Nayla Al Baloushi Becomes First Emirati Woman to Scale Mount Everest
New
Age Islam News Bureau
26
May 2022
• ‘Tanzania’s
1st Female President, Samia Suluhu Hassan, Improves Human Rights Situation’
• Tanzanian
President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Afghanistan Journalist Hoda Khamosh among
Time’s 100 ‘Most Influential People Of 2022’
• French
Court Scraps Rule Allowing 'Burkinis' In Swimming Pools
• Kanpur
Muslim Woman Marries Juvenile after His Conversion
• Ludhiana
Woman Given ‘Triple Talaq’ On Paper, Matchmaker among 4 Booked
• Diriyah
Gate Project Has 36% Saudi Female Staff, Says CEO
• Iranian
Weightlifters Fight For A Stolen Childhood Dream
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/nayla-baloushi-emirati-mount-everest/d/127098
--------
Nayla
Al Baloushi becomes first Emirati woman to scale Mount Everest
Nayla
Al Baloushi is back home after becoming the first Emirati woman to climb Mount
Everest. Pawan Singh / The National
-----
May
26, 2022
Nayla
Al Baloushi has become the first Emirati woman to climb Mount Everest.
The
UAE citizen reached the 8,849-metre summit on May 14 and had one word to
describe the top of the world – “amazing”.
“I’m
so happy, I’m really happy,” Ms Al Baloushi told The National.
“I
still cannot believe that I did this.”
Mental
and physical strength were both vital in the expedition through treacherous,
icy terrain in which temperatures dropped to chilling minus 40°C.
“There
was no other thought in my mind but that I’m going to do Everest,” she said.
“I
had no doubt, nothing else, just Everest.”
Ms
Al Baloushi said she was inspired by her husband Saeed Al Memari, a fellow
adventurer who has climbed Mount Everest twice.
Mr
Al Memari, 45, has already completed the explorer grand slam; a mountaineer's
goal to reach the North Pole and South Pole and climbing the world's seven
highest summits.
He
is currently halfway through his Peak for Peace mission, spreading the message
of harmony from the UAE by climbing the highest mountain in every country. He
has so far climbed 100 mountains.
"My
aim is to reach 193 countries," he said.
First
Arab couple to conquer Everest
Mr
Al Memari was the first Emirati to scale Mount Everest in 2012 and part of the
first Emirati team in 2016 with the UAE armed forces.
Ms
Al Baloushi’s successful climb makes them the first Arab couple to conquer the
world's highest mountain.
"I
thought about doing it three months before I went to Nepal," she said.
"My husband did not know.
"I
was not sure I could do it so I called a company and they took some information
and asked me a few questions. Last year I climbed Broad Peak in Pakistan. I did
not summit, I reached 7,300m.
"But
because of this they told me it was possible for me to climb Everest."
Proud
of his wife’s success, Mr Al Memari said it would show young Emirati women that
they can achieve their goals with determination and focus.
“My
wife worked hard to be number one, the first Emirati woman on Everest. It’s a
great message for young Emirati women that nothing is impossible,” said the
Emirati adventurer who has also scaled K2, the world’s second-highest mountain.
“They
will think 'if she did it, so can we'.”
'Everest
is easy'
The
Emirati mountaineer set herself a goal to conquer the world’s highest peak only
three months ago.
Support
from Mr Al Memari gave her the motivation to take on the Himalayan peak.
“Saeed
used to tell me 'Everest is easy' and he put this idea in my head,” she said.
“Everest
was not on my mind at all before. I decided only three months before that I
would climb Everest.
“He
was really encouraging and it stayed in my mind that Everest is easy, I have to
just keep walking.
“And
to be honest it was just like that; an uphill walk. You need to be patient and
keep walking.”
She
climbed with a Nepalese Sherpa guide, taking 10 days from base camp to summit
and staying for six days at camp 2, which at 6,400m is a launch pad to the
peak.
Modest
and down-to-earth about her achievement, Ms Al Baloushi said favourable
weather, with sunny skies and low winds, played a part in her success.
