Saudi Arabia Uses Tweets Supporting Women's Rights as Evidence against Jailed Rights Activist Loujain al-Hathloul
New
Age Islam News Bureau
15
December 2020
• For The First Time in the History of Israel, an Arab Businesswoman, Ilham Khazen, Announced Her Intention to Run For the Presidency
•
Tabuk Emir: Saudi Women Essential Partner In Nation’s Development
•
Israeli Interrogators Physically, Psychologically Tortured Palestinian Woman
•
Jammu and Kashmir Constituted a Panel To Monitor Sexual Abuse Against Women
•
Agreement Signed To Promote Women's Presence On Board Of Listed Companies
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/saudi-arabia-uses-tweets-supporting/d/123763
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Saudi
Arabia Uses Tweets Supporting Women's Rights as Evidence Against Jailed Rights
Activist Loujain al-Hathloul
14
December 2020
Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul is being tried
in a terrorism court (AFP)
------
The
Saudi public prosecutor on Monday cited tweets about a campaign to let women
drive and the kingdom's guardianship system as evidence against jailed rights
activist Loujain al-Hathloul, her family said.
Hathloul,
31, appeared at a Saudi terrorism court on Monday, accused of harming the
kingdom's interests and collaborating with foreign agents.
The
women's rights activist was arrested in May 2018 with at least a dozen other
women activists, just weeks before the decades-long ban on female drivers was
lifted.
Her
sister, Lina, said on Twitter that Monday's hearing was the first time Hathloul
had heard the alleged evidence against her.
"Loujain's
hearing today: she handed in her defence and got what the public prosecutor
considers evidence of her alleged crimes," Lina al-Hathloul wrote on
Twitter.
"They
include tweets about the Women2Drive campaign and audios of her explaining the
male guardianship system."
Her
next hearing is set for Wednesday.
Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has presented himself as a reformer but has
overseen a brutal crackdown on dissidents or independent Saudis, previously
claimed there were videos of Hathloul proving she worked as a spy.
However,
Hathloul's brother Walid noted that no such evidence was presented:
Hathloul
was transferred late last month to the Specialised Criminal Court (SCC), Saudi
Arabia's terrorism court, which is notorious for giving dissidents lengthy
prison sentences.
She
and other imprisoned activists are being charged under the country's
anti-cybercrime law on allegations that they “communicated with people and
entities hostile to the king”, “cooperated with journalists and media
institutions hostile to the king”, “provided financial support to foreign
adversaries” and “recruited persons for information detrimental to the security
of the kingdom”.
'Spurious'
charges
UN
experts have dubbed the charges against Hathloul as "spurious" and
called on Saudi Arabia to release imprisoned women's rights activists.
When
Hathloul first appeared before a court last month, her family said she looked
ill.
"She
looked weak in court, her body was shaking uncontrollably and her voice was
faint and shaky," Lina al-Hathloul said at the time.
Despite
her frail health, the activist read out her four-page defence to the judge
during the first hearing, her other sister, Alia al-Hathloul, said on Twitter.
Hathloul's
family and rights groups have alleged that she has experienced sexual
harassment and torture in detention. Saudi authorities deny the charges.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/saudi-arabia-loujain-hathloul-women-rights-tweets-evidence
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For
The First Time in the History of Israel, an Arab Businesswoman, Ilham Khazen,
Announced Her Intention to Run For the Presidency
Afif
Abu Much
Dec
10, 2020
Ilham Khazen, a resident of the Arab town of
Ba'nah/Tel Aviv - Asharq Al-Awsat
------
Azmi
Bishara, then chairman of the Balad Party, was the first and until now only
Arab citizen to run for prime minister of Israel. Things were different in
1999. There were direct elections for the office of prime minister, regardless
of the candidate’s party affiliation. Then, two days before the election,
Bishara withdrew his candidacy, citing a variety of reasons.
Three
decades later, Arab businesswoman Elham Khazen from the northern town of Bi’ina
announced her plans to run for president. Khazen, who owns a chain of
pharmacies and a clinic in the town of Sakhnin, is the first Arab woman to run
for the largely ceremonial position.
