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Islam, Women and Feminism ( 15 Oct 2020, NewAgeIslam.Com)
Television Host and Hijab Entrepreneur Neelofa Now Wears a Purdah In Place Of a Tudung
New
Age Islam News Bureau
16
October 2020
• Wife of Dubai Ruler, Hind bint Maktoum wins the Arab Woman Award for Humanitarian Work
•
Innovative New Golf Format Swings In For Saudi Ladies Team International
•
Two Baha’i Women in Iran Report to Prison to Begin Sentences for Practicing
Their Faith
•
Sabah women’s loss is PAS’ gain
•
Ex Neo-Nazi Calls for Solidarity with Jewish, Muslim Women
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Television Host and Hijab Entrepreneur Neelofa Now Wears a Purdah In Place Of a Tudung
15
Oct 2020
BY
MELANIE CHALIL
Television
Host and Hijab Entrepreneur Neelofa Now Wears a Purdah In Place Of a Tudung
-----
PETALING
JAYA, Oct 15 — Television host and hijab entrepreneur Neelofa has ditched the
tudung in favour of a purdah.
The
purdah is a long veil which covers a woman’s entire face except the eyes, is
worn by Muslim women in the Middle East.
The
31-year-old whose real name is Noor Neelofa Mohd Noor confirmed the rumours to
Malay-language publication Harian Metro today.
The
actress asked all parties to pray for her new journey, that she will always be
in God’s grace.
“Pray
for me, a person who is full of faults to always be steadfast in improving
myself and power through the days ahead.
“Please
also pray that my new journey will always be in God’s grace and peace,” the
former MeleTOP host said in a statement.
Previously,
Neelofa’s appearance became a topic of discussion when pictures of the popular
influencer in a purdah, also known as a niqab, became a topic of discussion
among fans and followers who started speculating about her latest appearance.
Neelofa’s
mother Datin Noor Kartini took to Instagram to say she was thankful for the
divine guidance her daughter received and accompanied the post with a short
clip of the mother and daughter duo embracing.
Born
in Pasir Mas, Kelantan, Neelofa shot to fame in the entertainment world after
winning the teen beauty contest Dewi Remaja in 2009.
She
found success as a hijab entrepreneur under the label Naelofar Hijab which she
launched in 2014.
In
2017, Neelofa, who has 7.8 million followers on Instagram, made it to the
Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/showbiz/2020/10/15/malaysian-celebrity-entrepreneur-neelofa-now-wears-a-purdah-in-place-of-a-t/1913007
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Wife
of Dubai Ruler, Hind bint Maktoum wins the Arab Woman Award for Humanitarian
Work
15
Oct 2020
Fatima
Ahmad Al Mousa, a board member of the Dubai Women’s Society, receives the award
on behalf of Shaikha Hind at a reception held in Abu Dhabi.
Image
Credit: WAM
-----
The
wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President,
Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, “may God protect him”, Her Highness Sheikha
Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the
Emirates Food Bank Foundation, received the Arab Women in Humanitarian Work
Award for the year 2020 For the “10 million meals” campaign, the largest
national community campaign of its kind to provide meals or equivalent food and
supply parcels to support needy individuals and needy families in various parts
of the Emirates, and to promote the values of solidarity and compassion. Her
Highness launched the largest campaign of its kind in the region. Under the
umbrella of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation,
cooperation with the “Community Solidarity Fund against Covid-19”, last April,
in conjunction with the advent of the blessed month of Ramadan, in order to
contribute to alleviating the suffering of groups and segments of society that
suffer the most in situations The exceptional consequences resulting from the
outbreak of the new Corona virus, the Covid-19 pandemic, in various parts of
the world, and the economic, humanitarian and social repercussions it entailed,
and the campaign succeeded in distributing more than 15 million meals within
one month.
It
is noteworthy that honoring the Arab Women Awards 2020 is under the patronage
of His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance
and Coexistence, and in cooperation with UN Women, the United Nations
organization concerned with gender equality and the empowerment of women.
The
honor of Her Highness Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum by awarding
her the Humanitarian Personality of the Year Award, as part of the Arab Women
Awards, crowns her decades-long career of philanthropic, humanitarian and
social work, and the empowerment of women at various levels. Especially in the
field of developing skills, innovation and entrepreneurship, promoting a
healthy lifestyle and developing women’s sport in its holistic concept that
enhances physical and mental health and quality of life. The Arab Woman Award
in Humanitarian Action also celebrates the inspiring role of Her Highness
Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum in supporting and launching
initiatives to sponsor orphans, and support people of determination.
