The Kerala Story: Journalist seeks action against movie depicting women radicalised to join ISIS
New
Age Islam News Bureau
08 November 2022
•
FIA official suspended for ‘harassing’ Afghan woman at Torkham
•
The sisterhood of Muslim women uniting football and faith in London team
•
Young Muslim woman joins several progressives in the fight to turn Delaware a
deeper blue
•
Despite obstacles, self-sacrificing Afghan women lead way to education
•
Jordanian filmmaker using virtual reality to fight Muslim stereotypes
•
Ammar film festival shifts focus to Iranian women’s issues
•
International Women’s Ice Hockey Championship – Kuwait defeats Andorra
•
Rapper Drake faces backlash for song 'dissing' Moroccan women in new album 'Her
Loss'
•
Who’s Who: Aliya Al-Sabti, general manager of the National Address Unit at
Saudi Post
•
Egyptian Montenegrin actress Tara Emad talks representation and dream roles
•
UAE: Strategy to make Dubai pioneering model for women-friendly cities launched
by Dubai Women Establishment
•
60 rural women in Sindh receive handloom training
•
Ireland Women to go ahead with Pakistan tour despite attack on Imran Khan
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
--------
The
Kerala Story: Journalist seeks action against movie depicting women radicalised
to join ISIS
8th
November 2022
Chennai:
A journalist from Tamil Nadu Aravindakshan B R has written a letter to Kerala
Chief Minister PinarayiVijayan after having watched the teaser of a
to-be-released movie called ‘The Kerala Story’.
The
journalist asked the Kerala government to call the director of the movie and
investigate the veracity of the released teaser in which the character claimed
that 32,000 girls from Kerala were being forcibly converted and then later
joined the terrorist group ISIS.
According
to Aravindakshan B R, the movie’s teaser was released on November 3, 2022, on a
YouTube channel called Sunshine Pictures.
“Produced
by VipulAmrutlal Shah, Directed by SudiptoSen, the teaser depicts the
heart-wrenching story of 32,000 women from Kerala who were radicalized to join
ISIS (Islamic Iraq and Syria) terrorist groups,” the letter read.
Similarly,
Aravindakshan B R has also sent a complaint to Union Information and
Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur and Secretary Apurva Chandra asking them to
check the veracity of the content of it.
He
also said in the letter that it is imperative on the part of the Union
government to thoroughly investigate the source of information based on which
the movie was produced.
The
trailer, he said in the letter, narrates the story of a Muslim woman in front
of an international border.
“In
the character played by actress Adha Sharma, she says that she used to be
ShaliniUnnikrishnan and wanted to serve people as a nurse. She says she was
forcibly converted to Islam and renamed Fatima Ba, then joined ISIS and later
imprisoned in Afghanistan,” the letter added.
Further
in the letter, he said the teaser portrayed India’s Kerala as a “terrorist
state” as he claimed the video claimed it was a “true story set in Kerala”.
He
added if the movie, which is against the unity and sovereignty of India and
tarnishes the credibility of all intelligence agencies, is released in theatres
or OTTs with “false information”, it will have bad consequences in society.
“Therefore,
I request you to call and inquire the director of the movie, SudiptoSen, on the
basis of which sources this teaser was released,” the journalist wrote in the
letter.
(Except
for the headline, this story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is
published from a syndicated feed.)
Source:Siasat
Daily
--------
FIA
official suspended for ‘harassing’ Afghan woman at Torkham
November
8, 2022
KHYBER:
A head constable of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) deployed at immigration
checkpost at Torkham was suspended on Monday for harassing an Afghan woman.
An
order, issued by the FIA director office in Peshawar, said that the action
against the accused, Kamran Nawaz, was taken after the incident of harassment
of an Afghan woman during immigration process was reported by assistant
director of FIA immigration at Torkham.
The
issue about the immoral act surfaced through a mobile video when an Afghan woman
complained to an official of FIA. The unidentified Afghan woman was heard in
the video saying that the accused repeatedly touched her body during the
immigration process. The woman was seen crying while narrating her ordeal at
the hands of the accused FIA sleuth.
Local
human rights activists and labour union leaders a few days ago had also accused
the FIA staff posted at Torkham of objectionable behaviour with Afghan women
and also their involvement in human trafficking.
They
had alleged that the objectionable and unlawful activities of officials were
earning a bad name for the country while it could also prove detrimental for
bilateral relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
They
alleged that the FIA staff issued fake visas to Afghans after receiving huge
amount from them while the same people then used Pakistan as a ‘jumping board’
for going European countries and the United States of America.
Shafqat
Jamal, an FIA official at Torkham, denied the allegations and told Dawn that
some of the people, who had levelled the allegations against the agency, were
themselves involved in human trafficking and had on a number of occasions asked
for illegal favour in the recent past.