Khazen
joins minister Amir Peretz, former minister Shimon Shetreet and former Knesset
member Yehudah Glick, all of whom have announced their candidacies as well.
Any
Knesset member can propose a candidate for the presidency, but the candidate
must receive the endorsement of at least 10 Knesset members to run. All Knesset
members then vote in a secret ballot. The general tendency of late has been for
the lawmakers to choose a candidate from among themselves rather than an
outsider. For example, when Nobel laureate in chemistry Dan Shechtman ran in
2014, he won just a single vote.
What
are Khazen’s chances? Will she win the support of 10 Knesset members with her
natural base? The Arab Joint List is in no rush congratulate her. As of the
time of writing, they have yet to respond to her announcement at all. The delay
could be the result of Khazen’s previous political activity. During the last
March 2020 election, she served as head of the Blue and White Party’s Women in
Arab Society division and in a previous election she ran in the Labour primary.
In
a conversation with Al-Monitor, Khazen said, “My decision to run has been made.
I am now putting together a list of 10 Knesset members to endorse me. There is
a group of Knesset members who promised me that they would support the process,
but I still have work to do to ensure that 10 Knesset members will actually
recommend me. Once I get that, I will do what I can to win the support of 61
Knesset members who will vote for me as their candidate.”
Khazen
admits that the mission is going to be tough, but finds it well worth the
effort. “I think that this is an important step forward. It should have been
done long ago by others to prove that we [Arab citizens of Israel] are in the
game and part of the state. We tell everyone that we are citizens just like
everyone else, and it is our right to demand full equality. I see no other
option but to partner with the Jewish sector here.”
Asked
about her chances given the Knesset's preference for internal candidates,
Khazen said, “I realize that my chances aren’t as high as I would like, but it
is enough to just participate in the race. I plan to work hard and I have quite
a few relationships with Jewish Knesset members. I have already asked the prime
minister to support my candidacy in order to show that he has nothing against
the Arab public and that he supports boosting the status of Arab women in the
country. Similarly, I approached my own party, Blue and White. While I am not
sure that everyone will support me, some of them might.”
Khazen
says she expects all Joint List members to vote for her — that is, if they are
really concerned about Arab society and the status of Arab women. “They must not
repeat the same mistakes they made by voting against the normalization
agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. It is true that I am not
a member of the Joint List, but they need to support me because I am an Arab
citizen and the role of president transcends party lines. I have support from
Arabs and Jews alike. Even … Fatah’s Committee for Interaction with Israeli
Society called to encourage and support my move. In fact, they invited me to
meet with them in Ramallah next week.”
Is
this venture meant to build her candidacy when she runs for the Knesset again?
Bishara had admitted as much at the time of his run, saying, “My candidacy is a
bargaining chip.” Khazen said, “All options are on the table. If there is a
party that I find compatible in terms of my worldview, then why not? We need to
open up to the rest of the country and not to limit ourselves to the Joint
List.”
Based
on reactions among the various social media platforms, she seems to be getting
quite a bit of non-partisan support. On the other hand, there are inevitably
those who ridicule her efforts, saying she doesn’t have a chance and is wasting
her time.
Afify
Haj Abu Ghanima is a teacher and consultant from the town of Iblin. She told
Al-Monitor, “What we have here is a woman who thinks that she is suitable for
the job and that she has the skills needed to get to the president’s residence.
So why not support her? This attempt may yet contribute to our society in the
future. That is why I am so taken aback by those people who mock her efforts
and act disrespectfully toward her.”
As
manager of the Arabic-language Hala Channel, Bassam Jaber first revealed
Khazen’s plan to run. He told Al-Monitor, “I appreciate that she had the
courage to make such a far-reaching decision, given that she is both a woman
and an Arab. Elham Khazen shattered all sorts of glass ceilings and norms. Let
the results be what they are. This very wise woman already opened the door,
showing how far an Arab woman can go in the State of Israel.”
https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/12/israel-president-azmi-bishara-reuven-rivlin-arab-woman.html
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Tabuk
Emir: Saudi women essential partner in nation’s development
December
14, 2020
TABUK
— Emir of Tabuk Prince Fahd Bin Sultan affirmed the significant role that Saudi
women have to play in the Kingdom’s development.