The
award also represents an appreciation for the pioneering role of Her Highness
Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum over the past three years at the helm of the Emirates
Food Bank, the first integrated humanitarian and social system of its kind for
feeding food in the UAE, as it strengthened the momentum of its initiatives and
expanded its framework, and under the leadership of Her Highness succeeded in
concluding dozens of agreements With governmental, private, charitable and
humanitarian institutions in the country to provide in-kind contributions and
logistical support for the distribution of meals. During the year 2019 alone,
the bank collected more than 13,448 tons of foodstuffs, which were distributed
to the beneficiaries.
Her
Highness Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum expressed her pride in
this honor, stressing that “His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
is the supporter and supporter of the various humanitarian initiatives that
enhance the position of the UAE to be a beacon for charitable and humanitarian
work and a forerunner for the advancement of mankind and humanity all over the
world “.
Her
Highness affirmed that “Emirati women have imbibed the values of sympathy and
benevolence from the Emirati leadership, which always returns us to the
initiative to extend a helping hand to the needy and underprivileged and
contribute qualitatively to improving people’s lives as part of building safe
and stable societies.”
Her
Highness Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum pointed out that Emirati women today are
recording their qualitative presence in the academic and research fields,
economics, entrepreneurship, innovation, sports, media and public affairs, and
enhance their role in the field of community work, noting her highness of the
strategy of empowering women adopted by the UAE and implementing it efficiently
and with the support and guidance of his His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed
Al Nahyan, President of the State “may God protect him”, and His Highness
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in order to achieve sustainable
development that includes society in all its groups and sectors.
Her
Highness Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum stated that “the 10
million meals campaign, which was launched under the directives of His Highness
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is a shining station recorded by history
for charitable and humanitarian work in the UAE, as it created the noblest
images of community solidarity in the time of the Covid-19 pandemic and
presented it. A global example of how all segments of society joined forces in
dealing with crises and contributed to the classification of the UAE in the
first place regionally and in the list of the top 10 countries in the world in
the efficiency of responding to the Covid-19 pandemic.
On
his part, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and
Coexistence, said, “The Arab Women’s Award for Humanitarian Work is a deserved
appreciation of Her Highness Sheikha Hind Bint Maktoum for her pioneering role
in supporting, developing and institutionalizing charitable and humanitarian
work. Sheikha Hind, as His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al said Maktoum
is the closest to people, and its approach to giving has been rooted for
decades, through its generous support and sponsorship of many humanitarian and
community projects, initiatives, and campaigns.
He
added, “Choosing Sheikha Hind to be the humanitarian of the year about the 10
million meals campaign shows the great impact of this humanitarian campaign,
the largest of its kind in the country, which touched people’s lives during the
height of the outbreak of the new Corona virus epidemic, amid the almost total
closure, saving A psychological and social safety net for thousands of needy
individuals and needy families, in an initiative that reflected the value
system of their highness that devoted their lives to humanitarian work that
stems from the importance of consolidating community solidarity, promoting a
spirit of integration, cooperation and compassion across various societal
groups and spreading a culture of participation.
He
pointed out that His Highness Sheikh Hind bin Maktoum is an inspiring model for
the Emirati Arab woman who believes that any woman, from her position, has an
active role in empowering society through the gateway of grants and giving.
In
addition, Moez Duraid, Regional Director at the United Nations Entity for
Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, said .. “Women leadership is
essential to ensure the effectiveness of humanitarian initiatives and projects
and not to overlook those most in need of support and assistance in the global
response to the challenges of Covid-19.”
He
added. “The 10 million meals campaign led by Her Highness Sheikha Hind bint
Maktoum translates the impact of women’s leadership in the UAE,” noting that
“the UAE plays an important role in supporting the implementation of the fifth
goal of the 2030 sustainable development agenda, related to achieving gender
equality and empowering all women and girls.” .
The
Arab Women Awards 2020, which celebrates the exceptional achievements of Arab
women in various fields, focused on highlighting the inspiring Arab feminist
models in addressing the repercussions of the emerging Corona virus (Covid 19),
whose effects this year reflected on all countries of the world and called for
exceptional measures and rapid initiatives to contain them.