She
has met several climbers who were forced to turn back in previous years due to
storms and high winds that swept across the slopes, often with little warning.
“You
have to respect the mountain because you don’t know when the weather will
change,” she said.
“For
me the weather was perfect, it was a little windy but there were no surprises.
“It
can get scary with high winds, you may get frostbite but I did not face any of
this.”
Fitness
a way of life
Ms
Al Baloushi is no stranger to an active lifestyle and she runs and cycles as
part of her daily routine, as well as being a qualified free diver.
She
began taking on high altitude peaks over the past two years, often climbing
with her husband.
Since
2020, Ms Al Baloushi has climbed Greater Ararat in Turkey and Armenia, Mount
Cameroon and Mount Hoverla in Ukraine.
“Before
you start any sport you have to be fit," she said. "Exercising is my
lifestyle.
“It’s
not something I have to do, I enjoy doing it. I’m a dive master and I do free
diving.
“I
don’t train for climbing. It’s just my life.”
Ms
Al Baloushi believes her Everest triumph will inspire women in the country and
region to scale new heights, metaphorically speaking.
“They
have to hold on to their dreams,” she said, "they have to have faith. You
have to be sure that it’s your dream and you will achieve it.”
The
adventure is not over for this ambitious Emirati couple, who plan to travel to
Djibouti this weekend to tick another mountain, Mousa Ali, off the list of
summits reached around the world.
Source:
The National News
--------
‘Tanzania’s
1st Female President, Samia Suluhu Hassan, Improves Human Rights Situation’
Photo:
aa.com
----
Kizito
Makoye
26.05.2022
DAR
ES SALAAM, Tanzania
Human
rights defenders in Tanzania said over the past year, they have heaved a sigh
of relief under the first female President Samia Suluhu Hassan by her moves
like lifting the ban on 30 media outlets, and assuring review repressive laws.
Hassan,
who took over last year in March after the death of President John Magufuli has
rekindled hope in the country characterized by strict authoritarian rule, claim
the activists.
In
an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency, Onesmo Olengurumwa, the national
coordinator of Tanzania’s Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC), said the
country now needs wider legal reforms to ensure current developments related to
protecting civil rights are not reversed and remain sustainable.
“What
we see today is just the political will of the president, we still have some
laws that affect the operations of civil society organizations and human rights
defenders. Others curtail the right of journalists, freedom of expression, and
association. Comprehensive legal reforms are needed to repeal laws and put a
sustainable legal environment in place for us to enjoy our rights” he said.
The
THRDC was forced to suspend its operations in 2020 after the government ordered
a freeze on its bank accounts, alleging that the group was financing terrorist
activities.
The
group, however, denied the allegations.
Since
late President Magufuli had assumed office in 2015, Tanzania had been reporting
curbs on civil rights, affecting the media and human rights defenders.
Authorities
passed a series of repressive laws that stifled independent reporting and
restricted the work of media, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and
political opposition groups.
Rights
groups accused the Magufuli regime of being intolerant to criticism, raising
doubts about the state of democracy and free speech in the country.
Olengurumwa
said the new government has shown a commitment to fulfilling rights obligations
stipulated in the country’s constitution as well as in regional and
international treaties that Tanzania has ratified.
- Proper
COVID-19 data
The
prominent human rights activist said that unlike in the past, the new
government has ensured the release of proper and accurate COVID-19 data and has
encouraged Tanzanians to vaccinate against the killer disease.
“The
president’s belief in human rights is real. For example, she has strengthened
the right to freedom of expression by lifting the ban against 30 media outlets
and ordered the release of our bank account which had been frozen for several
months,” Olengurumwa said.
He
said President Hassan has acted quickly to reverse some of the most
controversial policies such as expelling pregnant girls from schools.
“Young
girls who dropped out of school for various reasons including pregnancy have
been allowed to resume their studies through an alternative means,” he added.
