Support Women’s Sports Clubs, Say Saudi Shoura Council Members
New Age Islam News Bureau
26
Dec 2019
The Aweta team is led by polar adventurer Dr Sharifah Mazlina Syed Abdul Kadir. (Bernama pic)
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• Support Women’s Sports Clubs, Say Saudi Shoura Council Members
• Muslim Women Felicitate With Christians on Christmas, Pray For Peace, Love
• Muslim Women Also Worship With Christian Faithful in Jos, Nigeria
• Christmas for This Muslim Girl Was Always Exciting
• Malaysia’s ‘Ice Queens’ Enter Antarctica to Retrieve Time Capsule
• Dubai Break-In: Ukranian Woman Living In Jumeirah Park Searches for Man
• US: Man Stabs Woman In Front Of Several Children, Kills Her
Compiled By New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/support-womens-sports-clubs-say/d/120632
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Support women’s sports clubs, say Saudi Shoura Council members
TARIQ AL-THAQAFI
December 26, 2019
MAKKAH: Members of the Shoura Council have called on the General Sports Authority to study the best way of setting up and supporting women’s sports clubs in the Kingdom.
Members said that sports clubs would help expedite development in Saudi Arabia and actively engage women in society.
Dr. Ahmed Al-Shuwaikhat, a member of the Social Affairs, Family and Youth Committee, said clubs would further empower women as well as increase competitiveness and participation.
Women had shown outstanding performance in different fields such as education, leadership, and economics, he added, noting that clubs would be founded in 13 administrative regions and provided with enough support to help women practice all sports anywhere and anytime.
“The calls for finding new mechanisms for establishing women’s clubs Kingdom-wide come simultaneously with the calls for supporting women to hold senior positions in the government. The Kingdom is a part of this world and the sports activities that take place in this world,” he told Arab News.
Setting up women’s sports clubs would help to restore “psychological and physical balance” in society, he added, and give women a chance to participate regionally and internationally.
Lina Almaeena, a member of the Shoura Council, said the Vision 2030 reform plan that was announced in 2016 enabled women and girls to exercise their rights and that it also aimed to increase the number of people playing sports from 13 percent to 40 percent.
“We are seeing a sustainable development of which sport is an integral part,” she told Arab News. “Sport is also part of our culture and will strike a balance between both sexes and empower women in the public sector. Women’s sports clubs will restructure themselves, especially in light of the fact that women have become members in 74 sports federations in the Kingdom. Saudi women play a pivotal role as members in these clubs,” she said.
She said the Shoura Council wanted women’s clubs to be set up in the same way as men’s clubs.
Hoda Al-Helaissi, a member of the Shoura Council, told Arab News that women’s sports clubs would complement the social development unfolding in the Kingdom. She stressed that such decisions empowered women and helped them to overcome obstacles in their lives.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1604186/saudi-arabia
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Muslim women felicitate with Christians on Christmas, pray for peace, love
DECEMBER 25, 2019
The Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), Plateau Chapter, has extended felicitation to Nigerians, especially Christian faithful, on Christmas, praying for peace and love.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Jos on Wednesday, Mrs Muhibba Abdulrazak, the Leader (Amira) of FOMWAN in Plateau, said the season should serve as a reminder on the need to assist the less privileged.
“May the season bring forth peace, joy, happiness, blessings and tranquillity in our homes, state, country and the world at large.
“Let us use this season to extend our hands of charity to the less privileged and preach the gospel of peace and unity in diversity to our brethren,” she said.
Abdulrazak, who spoke on behalf of other FOMWAN members in Plateau, said that the period of Christmas, like other festive periods, should remind residents in Plateau of the need to forgive, love one another and enhance peaceful co-existence in the state.
“Peace will fast track development in the state and this will attract both local and international investors to establish businesses there.
“This will also create jobs for the teeming unemployed youths and reduce social vices in the society,” she said.
She prayed for the blessings of Christmas in every Christian home and in the nation generally.
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/12/muslim-women-felicitate-with-christians-on-christmas-pray-for-peace-love/
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Muslim Women Also Worship With Christian Faithful In Jos, Nigeria
December 25, 2019
Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), Plateau Chapter, has extended felicitation to Nigerians, especially Christian faithful, on Christmas, praying for peace and love.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Jos on Wednesday, Mrs Muhibba Abdulrazak, the Leader (Amira) of FOMWAN in Plateau, said the season should serve as a reminder on the need to assist the less privileged.
“May the season bring forth peace, joy, happiness, blessings and tranquillity in our homes, state, country and the world at large.
“Let us use this season to extend our hands of charity to the less privileged and preach the gospel of peace and unity in diversity to our brethren,” she said.
Abdulrazak, who spoke on behalf of other FOMWAN members in Plateau, said that the period of Christmas, like other festive periods, should remind residents in Plateau of the need to forgive, love one another and enhance peaceful co-existence in the state.
“Peace will fast track development in the state and this will attract both local and international investors to establish businesses there.
