uprising was
formed by women or men? Is the movement a masculine or feminine or a human one?
Certainly, the presence of the women of Ahl al-Bayt and the companions of Imam
Hussain (a.s.) in Karbala is a known and unalterable fact in Islamic history,
but was this presence a passive act only in following their men, or was it an
active complementary role-playing alongside men? To answer this question, we
should review the Karbala event from a feminine perspective.
Although
the main hero of Karbala is Imam Hussain (a.s.), history cannot narrate the
Karbala event without mentioning the name of Lady Zaynab (s.a.). The greatness
of Lady Zaynab is as great as Ashura itself, but the source of this greatness
is not being the daughter of Imam Ali (a.s.) or the sister of Imam Hussain
(a.s.). The value and greatness of Zaynab (sa) is due to her great human and
Islamic position and action based on the Divine duty. It is her actions, her
decisions and type of movement that is so dignifying and that every human
being, regardless of his/her relationships, can achieve it. The permanence of
this character is the product of her choices before, during and after Ashura.
Before the Karbala event, there were many men who lost their power of analysis
and failed to accompany Imam Hussain, but Lady Zaynab, knowing what would
happen, chose to go and took her children with her, too. On the Day of Ashura,
which was the climax of the crisis, although she had lost her son, brother and
relatives, she was supportive and a companion until the last moments[5]. But
the culmination of Zaynab's (s.a.) role is after the incident. When nothing was
left of the relationships and she had the first role.
In
Shia literature, it is often said that blood prevailed over the swords in the
event of Karbala. The cause of this victory was Lady Zaynab; If it were not for
Lady Zaynab, the blood in Karbala would have been forgotten[6]. On the Day of
Ashura, a military confrontation ended with the apparent defeat of the forces
of Truth; But what turned this apparent military defeat into a definitive
permanent victory was Lady Zaynab's role. The role played by Lady Zaynab was
the continuation of the movement of Imam Hussain (a.s.), and if it were not for
her, that uprising would have been lost in the history. This incident showed
that women are not on the margins of history and subordinate to men. The Shia
woman is at the center of important historical events. Relying on her faith and
religion, a woman acts in a way to humiliate an enemy at the center of his
power, while he has ostensibly won the military campaign and has crushed his
opponents and leaned on the throne of victory; she put the eternal stigma on
his forehead and changed his victory into defeat; This is the what Lady Zaynab
has done. Lady Zaynab (s.a.) showed that women's hijab and decency can be
turned into an eternal honor[7].
Is
not this example a perfect proof that women in Islam are in the context of
politics and society and that the monotheistic tradition and religion do not
want women to be inferior but it places them at the top of human peaks?
-------------------
[1]
Plato, Republic, Paragraphs 461 – 463.
[2]
Aristotle, Politics, Book II, Paragraphs 1 – 13.
[3]
Okin, Susan Moller. Women in Western Political Thought. Princeton University
Press, 2013.
[4]
Sayyid Ali Khamenei, Speech in the meeting with nurses, November 13, 1991.
[5]
Ibid.
[6]
Sayyid Ali Khamenei, Speech in the meeting with nurses, April 21, 2010.
[7]
Ibid.
https://en.abna24.com/news//does-islam-marginalize-women_1119362.html
--------
How
a group of Saudi female showjumpers took over the reins
March
01, 2021
DUBAI:
If it doesn’t exist, create it.
That
seems to be the attitude of Saudi female athletes increasingly taking matters
into their own hands. Women footballers and motor-racing drivers in the Kingdom
have rightly been making the headlines recently.
But
a group of six female showjumpers have been riding the wave of change even
before societal reforms swept through the Kingdom and brought gender equality
to the fore, as part of its Vision 2030 goals.
For
years, the group of friends would attend showjumping competitions throughout
the season as spectators. Until one day, while at an Equestrian Federation show
in Jenadriya, they decided to establish an organization that would cater to
their love of the sport, and allow them to compete on equal terms with male
show jumpers.
They
named it the Equestrian Union.
“Equestrian
Union is an initiative that we started as Saudi female riders back in 2015,
addressing the fact that there were no competitions that allowed female
participation in Saudi Arabia at that time,” Mashael bint Mansour Binsultan,
one of the founding showjumpers, told Arab News. She has been riding horses for
the past 20 years.
“We
had top imported horses, professional trainers, private stables and all the
unconditional support of our families. We trained daily and took care of our
horses; it was a lifestyle,” she added.
There
was further positive change when in 2019, the Equestrian Federation opened up
opens up participation for all female riders.
After
that, progress has been rapid. In December 2019, 13 female Saudi equestrians
made their home debut as part of the Diriyah Season, competing with their male
counterparts for the first time ever in the Kingdom.