Olengurumwa
further said that President Hassan has shown a willingness to promote, improve
and strengthen the criminal justice system, urging the country’s judiciary to
reduce the backlog and decide cases based on justice.
According
to Olengurumwa, the president has also appointed 30 judges in the high court
and the court of appeals, making their numbers 106, and has employed 245
magistrates to accentuate court cases.
He
said that on the president’s orders police have expedited investigations
against state agencies found violating human rights. At the same time, 140
cases have been withdrawn due to a lack of evidence.
-
Previous regime stifled voices
Olengurumwa
said the previous regime had made life difficult for the NGOs, restricting
their activities by arbitrarily deregistering them.
He
said the authorities had used the 2015 Cybercrimes Act to prosecute journalists
and activists for allegedly publishing “false information” in the media and
social media platforms.
Bloggers
were also heavily penalized under the Electronic and Postal Communications
(Online Content) Regulations adopted in 2018, which required them to pay up to
$900 for posting content on their websites, the rights groups said.
Olengurumwa
hailed the new president for changing the tide and allowing people and
activists to perform their duties.
“In
many of her speeches, she has talked about human rights, the rule of law, and
equality. We will feel very proud if she can lead the process to enact a new
constitution, which will leave a lasting legacy even when she is not in power,”
he said.
-
President’s assurances encouraging
Olengurumwa,
a trained lawyer, said he was relieved to hear President Hassan recently while
attending the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the THRDC. She asked
human rights activists to raise awareness about the country’s constitution and
the rights it guarantees to the citizens.
“The
constitution is a mother law, which embodies all the rights of humans living in
Tanzania. I call upon you to educate the people to know their constitution,”
she said.
On
the issue of controlling foreign funding of NGOs, the president said it has
been taken to deter money laundering and is in line with global requirements.
“We
don’t intend to seize your money, we just want to know, how much you have
received, and what is the action plan. How have you spent the money and what is
the impact on the community” she said.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
--------
Tanzanian
President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Afghanistan Journalist Hoda Khamosh among
Time’s 100 ‘Most Influential People Of 2022’
Sakina
Fatima
24th
May 2022
Two
noted Muslim women— President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Afghanistan journalist
Hoda Khamosh have been named among the 100 most influential people of 2022 by
Time magazine on Monday.
Samia
Suluhu Hassan
62-year-old
Samia Suluhu Hassan is a Tanzanian politician who is serving as the sixth and
current president of Tanzania.
She
has given Tanzania a diplomatic face-lift after the isolation during the
Magufuli era.
“President
Samia Suluhu Hassan took office in March 2021, and her leadership has been well
received. That year has made a big difference to Tanzania. A door has opened
for dialogue between political rivals, steps have been taken to rebuild trust
in the democratic system, efforts have been made to increase press freedom, and
women and girls have a new role model,” wrote the magazine about the first
female President in the history of Tanzania.
Hoda
Khamosh
26-year-old
Hoda Khamosh is a well-known women’s rights activist, journalist, and
campaigner who has launched several public programs to raise awareness of
issues related to women’s health.
“Before
the Taliban returned, Khamosh visited schools to promote empowerment and broke
taboos around women’s health issues. She wrote poetry, and spoke of running for
President. After Kabul fell, Khamosh risked arrest among the many brave women
publicly demanding their rights,” wrote Time.
As
per media reports, Khamosh was one of six Afghan women who were invited to sit
with Taliban officials as they made their first invited visit to a Western
country since taking control of Afghanistan in August 2021 to discuss the
humanitarian and economic situation in Afghanistan.
100
celebrities of the world have been included in it from different fields from
business to politics. Adani Group chairperson Gautam Adani is also included in
this list from India’s side. At the same time, the name of Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelensky, who became popular all over the world after the Ukraine
war, is also in this list.