The
Arab Women’s Awards jury was unanimous to award the Humanitarian Personality of
the Year Award to His Highness Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Jumah Al Maktoum,
in recognition of the humanitarian initiatives and programs that have
celebrated her career for decades, and for her leadership role in the “10
million meals” campaign organized by the Mohammed Bin Initiatives Foundation
Rashid Al Maktoum International “last Ramadan, in cooperation with the”
Community Solidarity Fund against Covid-19 “, with the aim of providing food
support to individuals and families in need and the groups most affected by the
exceptional repercussions imposed by the new Corona epidemic / Covid-19 / on
the world.
The
“10 million meals” campaign, launched by Her Highness and supervising its
operations throughout the holy month of Ramadan, made record contributions that
made it a model at the regional and international levels in responding to
crises and building comprehensive community solidarity with the groups most
vulnerable to its repercussions. Within only three weeks of its launch, it
exceeded The main target campaign that I set is to provide 10 million meals,
with contributions amounting to more than 15.3 million meals, provided by more
than 180,000 contributors, between individuals and institutions, representing 116
nationalities. The campaign attracted more than 1500 volunteers from different
regions of the country, within age groups ranging from 18 to 53 years.
The
campaign recorded comprehensive community solidarity, providing a global
example of how all segments of society joined forces in addressing crises, and
contributed to the UAE being ranked first regionally and in the list of the top
10 countries in the world in the efficiency of responding to the Covid-19
pandemic.
The
campaign of 10 million meals under the direct supervision of Her Highness
Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum succeeded in producing community interaction with its
goals, as charitable and humanitarian organizations and private sector
companies in the UAE responded to the campaign’s call to provide their support
and contributions as well as individuals and businessmen institutions.
Charitable and social work institutions contributed 6.8 million meals, and
companies and businessmen contributed 5.7 million meals.
In
addition, the campaign’s website received contributions for the purchase and
provision of 1.4 million meals, and 771,000 meals came via SMS text messages,
and the campaign’s call center recorded in-kind contributions of more than
726,000 meals.
The
campaign witnessed a million interaction from the Emirati community of various
nationalities, where the followers of the campaign and its participants on
social media platforms praised the support of Her Highness Sheikha Hind bint
Maktoum and her administrations for the campaign, which achieved consensus and
solidarity that made it the largest national campaign of its kind, amid a
remarkable humanitarian interaction in the cyberspace that contributed to
Conveying the campaign message to the largest number of people and entities,
with an emphasis on the importance of donating to ensure that no hungry or
needy sleeps in the UAE.
In
support of the “10 million meals” campaign, the “World’s Longest Donation Fund”
initiative, which collected in just one week the value of the 1.2 million meals
provided to the campaign, after donor contributions lit 1.2 million lights on
Burj Khalifa as the tallest global beacon of solidarity with those affected by
the Covid pandemic. -19 from the façade of the tallest building in the world.
Local
and international companies participated in the campaign, and it attracted
global media coverage in various live languages on the media and digital
platforms, especially with the moment of lighting the entire façade of the Burj
Khalifa, the tallest urban edifice in the world, with a height of 163 floors
and 828 meters in a luminous community support message that embodies the values
of solidarity and human solidarity.
The
Arab Women Awards are cooperating this year with UN Women and the United
Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, with the aim
of shedding light on the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic on societies
and raising awareness of its effects, especially on women in the Arab world, to
In addition to celebrating the achievements of women related to dealing with
the challenges resulting from the global outbreak of the emerging corona virus.
This
year the award covered 17 categories: Humanitarian Work, Education, Arts and
Literature, Entrepreneurship, Medicine, Media, New Media, Fashion, Young
Designer, Sports, Business, Finance, Corporate Social Responsibility, Young
Talents, Lifetime Achievement, Inspirational Women, A special mention.
The
award aims to raise public awareness of the important achievements of Arab
women, and to provide inspiring role models that can be a positive role model.
This year’s awards ceremony focuses on solutions invented by women in the Arab
world to address “Covid 19”.
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https://alkhaleejtoday.co/international/5091536/Hind-bint-Maktoum-wins-the-Arab-Woman-Award-for-Humanitarian-Work.html
--------
Innovative
New Golf Format Swings In For Saudi Ladies Team International
October
16, 2020
JEDDAH:
Golf Saudi on Thursday unveiled the format for next month’s debut Saudi Ladies
Team International, a first-of-its-kind tournament that will see 36 team
captains recruit their players using a live NFL-style draft system, before
competing for a share of $500,000 prize money.