“Women
are an essential partner in all realms of service and development,” the emir
said while expressing his pride in seeing women perform the role entrusted to
them with full capacity as part of the nation’s integral system.
Prince
Fahd made the remarks on Monday during his meeting with women employees who
have been appointed in key positions in various departments of the emirate
office.
“Saudi
women are working in all walks of life, helping their homeland and society to
achieve more progress. We, in the emirate of Tabuk, are not only keen on
employing women, but also on empowering them to occupy leadership positions
worthy of their participation and contributions,” he said.
Prince
Fahd noted that there are no obstacles in front of Saudi women who are
distinguished from the women of the world in their religion and great legacy
for hundreds of years.
While
underscoring his keenness on encouraging and supporting women, he reposed his
full faith and knowledge of women and their ability to understand society and
its needs.
The
emir expressed his pride in the status achieved by women with the grace of God
and the trust of the wise leadership under the leadership of Custodian of the
Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman for the great
role played by them in accordance with the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
The
emir emphasized that women employees are equal to their men counterparts in
line with the Kingdom’s law and in terms of the duties and responsibilities
that are assigned to them.
On
their part, Dr. Kholoud Al-Khamis, secretary of the regional council, and
Fariha Al-Balawi, assistant director general of human resources at the emirate,
thanked the emir for his guidance and high confidence reposed in the potential
of women in the Tabuk region.
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/601407/SAUDI-ARABIA/Tabuk-Emir-Saudi-women-essential-partner-in-nations-development
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Israeli
interrogators physically, psychologically tortured Palestinian woman
14
December 2020
A
young Palestinian woman has shared the horrific story of how she endured
excruciating physical and psychological torture in an Israeli jail, saying that
there are many Palestinian women with a similar condition behind bars.
In
a two-minute video posted on Twitter by a human rights advocacy group,
22-year-old Mays Abu Ghosh, a university student, said after being 15 months
behind bars that the prison authorities had told her, upon detention, that she
would not be the same when she left the jail.
‘You’ll
either leave while paralyzed, or you’ll end up at a psychiatric hospital.’
Abu
Ghosh was detained in August 2019 over a charge of membership in the left-wing
Democratic Progressive Student Pole, a student bloc banned by Israel. She was
also accused of contributing to a news agency allegedly affiliated with
Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement.
The
young woman said she had endured long brutal interrogations and physical abuse
by Israeli forces.
“I
spent three days under military investigation, which included psychological and
physical torture,” Abu Ghosh said.
Israeli
officers would cover her eyes with a black blindfold, she added, and she was
not allowed to sleep for very long hours.
“They
didn’t let me sleep for three days before the military interrogation.”
They
would, she went on recounting, deliberately speak in a low voice while I was
suspended on a chair so I could fall asleep. And when I dozed off, I’d be
slapped on my face.
“When
the interrogator would remove the blindfold, she would say ‘I hit you so much
on your left side. What do you think of hitting you on your right side.’”
The
Palestinian prisoner stressed that the interrogators and prison officers took
pleasure in torturing her.
The
interrogators would also force Abu Ghosh into stress positions for hours.
The
stress position that “they used on me was the squatting. So the person has to
sit while squatting and she [the interrogator] would make me do the banana
position.”
The
Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, which advocates the
rights of Palestinian inmates, has denounced the charges Israeli authorities
leveled against the young Palestinian woman.
“Such
a practice demonstrates the occupation authorities’ criminalization of fundamental
human rights through military orders,” the group said in a statement.
Back
in September, a group of Palestinian women also reported sexual abuse,
including exposition to extreme frisks, by Israeli prison officials and
interrogators at detention centers across the occupied territories.
More
than 7,000 Palestinian prisoners are currently held in some 17 Israeli jails,
with dozens of them serving multiple life sentences.
Over
350 detainees, including women and minors, are under Israel’s administrative
detention, which is a form of imprisonment without trial or charge, allowing
authorities to incarcerate Palestinians for up to six months. The duration
could be extended an infinite number of times.