Here
is the full list
TITANS
Gautam
Adani
Tim
Cook
Oprah
Winfrey
Christine
Lagarde
Michelle
Yeoh
Kris
Jenner
Andy
Jassy
Sally
Rooney
Hwang
Dong-hyuk
Sam
Bankman-Fried
Megan
Rapinoe, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Alex Morgan
Elizabeth
Alexander
David
Zaslav
LEADERS
Karuna
Nundy
Khurram
Parvez
Mia
Mottley
Volodymyr
Zelenskyy
Ketanji
Brown Jackson
Joe
Rogan
Xi
Jinping
Ursula
von der Leyen
Ron
DeSantis
Joe
Biden
Yoon
Suk-yeol
Vladimir
Putin
Olaf
Scholz
Samia
Suluhu Hassan
Kevin
McCarthy
Abiy
Ahmed
Kyrsten
Sinema
Gabriel
Boric
Letitia
James
Valeriy
Zaluzhnyy
Lynn
Fitch
Umar
Ata Bandial
Sun
Chunlan
INNOVATORS
Zendaya
Taika
Waititi
Miranda
Lambert
Derrick
Palmer and Chris Smalls
Josh
Wardle
Michelle
Zauner
Demna
Timnit
Gebru
Mike
Cannon-Brookes
Bela
Bajaria
Sevgil
Musaieva
Francis
Kéré
David
Vélez
Michael
Schatz, Karen Miga, Evan Eichler, and Adam Phillippy
ARTISTS
Simu
Liu
Andrew
Garfield
Zoë
Kravitz
Sarah
Jessica Parker
Amanda
Seyfried
Quinta
Brunson
Pete
Davidson
Channing
Tatum
Nathan
Chen
Mila
Kunis
Jeremy
Strong
Faith
Ringgold
Ariana
DeBose
Jazmine
Sullivan
Michael
R. Jackson
ICONS
Mary
J. Blige
Dmitry
Muratov
Issa
Rae
Keanu
Reeves
Adele
Rafael
Nadal
Maya
Lin
Jon
Batiste
Nadine
Smith
Peng
Shuai
Hoda
Khamosh
PIONEERS
Candace
Parker
Frances
Haugen
Ahmir
“Questlove” Thompson
Sônia
Guajajara
Stéphane
Bancel
Emily
Oster
Valérie
Masson-Delmotte and Panmao Zhai
Eileen
Gu
Tulio
de Oliveira and Sikhulile Moyo
Nan
Goldin
Mazen
Darwish and Anwar Al Bunni
Emmett
Schelling
Cristina
Villarreal Velásquez and Ana Cristina González Vélez
Gregory
L. Robinson
Source:
Siasat Daily
https://www.siasat.com/2-muslim-women-among-times-100-most-influential-people-of-2022-2333251/
--------
French
Court Scraps Rule Allowing 'Burkinis' In Swimming Pools
May
26, 2022
Grenoble,
France: A French court stepped into a row over the wearing of burkinis in
municipal swimming pools, suspending a council's decision to allow Muslim women
to wear them.
The
administrative court in the Alpine city of Grenoble blocked the rule change by
the council there, arguing that it "seriously violated the principle of
neutrality in public service".
Interior
Minister Gerald Darmanin welcomed the court ruling as "excellent
news" in a post on Twitter Wednesday evening.
The
ruling was the latest development in a long-running dispute that has set
defenders of France's secular values against those arguing that a burkini ban
constitutes discrimination.
The
all-in-one swimsuit, used by some Muslim women to cover their bodies and hair
while bathing, is a controversial issue in France where critics see it as a
symbol of creeping Islamisation.
The
governor of the Isere region in southeast France had asked the court to
intervene to stop the rule change from coming into effect in June.
The
new rule had been championed by Grenoble's mayor Eric Piolle, one of the
country's highest profile Green politicians who leads a broad left-wing
coalition locally.
The
rule changes the council had approved would have allowed all types of bathing
suits, not just traditional swimming costumes for women and trunks for men.
Women would also have been free to bathe topless if they chose to.
-
Legal battles -
The
judges delivered their ruling on Wednesday evening after hearing arguments
earlier the same day.
