Release of Convicts Shook My Faith in Justice: Bilkis, Gang-Raped During the 2002 Gujarat Riots
New
Age Islam News Bureau
18
August 2022
• Taliban
Says Ban on Girls’ Schools ‘Temporary’, not ‘Permanent’
• First
Female Fighters to Box In Saudi Arabia Want To Show ‘Boxing Is Also For Women’
• Cultural
Resistance in Palestine through the Eyes of Women
• Saudi
Fashion Designer Honayda Serafi on Harrods Career Breakthrough
• Quranic
Circles for Women Launched in Egypt
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/convicts-justice-bilkis-gujarat-riots/d/127743
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Release
of Convicts Shook My Faith in Justice: Bilkis, Gang-Raped During the 2002
Gujarat Riots
File
image of Bilkis Bano, who was gang-raped during the Gujarat riots of 2002. PTI
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Sanjay
K Jha, Our Bureau | New Delhi
18.08.22
Bilkis
Bano said in a statement on Wednesday that the premature release of all the 11
gang-rape and massacre convicts serving life sentences in the Gujarat riots
case of 2002 had shaken her faith in justice and left her numb.
A
pregnant Bilkis was gang-raped during the 2002 Gujarat riots and seven members
of her family, including her three-year-old daughter, were murdered.
The
11 convicts were released under a remission policy in BJP-run Gujarat on the
75th anniversary of Independence at a time Prime Minister Narendra Modi was
delivering from the Red Fort sermons on respecting and empowering women.
The
following is the statement issued by Bilkis through her advocate Shobha: “Two
days ago, on August 15, 2022, the trauma of the past 20 years washed over me
again when I heard that the 11 convicted men who devastated my family and my
life, and took from me my 3-year-old daughter, had walked free. I was bereft of
words. I am still numb.
“Today,
I can say only this — how can justice for any woman end like this? I trusted
the highest courts in our land. I trusted the system, and I was learning slowly
to live with my trauma. The release of these convicts has taken from me my
peace and shaken my faith in justice. My sorrow and my wavering faith is not
for myself alone but for every woman who is struggling for justice in courts.
“No one enquired about my safety and well-being before taking such a big and
unjust decision.“I appeal to the Gujarat Government, please undo this harm.
Give me back my right to live without fear and in peace. Please ensure that my
family and I are kept safe.”Earlier on Wednesday, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi had
said the entire country had witnessed the disparity between Narendra Modi’s
“words and deeds”, with life convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang rape and massacre
case being freed in Gujarat.
The
Congress underlined that the law required the Union government to have
concurred with the state government on the decision to free the convicts
because the CBI, a central agency, had investigated the case, implying the
Prime Minister or the Union home minister would have approved the release.
Rahul
tweeted: “Those who raped a five-month pregnant woman and killed her
three-year-old daughter were released in the midst of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav….
What’s the message being given to the women of the country by the leader who
lies about women’s empowerment? Prime Minister, the entire country is
witnessing the disparity between your words and deeds.”
Congress
general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted: “Release by the BJP government
of criminals convicted of raping a pregnant woman and killing her daughter, a
judgment upheld by all courts — isn’t this the climax of injustice and
insensitivity? Mr Narendra Modi, women are asking — respect for women is
restricted to speeches only?”
Insisting
that the decision to free the convicts was executive, not judicial, Congress
spokesperson Pawan Khera said: “The Supreme Court hadn’t ordered the release;
it merely asked the Gujarat government to decide on a petition for early
release within two months. The state officials are saying the decision was
taken according to the 1992 remission policy. Did the state government bring to
the notice of the Supreme Court that the 1992 policy had been scrapped by them
in 2013?”
The
1992 remission policy is critical here as the Supreme Court had asked the
Gujarat government to decide the case according to this scheme, which was in
force when the conviction happened in 2008.Without this escape route, early
release was impossible because of a Union home ministry directive to all state
governments in 2014 that certain categories of convicts, including those found
guilty of rape and murder, cannot be pardoned.
Khera
said the 1992 policy cannot apply because the Gujarat government had abrogated
it on May 8, 2013, through an executive order and this fact was hidden from the
Supreme Court.He added: “Section 435 of the CrPC clearly says that the state will
have to seek approval of the central government for mercy or early release if
the case is investigated by any central agency. When the then chief minister,
Jayalalithaa, decided to release the killers of Rajiv Gandhi, the Supreme Court
had ruled that the state alone cannot decide because the central agencies were
involved in the probe.”
Khera
said: “Both the Prime Minister and home minister Amit Shah are from Gujarat.