The
detention takes place on orders from a military commander and on the basis of
what the Israeli regime describes as ‘secret’ evidence.
Some
prisoners have been held in administrative detention for up to 11 years.
“My
experience is a small part of the story of Palestinian prisoners. A small part
of the injured women prisoners. There are so many experiences. There are so
many young prisoners,” Abu Gosh said.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/14/640716/Israel-torture-Palestinian-woman
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Jammu
and Kashmir Constituted A Panel To Monitor Sexual Abuse Against Women
SYED
AMJAD SHAH
December
15, 2020
The
J&K administration today constituted a panel of seven members to protect
women from sexual abuse at public, private and work places.
This
committee has been directed to make recommendations and submit a report by
January 30, 2021.
The
committee was constituted following directions from the Supreme Court which
were passed in WP (C) no. 565/2012 titled Nipum Saxena and Anr. V/s Union of
India and Ors.
“To
finalize arrangements for implementation of guidelines regarding setting-up of
One Stop Centres (OSCs) in each district for monitoring the prevention and
protection of women from sexual abuse at public, private or work places across
the Union Territory,” the order by GAD Commissioner Secretary, Manoj Kumar
Dwivedi, reads.
Principal
Secretary, Social Welfare Department, has been appointed as chairman of the
committee, alongwith Secretary, Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary
Affairs, representatives of Director General of Police, representative of Home
Department, representative of Director Health Services of Jammu/Kashmir as
members and Mission Director, Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) as
member secretary. The IG CRPF, J&K, Charu Sinha shall be the special
invitee in the committee.
This
committee has been tasked to monitor the establishment of ‘One Stop Centres
(OSC)’ in accordance with the guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures
(SOPs) issued by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of
India.
The
panel will facilitate the emergency response and rescue services to the women
affected by sexual violence and ensure their medical assistance.
“To
assist women in lodging FIR/NCR/DIR with respect to offence amounting to rape
,sexual abuse, to provide psycho-social support as well as counselling to the
women affected by sexual violence and to ensure that counsellors follow a
prescribed code of ethics, guidelines and protocols in providing counselling
services,” reads the order issued by the GAD.
They
will also facilitate legal aid and counselling to women victims of sexual
violence to enable them to have free legal aid/advice and access to justice
through an empaneled lawyer, or Union Territory or District Legal Services Authority.
They
will also provide temporary shelter facilities to aggrieved women. For long
term shelter requirements, arrangements shall be made with Swadhar Greh/Short
Stay Homes (managed/affiliated with Government/NGO).
https://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/front-page-2/panel-constituted-to-monitor-sexual-abuse-against-women/
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Agreement
signed to promote women's presence on board of listed companies
December
14, 2020
RIYADH
— The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development and the Capital Market
Authority (CMA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to support and
promote the presence of women on the boards of directors of companies listed in
the capital market.
Minister
of Human Resources and Social Development Eng. Ahmed Al-Rajhi, chairman of the
Board of Directors of CMA Mohammed Al-Quweiz, and deputy minister for the labor
sector Abdullah Abuthunain were present during the signing ceremony.
The
ministry was represented by Hind Al-Zahid, deputy minister for the empowerment
of women, in the signing of the MoU while CMA was represented by Abdullah Bin
Muhammad, the undersecretary of CMA for listed companies and investment
products.
The
agreement aims to enhance cooperation between the two sides in supporting and
empowering the presence of women on the boards of directors of companies listed
in the capital market.
This
will be through specialized training for women candidates; developing a guide
for women who are in boards of directors of companies, and raising awareness
about the importance of diversity in boards of directors that supports the
decision-making process in the boards.
It
is noteworthy that the ministry strives, through the conclusion of these
agreements, to achieve the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, to support the objectives of
the National Transformation Program, in building and developing partnerships
with government agencies and the private sector to ensure coordination in joint
projects. It also seeks to increase the percentage of national cadres’
participation and to raise the percentage of women’s participation in the labor
market and supporting balance and inclusiveness in the Saudi labor market.
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/601413/SAUDI-ARABIA/Agreement-signed-to-promote-nbspwomens-presence-nbspon-board-of-listed-companies
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