In
their judgment, they said that the council's rule change meant some people
could invoke religious grounds for not respecting the usual dress code in
council pools.
Under
a new law to counter "Islamist separatism" passed by parliament last
year, the government can challenge decisions it suspects of undermining
France's strict secular traditions intended to separate religions from the
state.
Attempts
by several local mayors in the south of France to ban the burkini on
Mediterranean beaches in the summer of 2016 kicked off the first firestorm
around the bathing suit.
The
rules, introduced after a string of terror attacks in France, were eventually
struck down as discriminatory.
Three
years later, a group of women in Grenoble forced their way into a pool with
burkinis, sparking a political row.
French
sports brand Decathlon found itself at the centre of controversy and was in
2019 forced to back down from plans to sell a "sports hijab" enabling
Muslim women to cover their hair while running.
The
debate about the burkini comes as French Muslim women footballers are battling
to overturn a ban on the wearing of religious symbols during competitive
matches.
The
French Football Federation currently prevents players from playing while
wearing "ostentatious" religious symbols such as the Muslim hijab or
the Jewish kippa.
A
women's collective known as "les Hijabeuses" launched a legal
challenge to the rules in November last year.
Source:
ND TV
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/french-court-scraps-rule-allowing-burkinis-in-swimming-pools-3010090
--------
Kanpur
Muslim Woman Marries Juvenile after His Conversion
Kanpur
May
24, 2022
Kanpur:
Four people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in an abduction
case of a 16-year-old Hindu boy and getting him married to a 30-year-old Muslim
woman in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur. The family of the minor has alleged religious
conversion and claimed that the boy, who went missing on Sunday, was married to
Simran, mother of two children, daughter of Mohammad Hanif.
The
mother of the boy alleged that the minor was kidnapped and was taken to Jajmau
where he was married to an elderly woman and said that the accused forced him
to convert his religion.
According
to the victim's family, the teenager, living in Naveen Nagar of Kakadev came in
contact with the family a few days back. The boy went missing on Sunday and the
family grew suspicious.
The
incident has been reported from Kakadeo police station and police have arrested
four people, including the woman, her mother and the Maulvi, who performed the
nikkah. The aunt of the woman who arranged the marriage is yet to be arrested
and efforts are underway to nab her.
Police
have also arrested the Maulana who performed the Nikkah (Photo: India Today)
BAJRANG
DAL CREATES RUCKUS
After
the purported video of the marriage and religious conversion of the minor came
to the fore, Bajrang Dal activists created a ruckus at the Kakadeo police
station. Police filed an FIR and several teams were formed to arrest the
accused.
The
workers of Bajrang Dal created a ruckus at the Kakadeo police station (Photo:
India Today)
BBGT
Murthy, DCP West, Kanpur, said, "Four people have been taken into custody.
The woman, her parents and the Maulana who performed the marriage are in police
custody. We have launched a search for the aunt of the woman who made
arrangements for the marriage. All the accused are being questioned.
'European'
harmonium caught in Akal Takht’s instrumental nationalism
'European'
harmonium caught in Akal Takht’s instrumental nationalism
Princeraj
Srivastava, the provincial student head of Bajrang Dal, said that the boy was
forced into religious conversion. The family reached the police station thrice
to file a complaint, but the police did not listen to them, he said.
Initially,
police did not file a complaint citing territorial jurisdiction, but later on,
a report was filed at the behest of senior police officials.
Additional
DCP (West) Brijesh Srivastava had said, "The mother of the minor filed a
complaint at the Kakadev police station. We will arrest the accused and take
strict action against those found guilty."
Source:
India Today
--------
Ludhiana
woman given ‘triple talaq’ on paper, matchmaker among 4 booked
May
26, 2022
Almost
a year after a newlywed man allegedly attempted to divorce his wife through
‘triple talaq’ for not bringing a car in dowry, police booked him, his parents
and a matchmaker on Wednesday.