They should disclose whether the state government sought their permission to
release the rape-and-murder convicts. If permission was granted, make it
public. The nation should know what the Prime Minister says from the ramparts
of the Red Fort and what he actually does. Let the world know the Prime
Minister’s quest for women’s safety and empowerment is just hollow rhetoric. If
no approval was sought, they should explain what action will be taken against
the Gujarat chief minister.”The Congress asked the Gujarat chief minister to
reveal the names of the members of the jail advisory committee that first
recommended the release of the 11 convicts.
“When
was the recommendation made for the release and on what grounds?” Khera asked.
The Congress also asked other Opposition parties, particularly the AAP, and the
media why they were silent now and reminded them of the protests in the
aftermath of the 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder in a bus.“Will the cry for
justice be decided by the religion of the victim and which party is in power?”
Khera asked, warning against tendencies that point to a rot in society.
Source:
Telegraph India
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/numb-faith-in-justice-shaken-bilkis/cid/1880783
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Taliban
Says Ban on Girls’ Schools ‘Temporary’, not ‘Permanent’
Photo:
8PM News
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By
Saqalain Eqbal
17
Aug 2022
The
Taliban government’s Ministry of Education officials say that the decision to
close girls’ schools above the sixth grade nationwide is only “temporary”, not
“permanent”, and that the group is working on a plan to resume the schools.
According
to the spokesman for the ministry of education, Aziz Ahmad Rayan, who spoke at
a press conference on Tuesday, August 16, whenever the Taliban leadership
council and the religious scholars decide to permit schools to reopen for
girls, the guidelines and standards will be put in place, and the issue will be
resolved.
The
Ministry of Education has put in adequate effort in this area, but certain
processes take years to complete, and the problem with schools is not one that
can be resolved quickly, according to a spokesperson for the ministry.
“Afghanistan
is a cultural country with a variety of issues. This is not the place to delve
into them in depth,” he further added.
The
Taliban official continued by saying that while the media presents the issue of
middle school and high school girls’ education against the Taliban government,
the reopening of schools above the sixth grade calls for the appropriate
answer, the right mechanism, as well as the right amount of time, effort, and
mentalization.
According
to Ministry of Education officials, Afghanistan has 17,780 schools, 15,083 of
which are public and 2,697 private, educating a total of 10 million students, 6
million of whom are boys and 4 million of whom are girls.
While
the Taliban’s commitment to reopening schools for girls, Afghan girls are still
denied access to education from the sixth grade and above after the group
retook control of the country in August of last year.
Source:
Khaama Press
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-says-ban-on-girls-schools-temporary-not-permanent-684596/
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First
female fighters to box in Saudi Arabia want to show ‘boxing is also for women’
17
August, 2022
The
first two female boxers to compete on Saudi soil want to inspire young girls
around the world to take up the gloves themselves, they told Al Arabiya English
on Wednesday.
British-Somali
fighter Ramla Ali will face off against the Dominican Republic’s Crystal Garcia
Nova at the Rage on the Red Sea boxing event in Jeddah on Saturday.
“It’s
a huge honor,” Ali said on the sidelines of a press conference. “Myself and my
opponent will be inspiring loads of young girls and loads of women, not only in
this country, but all over the world.”
Speaking
through an interpreter, Nova said she was “blessed” to be in Saudi Arabia and
have the opportunity to take part in the first women’s boxing match in the
Kingdom.
“It’s
a message to all young women that boxing is not only for men, boxing is also
for women. And I can go far. And if I can go far, everybody, all the women in
the world can learn boxing and can go far and go up in this game.”
Authorities
in the Kingdom have traditionally placed restrictions on women’s participation
in sports.
However,
recent years have seen unprecedented progress in women’s rights, both in sports
and in everyday life.
Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 plan spurred on development of sports
in Saudi Arabia, allowing physical education to be taught to girls in school
for the first time.
Major
titles including the Formula One Grand Prix, the Saudi Cup horse race, and WWE
professional wrestling events are among many to have been held in the Kingdom
in recent years.
Heavyweight
champion Oleksandr Usyk will defend his title against the man he won it from,
Anthony Joshua, at Jeddah’s Superdome on Saturday.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Cultural
resistance in Palestine through the eyes of women
Zoe
Lafferty
17
Aug, 2022
As
artists and audiences celebrated the opening of the first-ever Palestinian
Feminist Theatre Festival in Jenin Refugee Camp, they were unaware that hours
later, another mother would mourn the death of her son.
That
evening the Israeli army entered Jenin Refugee Camp in a raid that included
heavy gunfire, tear gas and concussion grenades. Shooting 17-year-old Dirar
al-Kafrayni, the bullet entered through his shoulder, exploding internally and
causing his immediate death.