Binsultan,
along with Sara Alruwaita, AjwaAlsaud, Loulouah Bandar, ShuaaAlakeel and Sara
Aljowie, had been honing their organisational skills long before that.
“We
(had) started planning and managing events during the winter season since 2015,
which shed light on showjumping competitions specifically but also included
many other aspects such as cycling, hiking, archery, promoting local Saudi
brands, food trucks, and horse trails,” Binsultan explained. “As a result, we
gained experience in managing and organizing shows and events.”
Their
first show took place in October 2015 and met all the standards of the
FédérationEquestreInternationale (FEI).
“We
want to continue promoting not only showjumping, but also social
family-oriented sporting events and recreational activities, which is one of
the main strategic goals of the Saudi Vision 2030,” Binsultan said. “Our
families and friends were extremely supportive since the beginning. We were
also fortunate enough to get added technical experience and support from local
and international companies that sponsored some of the showjumping classes.”
Mansour
AlMugatti, an international course designer and judge, continues to lend his
support with the events to this day.
“We
were very happy with the support and positive feedback we had from the
Equestrian Federation which came from Prince Abdullah Bin Fahad, the president
of the Equestrian Federation, honoring the winners in our last event,” she
added.
Binsultan
said, under the administration of the Minister of Sports Prince Abdulaziz Bin
Turki, equestrian tournaments, in particular the Saudi Cup, are joining some of
the highest profile events in the Kingdom — such as Formula E, the Clash on the
Dunes heavyweight boxing bout, the Diriyah Tennis Cup and the Asian Games 2034.
Moreover,
Saudi Arabia will host international four and five star showjumping events in
Riyadh during the 2020-2021 season, and the Equestrian World Games 2024.
“I
was immediately interested as, at the time, we did not have shows that allowed
women to compete in Saudi Arabia and it was a fun way to spend the day with my
friends, family and horses,” Bandar told Arab News. “I have always been into
horses. I really don’t know why or how it started but both my parents rode as
children and encouraged me when I expressed interest. I have a lot of family
members who owned horses so I have always been around them.”
Bandar
believes the Union provides a platform for equestrian lovers to practice their
skills, without the pressures that comes with competing at a federation show.
“It’s
a great place to come to if you are a beginner, someone with a new horse or
even someone wanting to get in extra ‘schooling’ with your horse,” said the
26-year-old. “It’s also important because, a lot of the time, riders spend
weekends at shows away from their family and friends, and with Equestrian
Union, they can have a day out and enjoy it with their family members and loved
ones.”
Alruwaita’s
passion for horse-riding began at the age of 15 and alongside a friend, she
went on to open “Tack Shack”, an equestrian goods store in Riyadh.
“I
loved it,” she said, addressing the changes that have taken place in the
Kingdom over the last decade. “Everything changed, the sport itself, the type
of competitions and even the riders. Today, we have more competitions, the
riders’ levels have improved, and there are more people involved.”
For
Binsultan, the success of the Equestrian Union is down to the opportunities
have presented themselves in the wake of societal and social change in the
Kingdom.
“Everyone
can see the reform that Saudi Arabia is going through with the leadership of
(the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques) King Salman, and the ambitious vision
of the Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman,” Binsultan said. “The vision touches
on all aspects of life across all social and economic dimensions, with a strong
focus on enhancing the quality of life with a specific focus on human
well-being through the promotion of the sports sector. We wish all the best to
our Kingdom and hope we can be a part of this optimistic vision.”
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1817926/sport
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Loujain
Al-Hathloul Released From Prison: Saudi Arabia Silencing Human Rights Advocates
March
1, 2021
Loujain
al Hathloul, a prominent women’s rights activist, has been released from a
Saudi Arabian prison after she was detained in December 2018 for allegedly
threatening Saudi Arabia’s national security and challenging its political
system. These charges have been labeled as “extremely alarming and spurious” by
UN human rights experts. Hathloul is a passionate defender of human rights and
has been campaigning against the male guardianship system in Saudi Arabia. This
system gives the male guardians of a household the authority to make critical
decisions on behalf of the women in his household.
Essentially,
women are required to obtain permission from their male guardians to gain
access to basic health care, work, marry, travel, and the list goes on. The
male guardianship system in Saudi Arabia has been described by the Humans Right
Watch as the “most significant impediment to realizing women’s rights in the
country”. Hathloul along with many other outspoken campaigners wishes to see a
social change where both men and women are treated as equals in the eyes of the
law, but how can the country experience positive social change when Saudi
officials are arresting and silencing the change-makers?