The
accused, Gulzar Nabi, his father Gulam Nabi, mother Sakina of Chamba in
Himachal Pradesh, and matchmaker Noor Mohammad of Jagraon, have been booked
under Section 498A (cruelty to woman by husband or relatives) of the Indian
Penal Code, and Section 4 of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on
Marriage) Act, 2019.
The
woman’s father, Yusuf of Kubba village, Samrala, said his daughter had married
Gulzar Nabi on March 11, 2021. “When our daughter visited us for the first time
after marriage in August, the groom’s family demanded an alto car from us as
dowry. However, when we were unable to arrange the car, Noor Mohammad, who had
brokered the alliance, handed my daughter a slip of paper with the word ‘talaq’
written on it thrice in Urdu.”
The
Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019, makes the practice
of instant divorce through “triple talaq” a punishable offence.
Investigating
officer, Satnam Singh, said the complainant had approached the police in
August, 2021, and a case was registered after probing the matter. No arrests
have been made so far.
Source:
Hindustan Times
--------
Diriyah
Gate Project has 36% Saudi female staff, says CEO
May
25, 2022
RIYADH:
The majority of Diriyah Gate Project staff, 83 percent, are Saudi nationals,
out of which 36 percent are women, said Jerry Inzerillo, group CEO of the
Diriyah Gate Development Authority.
Inzerillo,
who was speaking at the Future Hospitality Summit, said that 16 percent of the
project's women workforce are operating in the management sector.
“Just
build a giga-project and leave your community behind it. It would be immoral,”
said Inzerillo.
He
added that 40 percent of the workforce in the Diriyah Gate Project are from the
local community.
According
to Inzerillo, the project will be an iconic initiative which will offer a
future grounded in Saudi Arabia’s glorious past.
Inzerillo
revealed that the project, upon completion, will have 20,000 residential units,
and the contracts to build these settings are being awarded to Saudi builders.
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2089456/business-economy
--------
Iranian
weightlifters fight for a stolen childhood dream
David
Vorholt, Farid Ashrafian
25.05.2022
Her
biggest sporting dream was so close and then suddenly it was gone. Parisa
Jahanfekrian wanted to be the first weightlifter from Iran to compete at the
Olympic Games, in Tokyo in 2021. But the Iranian weightlifting association
(IRIWF) and the national Olympic committee prevented the now 27-year-old from
doing so by suspending her from the Games, robbing her of a "childhood
dream."
"Since
I started weightlifting, I have always been fighting for the realization of this
childhood dream," Jahanfekrian told DW in Berlin, where she fled to.
Instead, her dream "was just destroyed."
The
systematic oppression of female athletes in Iran has brought weightlifters and
many other athletes, to the point where they make such dramatic decisions. Even
after fleeing to Germany, Jahanfekrian's future remains unclear. But at least
her hope has returned.
"I
came here to Germany to show how much an Iranian woman living in freedom can
develop personally," she said.
After
qualifying for the Olympics, she hardly had any opportunities to train in Iran.
"I repeatedly pointed out these grievances to the officials, but they
ignored even the simplest of requests from me," Jahanfekrian said,
recalling a difficult time and adding that the decision to leave was
"sadly the best option for me."
$90
in three years
One
of the main factors behind the decision was financial discrimination against
female athletes in Iran.
"Once
I had qualified for the Olympics, I should have received a bonus from three organizations;
the association [IRIWF], the national olympic committee and the ministry for
sport and youth," the 27-year-old told the online magazine "inside
the games." Only the ministry paid, the others refused, "even though
they said they would pay."
Jahanfekrian
received the equivalent of around $90 (€84) in three years, while male athletes
received multiples of that amount on a monthly basis. The association had not
fulfilled its financial obligation, said Jahanfekrian after she left, adding
that they also ban external sources of income such as sponsors. Inadequate
financial support, a lack of respect and the discrimination of women ultimately
convinced her to leave the country.