The
next day the streets filled with men carrying the child’s body, and the
festival was postponed to respect his family's morning. Kafrayni is one of 20
children killed by Israel in the West Bank and Jerusalem this year.
When
the festival opened here were powerful yet optimistic speeches from Fidaa Zidan
and Mariam Basha, part of the all-female artistic committee, addressing the
urgent need for women’s equal representation in all aspects of society, from
the workplace to political parties.
Double
oppression
The
festival is driven by The Freedom Theatre, including Artistic Director Ahmed
Tobasi and Producer Mustafa Sheta. Inspired by the rise of feminism in the
sixties and feeling despondent that it has since been put to the back of the
agenda, Mustafa said she was determined that “the festival be a space for women
to present their vision of equality, re-awakening the call to find answers and
take action.”
Those
involved in the project are keen to address the double discrimination that
women face both from Israeli occupation and within Palestinian society – whilst
also highlighting how these are connected and challenging racist Western
stereotypes of men in Arab society.
It's
a complex challenge, especially for a theatre that lost 80% of its core funding
in 2021 after rejecting conditions that stipulated they must depoliticise their
work.
Taking
place on The Freedom Theatre’s stage in Jenin Refugee Camp, it’s impossible to
ignore the context this feminist festival takes place in. The camp is under
constant military invasion, with boys and men being regularly killed and
imprisoned. Families already in precarious economic situations due to 80%
unemployment, are put under further strain with the burden falling on women to
make ends meet.
Furthermore,
the relentless brutality experienced across four generations creates an endless
cycle of humiliation, disempowerment and trauma, with toxic masculinity
becoming a survival mechanism. Violence and oppression sometimes turns inwards,
resulting in domestic violence and restrictions on women being able to choose
their own futures. “This is why it is just as important for the festival to
address not only women's rights but that of men’s and the racist and
Islamophobic stereotypes that allow Israel to go unchallenged by the West”,
added Mustafa.
Israel’s
gendered targeting
However,
this doesn't mean women and girls are spared in Israel's military attacks on
the camp. Recently, 18-year-old Hanan Mahmoud Khdour was shot as she walked to
school, and renowned journalist Shireen Abu Akleh – who was an inspiration to
so many female journalists across Palestine – was murdered as she covered an
invasion.
The
festival aims to connect global struggles with performances from Chile, Iraq,
the UK and Germany happening alongside those from Palestine. Poet Shareefa
Energy, who is set to perform, was living in North Kensington, London, when 72
people were killed in Grenfell Tower, clad in flammable material provided by
company Arconic, who also supplied parts for Apache Helicopters and F-35
Fighter Jets used to bomb Gaza.
These
links are all the more crucial as Israel recently began yet another bombing
campaign, killing 49 people, including 17 children.
Continuing
a legacy of feminism in theatre
Some
performances will also take place in Ashtar Theatre in Ramallah which was
founded by Iman Aoun and is one of Palestine’s most renowned theatre
organisations, all founded and run by women.
Rania
Elias from Yabous Cultural Centre, who was arrested in 2021, is certain that
gender has played into Israel’s attempt to censor her with harassment
continuing until this day. “They cannot stand a strong Palestinian woman who
leads an institution that strives, who can speak to the media and has relations
with thousands of people around the world. A Palestinian woman who defies the
stereotype they wish to paint,” she explained.
Feminism
is also embedded in The Freedom Theatre’s history, with co-founder Juliano Mer
Khamis inspired by his mother’s cultural work in Jenin Camp in the 1st
Intifada, both passionate that women’s equality was a key part of any
liberation of Palestine. Additionally, Rania Wasfi, the first female employee,
joined after her fiancée was killed in the 2nd Intifada. Engulfed in grief and
with little to lose, Wasfi made a bold step by joining, helping to break
potential taboos and pave the way for women to become the backbone of cultural
resistance in the theatre.
In
2011 Juliano Mer Khamis led a radical adaption of Alice In Wonderland, which
had Alice standing up to military oppression, dictatorships and societal
discrimination. A week after the final show, Khamis was murdered, causing
international media to claim his assassin was someone from the camp enraged by the
idea of women's liberation. This narrative is firmly disputed by those at the
theatre who are familiar with Israel’s history of imprisoning or killing
artists who successfully portray Palestinian struggles. The consequences of
both his murder and the media attention meant that participation for young
women became far more complicated and difficult.
The
challenges don’t stop there, sadly.