To
be held Nov. 17 and 19, the team contest
will be the first ever points-earning Ladies European Tour (LET) event where
professionals play alongside amateur golfers with team and individual scoring
running concurrently.
The
event will take place two days after the Kingdom’s maiden women’s golf
tournament, the $1 million Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by the
Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Each
captain will recruit one fellow LET pro to their team using a draft system
similar to that in NFL, NBA, and other franchise leagues, and can base their
pick on anything – whether that be current form, ranking, or purely friendship.
Their remaining LET professional teammate will be selected at random, with the
team being completed by one amateur player.
The
team of four will then play three rounds at the Royal Greens Golf and Country
Club in the Saudi coastal resort of King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), where
each team’s best two individual scores will be combined at the end of each
round — with amateurs on three quarters of their official playing handicap.
The
team with the lowest total score after all three days will be declared the
champion and will see its three professionals take home a winning share of the
$300,000 prize fund.
The
lowest-scoring professional across the three days — who may well come from a
losing team — will themselves be rewarded with a share of the $200,000
individual prize fund.
Golf
Saudi CEO Majed Al-Sorour, said: “The Saudi Ladies Team International is a
completely new and innovative tournament format not seen before on any Tour.
“Alongside
the LET, it is a chance to grow the women’s game in new and exciting ways — and
follows the first-ever professional women’s golf event to be played in Saudi
Arabia earlier in the week.
“The
players love team golf and will enjoy this unique opportunity to try a new
format through our groundbreaking and exciting
draft
system.
“We
understand the impact the pandemic has had on Tour golf this year, particularly
in the women’s game, so we wanted to do everything we could around the debut
Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by PIF to benefit the players
across our double-header golf week in making it competitive, fun, and
rewarding,” Al-Sorour added.
The
Saudi Ladies Team International will hold world-ranking Rolex points for Tour
professionals, with Solheim Cup qualification points and Race to Costa del Sol
points also up for grabs.
Each
day will have a two-tee start, and amateurs — who will be tournament guests —
will receive three quarters of their full handicap allowance.
The
tournament will be the second event of what has been dubbed Saudi “women’s week
of golf,” with the Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by PIF taking
place from Nov. 12 to 15 — only the second-ever international, professional
women-only sports event held in the Kingdom.
Players
already confirmed include Major-winning Georgia Hall, Solheim Cup hero and
former LET Order of Merit winner Charley Hull, Wales’ Amy Boulden, and Camilla
Lennarth of Sweden. Many more will be announced in the upcoming weeks.
For
more information about both the Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by
PIF and the Saudi Ladies Team International, visit
www.golfsaudi.com/en-us/ladies-international.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1749566/sport
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Two
Baha’i Women in Iran Report to Prison to Begin Sentences for Practicing Their
Faith
By
Michael Lipin, Ramin Haghjoo
October
16, 2020
WASHINGTON
- Two Iranian Baha’i women have reported to a prison in eastern Iran to begin
serving sentences for peacefully practicing their faith after authorities
apparently ignored appeals to spare them from potential coronavirus exposure in
jail, according to a knowledgeable source.
Speaking
to VOA Persian in a Tuesday interview from Iran, the source said Arezoo
Mohammadi and Banafsheh Mokhtari voluntarily presented themselves at the prison
in Birjand a day earlier.
The
two women had been among a group of eight Baha’is from the region who received
a Sept. 28 summons to report to the prison by Oct. 10.
Earlier
this month, a source told VOA that an appellate court had issued a Sept. 8 ruling
sentencing the six women and two men to prison terms of 15 months to two years
for allegedly disrupting national security and spreading anti-government
propaganda in relation to the practice of their faith.
Iran’s
ruling Shiite clerics consider the nation’s estimated 300,000 Baha’is to be
heretics with no religion, and routinely arrest them for engaging in
faith-related activities, accusing them of national security offenses without
disclosing evidence. Most are charged with “propagation” of the Baha’i faith,
which authorities consider to be a form of anti-government propaganda.
The
source who spoke to VOA this week said Mokhtari suffers from cervical and
lumbar disc diseases, characterized by neck pain and lower back pain
respectively, and had sent a request to the Iranian judiciary’s enforcement
branch to have her sentence postponed for medical reasons. However, the source
said judicial authorities in Birjand rejected her request.