During
her time in prison, Hathloul stated that she had been subjected to abuse
including waterboarding, flogging, electric shock, and sexual assault. Saudi
Arabian authorities have denied such claims. Hathloul still faces a 5-year
travel ban and is now seeking to hold Saudi Arabian officials accountable for
the torture and pain inflicted on her almost three-year stay in prison.
Hathloul is just one of many other women activists who have been detained by
the Saudi government whilst advocating for basic human rights.
The
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed Houthloul’s release, emphasizing
that “it is important that others who are in the same condition as her, who
have been jailed for the same reasons as her, also be released and that charges
be dropped”
Elizabeth
Broderick, the chairman of the UN Working Group on Discrimination against Women
and Girls, argued in December 2020 that “Saudi Arabia has a primary
responsibility and duty to protect and implement all human rights and
fundamental freedoms”. She then stressed that “Saudi Arabia can not turn a
blind eye to the arbitrary detention and allegation of torture of a woman whose
only reason for imprisonment was to advance women’s rights”.
Hathloul’s
sister and family told an online news conference that “all we want now is real
justice”.
This
isn’t the first time Saudi Arabia has arrested political and human rights
activists. Amnesty International reported that in 2019 Saudi Arabia arrested 14
individuals who were part of a women’s rights peaceful protest. These 14
individuals consisted of novelists, journalists, and advocates championing women’s
empowerment. Amnesty expressed that “Saudi Arabian authorities continued to
arbitrarily detain human right defenders for a prolonged period of time without
bringing them before a court or charging them”.
UN
human rights experts have argued that “defending human rights can never be
considered a threat to national security”. Hathloul’s activism should not have
been perceived as a threat to Saudi Arabia’s political system, demanding for
basic human rights should never be construed as treasonous.
https://theowp.org/loujain-al-hathloul-released-from-prison-saudi-arabia-silencing-human-rights-advocates/
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BushraBibi
visits shelter home near Data Darbar in Lahore
March
01, 2021
Pakistan's
first lady BushraBibi, who is also known for her philanthropic efforts, paid a
visit to a shelter home near Lahore's Data Darbar on Monday.
She
not only broke bread with those residing in the Panagah but also inspected the
facilities at hand. This is not the first time she has visited sanctuaries for
the destitute, as last year she visited various shelter homes located in the
federal capital.
The
first lady, during her surprise visit, interacted with the destitute and asked
them about quality of food and facilities at the shelter home. She also tasted
the food being offered to the people there. She was accompanied by her friend
Farah Khan.
Shelter
Homes, an initiative of Prime Minister Imran Khan, have been set up in five
cities of the country since 2020 with plans to start such refuge in other
cities as well. These shelter homes are very close to the heart of the premier
as these provide food and shelter to the needy and destitute.
Bushra
Imran directed the management of the facility to further improve the standard
of facilities at the shelter home.
Talking
to the inmate of the shelter-home, the first lady said the Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has provided a shelter to the homeless people,
adding that the government is committed to giving people their rights.
It
is responsibility of the government to look after the people at these shelter
homes, adding that feeding and providing shelter to the destitute is a duty and
a virtue. She said service of the mankind pleases Allah Almighty.
The
residents of the shelter homes told the first lady that the shelter homes provided
them home-like atmosphere, adding that they pray for Prime Minister Imran for
building this refuge.
“We
used to spend nights at foot-paths in the city but now we sleep under a roof
with good food to eat,” one of the shelter-home inmates said.
On
this occasion, a disabled person residing in the shelter informed the first
lady about his disability. Acting upon his request immediately, BushraBibi
ordered the authorities to help him.
Strict
security arrangements were in place during the visit. However, no senior
official including Commissioner or DCO Lahore were present at Data Darbar.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2286942/watch-bushra-bibi-visits-shelter-home-near-data-darbar-in-lahore
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'I'd
like to join Pixar one day': meet Afghanistan's first female animator
2
Mar 2021
Awoman
in traditional dress breaks open the bars of a prison. A young child dances,
oblivious to a backdrop of tanks and explosions. The drawings by Afghanistan’s
first professional female animation artist, Sara Barackzay, reflect the
struggles of her young life.
Barackzay,
who lost her hearing as a child, left Afghanistan to study in Turkey, but has
returned with the hope of starting a specialist school for animation arts.
Now
working on her own cartoon series, Barackzay illustrates children’s books,
designs clothes, teaches art and has won several awards.
Her
topics include peace, war, women’s rights – and the animals from her childhood
growing up among the family’s cats, rabbits, chickens and even frogs, she says.
“Afghan
women try so hard – maybe even harder than others – to reach their goals. It’s
one of the messages I want to communicate through my art,” she adds. “I always
had big dreams, but fighting for them was never easy. Afghan women continue to
face many limitations, and gaining my own freedom is possibly the biggest
challenge I’ve faced – and it’s a struggle that continues. I am still finding
my way.