“This will also create jobs for the teeming unemployed youths and reduce social vices in the society,” she said. She prayed for the blessings of Christmas in every Christian home and in the nation generally.
https://www.thecheernews.com/2019/12/25/muslim-women-also-worship-with-christian-faithful-in-jos/
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Christmas For This Muslim Girl Was Always Exciting
By Hufsa Kamal
I was probably 6or 7years-old when I first realized that my family didn’t celebrate Christmas. It was a curious discovery, especially considering that until then I thought I was just like every other kid in my rural Tennessee neighbourhood. Turns out, I wasn’t.
There were clues, of course. Our family didn’t attend services at the local Church of Christ. And I always had to be careful about what pizza I ate, to make sure there was no pepperoni, only cheese or veggie.
Still, everything about Christmas excited me. The twinkling lights, the festive music, neatly wrapped gifts with shiny wrapping paper practically begging to be ripped open, and most of all the big, artificial and gorgeous trees.
My sisters and I begged my parents for a tree and to our delight they happily obliged. I remember our first – small and simple, all of three feet tall. But it was the beginning of a memorable childhood of Christmases in a Muslim household.
I remember waking my parents up early Christmas morning and ripping open the gift boxes that held my brand new Barbie dolls. I was elated. My sisters and I only got one or two gifts each, but we were so happy that we could partake in such a joyous occasion.
As the years passed, our trees got bigger, the decor got better, the gifts were plentiful and the festive spirit became brighter.
The town I lived in at the time held its annual Christmas parade, and I got to participate through my Girl Scout troop. Luckily for me, I got to sit front and center on a haystack wearing a hot pink and gold Pakistani dress with the other girls dressed as angels sitting around me on our parade float. It wasn’t very Christmasy, but it sure was festive.
Some wondered why my family celebrated Christmas even though we weren’t Christian.
When I was younger, I didn’t want to feel left out of from what my friends and classmates got to experience. As I got a little older and started to study my own Islamic faith more deeply, I saw just how much Muslims revere Jesus. Mother Mary has an entire chapter dedicated to her in the Koran. Jesus is the most-mentioned prophet.
As my sisters and I grew older, we became detached from the trees and the gifts. My family and I attended Christmas parties and participated in other festivities, but Christmas became a normal day for us. We no longer put up trees and exchange gifts.
As an adult, Christmas has become a working day for me, so others can enjoy time off with their loved ones. I now look forward to a day where I can wear a hoodie to work and enjoy free food.
Indeed, it has been quite a journey for me. While I no longer celebrate Christmas, it is a wondrously meaningful day to reflect on my love of family, faith and friends.
I am grateful to have experienced an incredibly fun and loving holiday in my childhood, and it is something I will celebrate with my future children.
Perhaps best of all, this time of year still serves as a powerful reminder that no matter your faith, colour, background or political beliefs, we can all celebrate the true meaning of the season: peace on Earth and love toward all. It’s a value I was taught as a little Tennessee girl many years ago and it remains timeless and true to this very day.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/hufsa-kamal-christmas-in-my-muslim-home-was-a-welcome-celebration-as-i-was-growing-up
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Malaysia’s ‘ice queens’ enter Antarctica to retrieve time capsule
December 25, 2019
SHAH ALAM: Members of the All Women Expedition to Antarctica (Aweta) have begun to approach their target in the South Pole.
An Aweta spokesman said the team, led by polar adventurer Dr Sharifah Mazlina Syed Abdul Kadir, entered Antarctica at 2am (Malaysian time).
“They have embarked on their adventure and their first journey is from 89 degrees south to the South Pole.
“So far, the team has managed to travel 2km and the weather there is sunny with the temperature at -29 degrees Celsius,” she told Bernama today.
She said the team members were in good shape and still trying to adapt to the situation there.
The team is on a mission to retrieve a time capsule planted by Sharifah Mazlina during her first mission to Antarctica in 2004.
The location of the capsule might have changed or become submerged after 14 years of being buried in the South Pole, or it might be inside the US Research Centre area.
The team, comprising pharmacist Nurul Atiqah Tamarun, 31; army corporal Siti Jumaidah Bensali, 34, and home ministry administrative and diplomatic officer Salehah Abu Nor, 33, began the mission on Dec 18 and will finish on Jan 3.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2019/12/25/malaysias-ice-queens-enter-antarctica-to-retrieve-time-capsule/?utm_source=FMT+Media+Sdn.+Bhd.&utm_campaign=26aa265c48-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_dfafd0994c-26aa265c48-228005497
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Dubai break-in: Ukranian woman living in Jumeirah Park searches for man
December 25, 2019
Dubai: Following an alleged burglary attempt, a Ukranian woman living in Dubai is searching for the man who broke into her plush villa in Jumeirah Park two weeks ago.
Maria Nikiforova, 32, who lives in Dubai with her husband and two daughters, said she has been scanning videos recorded on her security cameras inside the villa to find the perpetrator and report the person to Dubai Police.