Mokhtari
and Mohammadi decided to accept the prison summons as they believed they would
be compelled to do so eventually and preferred to resolve their status sooner
rather than later, the source said. Iranians who resist an initial prison
summons can receive several follow-up notices over a period of weeks but also
risk being arrested and sent to jail at any time.
Iranian
rights groups have said Mohammadi was sentenced to 18 months in prison and
Mokhtari to 15 months.
VOA’s
source said five of the remaining six Baha’is who received the Sept. 28 prison
summons also have sent letters to the Iranian judiciary asking for their
sentences to be postponed due to the risk of contracting the coronavirus in
prison. The source identified the five as Nasrin Ghadiri, Ataollah Malaki,
Ataollah Malaki’s daughter, Roya Malaki, Saeed Malaki and Atieh Salehi, and
said they were awaiting responses to their letters.
It
was not clear whether the remaining member of the group, Farzaneh Dimi, has
made a similar request to Iranian authorities for a delay in her sentence.
There
has been no word from Iranian authorities in state media about the cases of the
eight Baha’is over the past month.
Iran’s
coronavirus outbreak, the worst in the Middle East, has prompted months of
international concern about the plight of Iranian prisoners of conscience who
have been imprisoned or threatened with imprisonment in coronavirus-infested
jails.
In
an Oct. 6 statement, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet
said the Iranian prison system’s chronic overcrowding and poor sanitary
conditions have worsened during the pandemic.
“I
call for [Iran’s] unconditional release of human rights defenders, lawyers, political prisoners, peaceful
protesters and all other individuals deprived
of their liberty for expressing their views or otherwise exercising their
rights,” Bachelet said. “It is particularly
important to rectify such injustices at a time when COVID-19 is coursing
through Iran’s prisons."
In
an Oct. 14 tweet, the Baha’i International Community’s Geneva-based representative
to the U.N., Diane Alai, said Iran had jailed four more Baha’is in the week
since Bachelet’s appeal.
“More
injustice during an abysmal COVID-19 pandemic,” Alai wrote.
The eight Baha’i
defendants sentenced by the Iranian appellate court last month were part of a wider group of 18
Baha’is whose homes in Birjand were raided and whose
belongings were confiscated by Iranian security agents in October 2017. The
raids coincided with a religious holiday observed by Baha’is around the world.
In
a May briefing with reporters, U.S. Ambassador
for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback said he was “particularly”
concerned by Iran’s treatment of its Baha’i prisoners.
This
article originated in VOA’s Persian Service. Click here for the original
Persian version of the story.
https://www.voanews.com/middle-east/voa-news-iran/source-2-bahai-women-iran-report-prison-begin-sentences-practicing-their
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Sabah
women’s loss is PAS’ gain
Joe
Samad
October
15, 2020
The
Sabah Women’s Action Resource Group (Sawo), in an online demonstration via Zoom
last Sunday, highlighted the plight of women in Sabah.
However,
the new state government under the leadership of Chief Minister Hajiji Mohd
Noor has not only left women out of his Cabinet but also appointed an assemblyman
from an extremist Muslim party into Sabah’s august house, the state legislative
assembly.
This
backdoor appointment of Sabah PAS secretary Aliakbar Gulasan created a lot of
angst and pushback. Aliakbar’s subsequent appointment of a Christian as his special
assistant did nothing to cool the anger but made him look even more
hypocritical.
Muslims
well represented
No
one can comprehend why a peninsula-based Muslim party member was given a chance
to be a lawmaker thus depriving women, natives and neglected communities the
opportunity to participate in the process of enacting laws and setting policies
in the state.
Muslims
in Sabah are already well represented through various organisations like MUIS
and USIA, which have been around for decades. Native courts and native customs,
which are unique to Sabah, are already in existence, complementing
constitutional laws and shariah laws.
PAS
is well known for its divisive rhetoric. Party president Abdul Hadi Awang
reacted with glee thanking Hajiji and Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin over the
appointment of one of its members.
And
why not? Everyone appreciates a free meal without having to work for it. PAS
cannot form the government on its own but has to ride the coattails of bigger
parties like Umno or PPBM to occupy high positions in the Perikatan Nasional
federal government. In Sabah, it’s the same situation.
Women
suffer the most under Covid-19
Sawo
and another advocacy group “Rakyat is Bos” stated the need to have more women
in the legislative assembly to empower women in the decision-making process in
government.
In
the midst of the current Covid-19 crisis, women play a greater role in keeping
family life functional and keeping a semblance of normalcy in their home.