“The
other goal is to change perceptions about Afghanistan: my country is full of
kind people, amazing food and an old culture, and that’s what I want to show to
the world.”
Growing
up in and around Herat in the north-west of the country – an ancient city with
its historic Blue Mosque and old citadel – Barackzay started drawing at the age
of four. Her parents had temporarily moved the family to a village outside the
city after Sara’s birth, escaping Taliban rule, returning to their small brick
house after the US-led invasion in 2001.
“The
war was all present when I was a child,” Barackzay says. “My father helped me
learn how to speak without being able to hear, but it was hard.”
Life
changed when she was given a hearing aid at the age of eight and was able to
join her sisters at school.
“It
opened the world for me,” Barackzay says. She finished school at 15, then took
university entrance exams, applying for a scholarship to study animation arts
in Turkey, and persuading her family to let her study there when she received a
fully funded offer.
“The
Smurfs,” she says, “is how I learned Turkish as a child. I even watched
television programmes in German, Arabic and English, and now speak all of these
languages.”
Now
she is teaching other young Afghan women her skills. “I even receive threats
because of what I do, but I came back to Afghanistan to teach animation to
other young girls and to one day open a university here,” she says.
Rising
insecurity and the absence of good healthcare have affected her life, she says.
Fighting
has increased in Afghanistan with more than 3,000 civilians killed last year
alone, according to the UN. Violence has risen sharply recently, with targeted
hit-and-run attacks killing more than 200 people since September. As the US
considers a potential troop withdrawal in May, there are fears that fighting
will escalate further.
“I
dream of making the future easier for at least some girls in Afghanistan, and
of joining Disney or Pixar as an animation artist one day,” Barackzay says.
“But my number one dream remains for my country: lasting peace.”
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/mar/02/id-like-to-join-pixar-one-day-meet-afghanistans-first-female-animator
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Women
revolutionizing Istanbul’s public transportation
March
02 2021
Women
are putting their mark on Istanbul’s public transportation, as the number of
women drivers working at the Istanbul Metro has risen to 99 out of the total
772.
Carrying
commuters all day and working underground in different shifts, women metro
drivers strictly oppose being called “vatman,” a word of French origin, which
means tram drivers, representing male workers.
“The
era of vatman has finished. The era of vatwoman has begun,” said 30-year-old
BurcuKasap, a female metro driver.
“I
have graduated from Kocaeli University’s Human Resources Faculty. I previously
worked as a digger operator for a construction company and am now working at
the Istanbul Metro,” Kasap added.
Stating
that she graduated from Anadolu University’s Public Administration Faculty and
is now working as a tram driver at the Istanbul Metro, 37-year-old HavvaÇakmak
said she works four days a week.
“I
am the ruler of this big tram,” she said.
HandeNurGülek,
who controls the Üsküdar-Çekmeköy line, said that it was her dream to work in a
metro.
When
asked how men react when they see a women metro driver working, 26-year-old
KübraSucu, who controls the Yenikapı-Hacıosman line, said, “Even my father
could not believe it.”
“I
took graphic design training in my university. When I applied for this job,
even my father opposed me, saying that it was a man’s job,” she said, adding
that her father got surprised when she passed exams and became a driver.
Kasap
also faced people disagreeing with her choice of profession, questing her
capability if she could do such a job.
“Some
of my friends said that I was a ‘puny plaza girl.’ They did not find the job
[of a tram driver] suitable for me,” Kasap said.
Noting
that her mother has been her mentor who encouraged her greatly, she said, “My
mother supported and encouraged me to become a metro driver. She is so proud of
me that she calls everybody and tells them about my job.”
When
asked whether the job is hard for her to do or not, Sucu said, “It is easier
than driving a vehicle on roads or highways. There is no traffic problem here,
underground. Because commuters are sitting inside, the metro vehicle drives
automatically.”
The
drivers only have to drive trams manually in emergencies, she added.
Noting
that, of course, every job has its difficulties, and even though she is newly
married and has to stay away from home due to shifts, Kasap said that she loves
her job anyway.
“My
husband usually has to wait for me at home, as due to my shifts, I have to work
late sometimes. But anyway, I love my job,” she stated.
The
Istanbul Metro, which started service in 1989 with only one line, now has 89
stations in service with 50 more under construction.
Out
of the 89 operating stations, 73 are fully underground, five are elevated
stations, nine are embankment tube stations and two are partially underground.
The
metro operates from 6 a.m. until midnight every six to 10 minutes.
https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/women-revolutionizing-istanbuls-public-transportation-162797
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/my-dream-see-india-pakistan/d/124435
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