As
the climate crisis pushes summer temperatures consistently above 40 degrees,
The Freedom Theatre’s infrastructure is unable to meet the demands of both
stage lighting and air conditioning, making performances sweltering. However,
whilst the obstacles are endless, The Feminist Theatre Festival is a bold step
to continuing Juliano’s legacy and honour women, both in Palestine and
globally, who are fighting for change.
With
plans to turn the festival into an annual event, producer Mustafa Sheta
emphasises, “We believe that by empowering each person, we grow collectively
stronger and are therefore more likely to achieve the end to Israeli occupation
and apartheid.”
Zoe
Lafferty is associate director at The Freedom Theatre in Jenin Refugee Camp,
Palestine where she is currently collaborating on the global solidarity project
‘The Revolution’s Promise’ and virtual reality film ‘In A Thousand Silences’.
Source:
The New Arab
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/opinion/cultural-resistance-palestine-through-eyes-women
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Saudi
fashion designer Honayda Serafi on Harrods career breakthrough
HANADI
MERCHANT-HABIB
August
17, 2022
DUBAI:
From Priyanka Chopra to Lupita Nyong’o and Adriana Lima, Saudi Arabian designer
Honayda Serafi has dressed many A-listers around the world. Since founding her
label Honayda in 2016, Serafi has captured the attention of some of Saudi’s
most stylish women and celebrities with her standout designs in elegant and
sophisticated silhouettes. This month, she became the first Saudi designer to
showcase her collection at Harrods in London, reaching yet another pinnacle for
her label.
“I
feel very proud as Honayda is the first female-led Saudi label to be displayed
at Harrods. The collaboration had been cooking for about eight months, and it
was a pleasure working with their team on this exciting launch of exclusive
pieces available only at Harrods. It is an honor to be retailing at one of the
world’s oldest and most prestigious department stores — but definitely, the
journey is ongoing, and we are not stopping here,” said Serafi.
Not
only is this a major milestone for the brand, but it also serves as an
inspiration for other emerging labels from the Kingdom. Since founding her
brand, Serafi has always aimed to join the international fashion scene, while
also aiming to inspire other female Saudi designers into believing in their
potential. “I hope this brings inspiration to all talented Saudi designers. The
world is full of opportunities, and there is a place for everyone. To the
rising designers, I tell them to focus on their goals and to keep pushing
themselves harder,” she said.
The
Saudi design scene has rapidly evolved in the last few years, with talent from
the region being recognized internationally, especially on the red carpet. With
the establishment of the Fashion Council and its initiatives like the
mentorship and incubation programs, homegrown designers can access the many
resources they need to advance in the industry.
“When
I first started my brand, the fashion scene in Saudi Arabia was still young. I
discovered every aspect of creating from my own experiences — starting from
sourcing to tailoring and selling. Since then, I’ve seen amazing growth in the
industry. By forging and implementing several programs that aim to promote
Saudi fashion locally and internationally, the Fashion Commission has put a
great deal into developing the sector in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.”
Proudly
wearing her Saudi heritage on her sleeve, Serafi’s mission has always been to
empower women through her clothes. “I believe in women empowering women. The
brand was nurtured in a way to have a cause and to be one with a voice.
Stepping ahead by supporting and lifting each other proves achievable when we
join forces. Women know and love Honayda because they relate to it.”
The
starting point of every Honayda collection is based on the women who have
inspired Serafi and those who have left a mark in history — be it from the past
or the modern day. Her fall/winter 22 collection at Harrods is no different.
Titled “A Charm from Afghan,” the designs are an ode to the powerful character
of Afghan women, their strength and the country’s spectacular architecture.
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2144696/lifestyle
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Quranic
Circles for Women Launched in Egypt
August
18, 2022
Awqaf
Minister Mohammed Mukhtar Gomaa said the Quranic programs are held in the
governorates of Al-Sharqia, Alexandria, Manoufia and Gharbia, Al-Ahram daily
reported.
They
are organized every week on Saturday at the women’s sections of mosques and
prayer rooms.
Quran
exerts, teachers and memorizers as well as religious preachers take part in the
Quranic events.
Gomaa
said it is part of the ministry’s efforts to promote the Quran, encourage Quran
activists and enhance the role of women in society.
The
ministry said it plans to launch similar Quranic programs for women in Cairo
and a number of other governorates as well.
With
the easing of the coronavirus restrictions in Egypt a few months ago, the Awqaf
ministry has resumed Quranic activities and programs in mosques and religious
centers across the country.
Egypt
is a country in North Africa with a population of around 100 million. Muslims
account for around 90 percent of the country’s total population and Quranic
activities are very common there.
Source:
IQNA
https://iqna.ir/en/news/3480140/quranic-circles-for-women-launched-in-egypt
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