Many
are suffering as pressure mounts when the husband loses his job and the
children can’t be schooled. The economic recovery will be a long process and
women will carry a greater burden to support their family. Their voices must be
heard.
Courting
controversy by appointments
The
issue of the six nominated assemblymen is useful for a party with a slim
majority to prop up their numbers. It was not an issue during BN’s rule in
Sabah as it had the strength of the majority.
When
Warisan came into power the six-seat quota was filled up quickly to strengthen
the party’s position in the legislative assembly. Some of the appointments were
controversial.
One
of the appointments from the DAP quota, Loh Ee Eng, was not born in Sabah
although he holds permanent residency. One other nominated assemblyman betrayed
Warisan and was one of the 33 people who tried to oust the Warisan government.
PBS
president Maximus Ongkili is now receiving brickbats over the appointment of
the PAS assemblyman, but he had his turn in criticising the appointments made
by Warisan previously.
In
June 2019, Ongkili said the state government had shown no respect to the
Malaysia Agreement 1963 with regards to the appointment of Loh. He said it
amounted to “setting a dangerous precedent” and he feared that it would open
the floodgates for non-Sabahans and party leaders from Peninsular Malaysia to
occupy political positions in the Sabah administration.
Sounds
familiar? It’s the same as when you give a Malaya-based party a chance to gain
a foothold in Sabah and spread their divisive ideologies.
Ongkili
now has to eat his own words. As the minister in charge of Sabah and Sarawak
affairs, he has failed in his duty to safeguard Sabah’s interest.
The
role of a nominated assemblymen
In
a newspaper report recently, Ongkili explained that the provision for the
appointment of nominated assemblymen in the state constitution was meant to be
an avenue for minority groups to provide input into political decision-making
in the state.
“An
ethnic Indian was made a nominated assemblyman in 1967 during the time of the
Alliance government headed by Usno. Usno information chief Musli Oli said that
historically, the posts were included in the state constitution with the
intention of giving a voice to minority groups in Sabah.
“Some
of these minority groups do not have representatives in the state legislative
assembly. This was the noble reason why it was decided by the Sabah leaders and
the then British colonialists that the six nominated assemblymen posts be
included in the Sabah constitution,” he said.
However,
PAS does not represent any minority group or community. They are well
represented at the parliamentary level.
Dangerous
to let PAS take root
PAS
is a political party and should be treated as such. Its only objective is to
create an Islamic state in Malaysia and implement hudud law just like it is
doing in Kelantan.
Saudi
Arabia and its three Gulf allies in November 2017 extended their so-called
“terror list”, naming an international organisation of Muslim scholars whose
leaders include Hadi.
The
Saudi-led quartet comprising also of Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain said the
International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) was on its list of organisations
and individuals accused of supporting terrorism. In a statement carried by the
Saudi Press Agency, they said IUMS was “working to promote terrorism through
the exploitation of Islamic discourse”.
Although
Hadi has denied the accusations, the Arab quartet has not withdrawn its claims.
It
is time for our politicians to be less male chauvinistic and give women their
rightful role in politics. As state assemblywomen, wife, homemaker, sister and
mother – they can make a big difference.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/highlight/2020/10/15/sabah-womens-loss-is-pas-gain/
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Ex
Neo-Nazi Calls for Solidarity with Jewish, Muslim Women
By
SARAH CHEMLA
OCTOBER
15, 2020
A
former Blood & Honour white supremacist Neo-Nazi female has called for
greater solidarity with Jewish and Muslim women in the UK, as hate crimes hit a
record high, as well as white supremacist activity and conspiracy theories.
Lauren
Manning, 30, was for over five years a member of the Canadian division of Blood
& Honour, a notorious Neo-Nazi and white supremacist group founded in 1987
in the UK.
While
beginning her first UK engagement with Nisa-Nashim, the UK’s Jewish-Muslim
women’s network, Manning said that “the best thing [Jewish and Muslim women]
can do during these times is to try and stand together as much as possible, and
help each other where possible.”
“As
Muslim and Jewish women, we commend Lauren for her incredible bravery and work
in educating and raising awareness around the dangers of far-right extremism,”
interfaith consultant and Nisa-Nashim co-founder Laura Marks OBE said. The
group's name means "women" in Arabic and Hebrew.
According
to her, both the COVID-19 pandemic and the Trump administration are the origin
of hate crimes reaching a record high.