In an email statement, developer Nakheel confirmed the incident occurred in Jumeirah Park. A spokesperson told Gulf News: “Safety and security are paramount at our communities. We are aware of the reported incident and continue to review the security requirements at Jumeirah Park, including taking steps to increase security where appropriate.”
In the last week three, other break-in incidents were reported in the community and in one instance, the villa owner claimed the prowler fled the scene after hearing the occupant’s dogs bark.
What happened?
Nikiforova said the family left for a vacation on December 13. They returned a week later to find their kitchen door and window ajar. There were footprints on the kitchen counter and floor too.
She said, “I never leave my kitchen door unlocked. I remember securing it before I left. Obviously someone used this door.”
The Jumeirah Park resident said she fitted security cameras inside her villa and this was perhaps the reason why the prowler must have fled without picking anything valuable from her house.
“I had left a Gucci bag on the kitchen counter. I usually leave valuable [things] around the house... thinking an incident like this will not happen. But going forward I am going to be careful,” she added.
Nikiforova said the prowler perhaps saw the blue light from the security camera flashing in the night and left the scene.
“He definitely got in from the kitchen window as the foot prints are all over the counter and floor. But looking at the blue light he probably wanted to make a quick dash outside and therefore used the kitchen door for a quick exit.”
“I am still checking the footage from my camera. Hopefully I will find the person who entered the house. Once I do I will give the video to Dubai Police who can do the needful to arrest the person. The perpetrator needs to be stopped,” she said.
More break-ins
Meanwhile, two other residents in the area claimed their houses were broken into.
Scottish expat Fiona Bonner said her house had a break-in attempt on December 15 early morning.
She said, “It was really early in the morning, around 4.30 am, when my dogs started barking. I was woken up. I came downstairs and saw my front gate was open. The kitchen window was open too. I called my husband and we scanned the house but the prowler had fled. The kitchen windows are sliders and easy to open if you don’t fasten it in the night. I advise everyone to lock it tightly before going to bed.”
Bonner lives in a three-bedroom villa in Jumeirah Park on a leasing basis. She [Bonner] said her dogs scared the prowler away.
Location of some villas attracting prowlers
Nikiforova who lives in a four-bedroom villa said her house fronts a lake side.
She said, “There is a small walk [walkway] behind our villa. I can see people walking, running taking their dogs out everytime. A number of blue-collared workers also come here to rest and relax. Many of them are free on Fridays and I see them lazing around on these walks."
However, she claimed that easy visibility could be a reason for the alleged break-in.
"Villas on this side are particularly attractive for prowlers to break in, especially if they know the lights of the villa are out for consecutive days. This indicates people are travelling and they try to break into the villa,” she explained.
What next?
From a security perspective she called for more cameras to be located around the back of the community fronting the lakeside. “That part of the community is not gated. It is an open area where anyone can walk around. Cameras should be fitted here. We do have security patrolling here but it is not enough. We would like it to happen more frequently.”
Other new Dubai communities like The Lakes, Meadows and Palm Jumeirah have seen a spate of burglaries.
On October 20, The Dubai Court of First Instance sentenced a gang of four men to three years in jail, followed by deportation, for breaking into a villa at Palm Jumeirah and stealing Dh219,000 worth of valuables.
The men from Kyrgyzstan confessed that they visited Dubai with a plan to steal money and valuables from villas in the emirate.
According to official records, they went to the Palm after midnight in February this year, fully-equipped with tools for their heist. They broke into an unoccupied villa from the balcony where they found three safes inside a room. They broke the safes and found valuable items, including Rolex watches worth Dh219,000, and then flew out of Dubai the same day.
The gang left the valuables with a woman, who is still at large, and coordinated with a 31-year-old countryman to collect the items from her to smuggle it out of the UAE for $900 (Dh3,305).
Dubai Police arrested the fourth defendant and recovered part of the stolen valuables.
https://gulfnews.com/uae/crime/dubai-break-in-ukranian-woman-living-in-jumeirah-park-searches-for-man-1.1577251362027
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US: Man stabs woman in front of several children, kills her
December 25, 2019
A man killed a woman in north Philadelphia on Wednesday, repeatedly stabbing her and even chasing her outside the home at one point in an attack witnessed by several children, according to police.
One of the children, a 14-year-old, was also wounded in the attack and was taken to a hospital, WPVI-TV reported, citing police. In all, there were six children in the home at the time of the Christmas attack, ranging in age from 8 to 16.
Police believe the 33-year-old perpetrator and the 35-year-old woman are or were once partners, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told WPVI.
Inside the home, there were signs of a violent fight: large amounts of blood, broken glass and overturned furniture, Small said. The attack apparently began in the early hours of Wednesday inside the home. The man then chased the woman into the street, where police found her. She was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.
https://gulfnews.com/world/americas/us-man-stabs-woman-in-front-of-several-children-kills-her-1.1577294075809
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/support-womens-sports-clubs-say/d/120632