Departure
despite constant surveillance
It
was not a decision Jahanfekrian made alone, either. Around 20 to 30 Iranian
athletes are said to have taken the opportunity to flee during competitions
abroad and are currently in various countries where they have applied for
asylum. That includes famous judoka Saeid Mollaei, who competed for Mongolia at
the Games in Tokyo and is the only Olympic medal winner (bronze in 2016 in Rio)
from Iran. Taekwondo star Kimia Alizadeh lives in Aschaffenburg, Germany today,
but after fleeing in 2020, described herself as "one of the millions of oppressed
women in Iran."
Weightlifter
Yekta Jamali is another to follow the same path, and the teenager fled at the
same time as Jahanfekrian. Her life also took her to Germany, after she became
the first Iranian to win a medal at the World Youth Championships (silver in
2021 in Jeddah). The 17-year-old disappeared from her hotel in the city of
Heraklion on May 10, after the World Youth Championships in Crete, where she
won another silver medal. The Iranian delegation confirmed this and contacted
the local police and Jamali's family, but didn't learn anything about her
whereabouts. "I don't know what happened," IRIWF Vice-President Zahra
Pouramin said.
IRIWF
President Ali Moradi, who was a part of the delegation in Greece, apparently
personally searched for Jamali after her disappearance. Jamali told the
London-based Iranian broadcaster "Iran International" that she was
under constant surveillance after her escape. Her minders had "not thought
it possible that I would abscond from the national team's quarters". Early
in the morning, however, she managed to disappear unnoticed from the hotel:
"I had to wait for the right moment to flee. When it came, I went to the
airport in Athens," Jamali said.
A
big deposit
Her
case made waves across Iran, with even state-run television reporting on the
17-year-old's escape. The enormous personal risk that female athletes like
Jamali are ready to take so as to avoid oppression and discrimination is an
indication how dramatic the situation is for women in sport in Iran. The risks
of being caught and punished during an escape are combined with the tragic
difficulty of leaving family behind.
"The
absence of my family will hurt me a lot. I will do all I can to make them proud
with my performances," said Jamali.
Families
are already involved when it comes to travel for competitions abroad because
they have to financially support their children. To get an exit permit, the
Iranian state demands deposits.
For
example, handball player Shaghayegh Bapiri absconded from the team during the
Women's Handball World Cup in Spain in December 2021 and applied for asylum.
Afterward, she reported that before the trip to the tournament every player on
the Iranian team had to pay a deposit of a billion Toman ($30,000). Real estate
and other valuables are also said to have been used as deposits to discourage
athletes from fleeing.
Future
in Germany
Even
in the face of difficulties for family and potential struggles in a new
country, many Iranian athletes don't turn away from departure.
"In
Germany, I will almost certainly have to face a tough time as a refugee,"
said Jamali. "But that is far less problematic than the kind of
discrimination I had to endure in Iran."
Her
goal is to develop her sporting ability so much in Germany that "the begrudging
officials in Iran realize who they have lost from their ranks."
A
dream realized in Paris?
Parisa
Jahanfekrian paid a high price, like many others, to flee to Germany. But she
is looking forward now and told DW she is "overjoyed to live in a free
country."
Jahanfekrian
says she is now living without stress or concern and that her move to Germany
is "sort of a start for the condemnation of the repressive measures to
which women in the Islamic Republic of Iran are subjected to by those in
power." Jahanfekrian wants to "be the voice of progressive Iranian
women who are not given the opportunity for personal fulfilment."
Jahanfekrian
also has a lot of plans for her sporting future too and is currently training
in Berlin. "I will do everything possible to be at the 2024
Olympics," Jahanfekrian told DW. "A huge dream of mine would be
realized if I could make that happen."
Jahanfekrian
wants to obtain a permanent residence permit for Germany and perhaps even
citizenship so that she might compete for Germany in Paris in 2024. "It
would be a great honor to wear the eagle on my chest," said the
27-year-old, who has lost an old dream but gained a new one.
Source:
DW
https://www.dw.com/en/iranian-weightlifters-fight-for-a-stolen-childhood-dream/a-61925367
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/nayla-baloushi-emirati-mount-everest/d/127098