"The
Trump Administration is making things easy for the far-right, because he hasn’t
directly condemned any of these groups – and therefore they see it as a free
pass to do whatever the hell they want.”
“I
know if I was still in Blood & Honour, that’s how I would view it, too – even
if he hasn’t directly supported it, he hasn’t condemned it either.”
“The
issues around COVID-19 have already encouraged more division and hatred from
the Right. People have legitimate anxieties because of this pandemic, however
the far-right are connecting their anxieties to a far-right ideology, and that
is when it becomes an issue.
“In
every conspiracy theory there is no self-responsibility that comes with it. It
is always someone else’s fault.”
Manning,
interviewed by Nisa-Nashim chairwoman of trustees Hifsa Haroon-Iqbal MBE for
the discussion, spoke to over 100 Jewish and Muslim women for the event.
“Lauren
spoke very powerfully and honestly about her vulnerabilities, but given the
right help and support she was able to leave this life behind. If you are
worried for yourself, a friend or a relative then there will always be a way
out and people to help. Lauren is a shining example of how anyone can leave
hate behind,” Nisa-Nashim declared.
During
the event, Manning told her story and described how she grew up in a
middle-class Canadian neighborhood, but turned to a life of drugs, alcohol,
crime and ultimately white supremacy at the age of 17 after suffering abuse,
losing her father at a young age and leaving home.
She
explained that “instead of choosing self-acceptance, I chose self-hatred, and
woke up each morning wanting to be someone else.”
Manning
continued, explaining how the extremist group Blood and Honour had a problem
with “everybody” and that one of the first conspiracy theories she engaged with
was that “Jewish people had control over the media and society as a whole” –
and that because she had never met a Jewish person before, “it became a fear of
the unknown itself.”
Manning
said that she chose to leave the group after five years after a fellow member
was murdered. An earlier initial attempt to escape failed when she was beaten
and hospitalized.
“The
groups see women as subservient, meaning we were to bear the children and take
care of domestic stuff. There was endless pressure on me to have children to
continue the white race.”
“If
we are to challenge extremism, understanding how it takes hold is a really
powerful tool," concluded Marks. "Meeting this incredible woman who
embraced violence and then found a way out touches us in a totally different
way."
Manning
is one of the very few known reformed female neo-Nazis.
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/ex-neo-nazi-calls-for-solidarity-with-jewish-muslim-women-645799
From
silent to threatening: Why the portrayal of Muslims on television
IIn
2017, Emmy winner and activist Riz Ahmed gave a speech in Parliament about
diversity on screen. “Representation is not an additional thrill [because] What
people are looking for is a message that they belong, ”he said. Soon after, the
Riz test was introduced – the equivalent of the Bechdel test for representing
Muslims in the media. The criteria ask whether the characters in a television
show or film are identifiable Muslim and whether they are then terrorists.
irrationally angry; anti-modern; a threat to western values; or a misogynist
(or in the case of a female figure, oppressed by male figures). If either
answer is yes, the test failed.
In
his speech, Ahmed further asked: “Where is the counter-narration? Where do we
tell these children that they can be heroes in our stories, that they are
valued? “While there are more Muslims on our television screens than ever
before, the portrayal does not seem to be the simple utopia that many have
imagined. There is a lack of nuances and the existing representation tends
towards a male-oriented presence. When diversity boxes are checked and hijabs
scattered here and there, the nuance of Muslim identities is further strangled.
Dr.
Nour Halabi, a professor of race, migration and social movements at Leeds
University, says the media and entertainment representation of Muslims
“underscores their position as” a permanent and impossible enemy “with a
particular focus on terrorism. The impossibility of defeating this alleged
enemy is then often attributed to his cunning and manipulative behavior – for
example to bodyguard, where the plot of the show depends on the Muslim
character lying about their sympathies until the end. ”
In
fact, one of the most notable roles for a Muslim woman on the BBC in recent
years has been the hit thriller Jed Mercurio, released in 2018. The series
first establishes Nadia as a victim to be rescued from her husband, a
terrorist, but a twist reveals that she is indeed the terrorist mastermind. The
show won a Bafta and was nominated for two Emmys, with the recognition of these
two institutions further legitimizing the regressive stereotypes they used. In
a country where hate crimes are on the rise [Tell MAMA’s annual report for 2017
recorded a rise in Anti-Muslim or Islamophobic attacks with 1,201 verified
incidents, a rise of 26% on the year before, while in 2018 there were 1,072
verified attacks] Shows like Bodyguard risk stirring up such Islamophobia by
not building on the identity of Muslim women beyond dangerous stereotypes and
“other things”.
Netflix’s
Bard of Blood, produced by Shahrukh Khan, a Bollywood royalty, also features
Muslims in the standard role of terrorists. Even the fantastic superhero show
The Boys from Amazon, in which vigilantes fight against those who abuse their
power, portrays Muslims as a threat to Western values. In the latest ITV
production Honor – based on the real story of the 17-year-old British Iraqi
Kurdish Banaz Mahod, who was honor killing by her family in 2006 – the
narrative does not focus on Mahmod but on the white policeman investigating her
case.
A
stubborn trump card is empowerment, which comes solely from distancing yourself
from religion. A hijab removal scene is now a shortened form in film and
television to show a Muslim woman’s rejection of belief and acceptance of
western freedoms. Netflix’s Spanish teen drama Elite took advantage of this
trope. In a key scene, we see one of the show’s lead actresses, Nadia, who goes
to a club after removing her headscarf before drinking alcohol and having sex
with a white classmate. Instead of a nuanced approach to her identity, the once
downtrodden teen has to make a statement.
Representation
depends on who is in control of the narrative, and it often doesn’t seem to
involve Muslim creators. Apple TV’s Hala had similar issues last year, despite
being written by Minhal Baig, who based the film on her own experiences as a
Pakistani Muslim teenager. The film attempts a more complex portrayal of the
life of a Pakistani Muslim hijabi by navigating their beliefs and culture. While
it’s a good effort, the film lies somewhere between trying to overcome these
tropes and playing into them. At the end of the film, Hala decides to take off
her hijab – although there hasn’t been an accumulation of that choice or the
feeling that she has difficulty wearing it.
Ultimately,
much of this misrepresentation stems from the power structures behind the
television that we see. Amna Saleem, screenwriter and broadcaster behind Beta
Female, a BBC Radio 4 sitcom about a Scottish-Pakistani woman trying to find
her way around a family, a career and a white boyfriend, says, “Sometimes we
have to start with the stereotypes to do this Address the audience and then
undo them ”. Regarding her experience in the industry, she says that
“homogeneous” representations still prevail, showing her the need for diversity
behind the scenes: “Maybe we need to write these clichés down so a new class of
writers can come in and make theirs Mark.
“Much
of the representation of Muslim women, including Muslim men, must be reversed.
To be in this industry there are steps, there are things that you have to do
before you can have full creative autonomy. It just works like that. On the
outside, many believe that writers have more power than they do, and this can
often lead to a reactionary approach by the communities towards new writers
rather than giving them space to work and develop. ”
There
are, of course, some shows that go against the grain, including Hulu’s comedy
Ramy about a first-generation Arab-American Muslim man who, after 9/11,
struggles to reconcile his beliefs with his American identity. Despite all of
its thoughtful stories, the show has been criticized for not providing its
female characters with the same level of character development as their males.
Ramy’s sister Dena (May Calamawy) is constantly frustrated by the
overprotective nature of her parents, while her brother is given room to grow
and explore. As viewers, we don’t see that frustration behind us, while smaller
male characters leave room for growth and complexity. Cultural writer Shamira
Ibrahim reflected in The Atlantic in 2019: “Muslim women are indeed diverse and
complex, but when they are portrayed as largely absent or somehow completely
separate from the temptations or crises that Ramy himself copes with, they are
turned away from the modern millennial Existence excluded in a way that sounds
wrong ”. While the depictions here are obviously worlds away from bodyguard,
there is still room for Muslim women to do more than sit on the periphery of
male life.
Perhaps
we’ll look back on these shows in the years to come and see how things have
improved in that Muslim identities are more complex and more than
two-dimensional, but right now we can’t – especially as long as the television
industry stays as it is loud Ofcom, only 1% of professionals in the television
industry identify themselves as Muslim, compared with 16% who identify as
Christians.
A
real representation will be here when Muslim characters and stories can be more
than just openly good or bad. It will be complex and chaotic and unpredictable,
and for that we need more Muslim writers and creatives, and certainly more
women, who have greater creative autonomy. But right now, as Ahmed said in
2017, People look for “the message that they belong, that they are part of
something, that they are seen and heard, and that they are valued despite or
perhaps because of their experience. You want to feel represented. We failed in
this task. ”
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