Source:
Dawn
https://www.dawn.com/news/1719696/fia-official-suspended-for-harassing-afghan-woman-at-torkham
--------
The
sisterhood of Muslim women uniting football and faith in London team
8
November, 2022
By
Hannah McKay and William Schomberg
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters
2022
------------
LONDON
(Reuters) – On a soccer pitch in a central London park, Sisterhood Football
Club – a Muslim women’s team – is making a substitution.
“Your
hijab, tuck it in. It can’t get in the way,” a teammate calls out as the
replacement player runs on.
Despite
the warmth of the afternoon, all of Sisterhood’s players are clothed from head
to foot in the club’s all-black colours. Some wear training trousers, almost
all of them have hijab head scarves and one is in a body-length abaya robe.
On
the sidelines, a squad member unfurls a mat and kneels to pray while her
teammates play on against a team led by Brazilian women in bright pink and blue
shirts and shorts.
Founded
in 2018, Sisterhood has doubled in size to almost 100 players, allowing its
members to enjoy playing football without anyone querying their Muslim dress
code or asking why they refrain from socialising in a pub after their games.
“It’s
a football club for Muslim women to come and feel free and relaxed and be able
to play in their attire,” Kamara Davis, 30, said.
She
converted to Islam at age 17 and felt that she would never play soccer again
because it seemed incompatible with the religion’s traditional dress. But when
she heard about Sisterhood, she jumped at the chance to join.
“Honestly,
it just feels so good, it’s like a release. It feels really nice when I am able
to shoot the ball with power,” Kamara said.
The
club also offers a chance to Muslim women to enjoy a break from traditional
roles that many say are expected of them.
Fatima
Ali, 26, said some families struggled at first to understand why their young
women members wanted to play sport. “I think a lot of people have approved of
it,” she said. “But it is still going to take time, it’s not just a one-step
process.”
“Even
your brothers might be like what’s the point of you going all the way from west
London to south east but I’ll be like: ‘I enjoy playing, we’ve got a team, this
is it, we’ve got a match, we’ve got to go to do this’.”
Yasmin
Abdullahi, Sisterhood’s Somali-British founder, recalled the surprise of many
fellow female Muslim students when she told them that she was playing football
for London University’s Goldsmiths College whilst a student.
“They
could not believe that they were seeing a girl that wears a hijab and saying
that she plays football,” Abdullahi, a 30 year-old professional fashion model,
said.
So
she set up the club as a way to reconcile the interest in playing sport among
many Muslim women and their adherence to their faith. To underscore the point, Sisterhood’s
club badge features the image of a hijab, which was barred by soccer’s world
governing body FIFA on safety grounds in 2007. The ban was only relaxed in
2012, with the hijab fully permitted in 2014.
Like
many of Sisterhood’s players, Abdullahi is excited about the upcoming World Cup
in Qatar. “What comes with the World Cup is such a beautiful experience,
watching matches with your family and your friends.”
But
like other club members, Abdullahi drew the contrast between the funding for
the England men’s team compared with the national women’s team which won the
Women’s European Championship this year for the first time.
“If
they’d had equal investment and equal opportunity, where would the women be?,”
she asked.
UNSUPPORTIVE
SCHOOL
Sisterhood
runs a weekly training session and its first team competes in the Ladies Super
Liga for 5- and 7-a-side teams.
Sara
Taleghani said she struggled to reconcile her faith and her hopes of playing
sports when she was at school in Ireland.
“I
constantly had coaches trying to compromise my religion,” Taleghani, who works
as a social media manager for a public relations agency, said.
Teachers
used to say that her head scarf posed a hazard and they insisted that she wore
shorts. “I think that’s the reason I stopped playing sports at school,”
Taleghani said.
For
FaezehDeriss, 23, who recently completed a degree in child psychology, being
able to wear what she wants while playing is vital.
“I’ve
been to a couple of other football places but there weren’t any girls who looked
like me,” she said. “Other teams I played with, they tried to make me wear
shorts. I tried wearing shorts with leggings underneath but it didn’t feel
right.”
There
was no such conflict at Sisterhood. “I feel confident saying to the team that I
am just going to go and pray. It’s not an issue,” Deriss said.
Taleghani
said she was encouraged to see other Muslim women’s football teams but she had
a sense of regret that some players of her generation will never fulfil their
potential, given how recently they were given the chance to play.
“If
there had been spaces like this when we were growing up, I know a few girls who
would have made it as pros,” she said.
For
Abdullahi, Sisterhood’s founder, the most important achievement of the club is
the sense of togetherness among its members many of whom have become friends.
“I
think the thing that honestly brings tears to my eyes is the fact that we’ve
actually built our little community,” Abdullahi said. “The name Sisterhood FC,
it’s not by accident like we have literally built a sisterhood.”
Source:ThePrint
--------
Young
Muslim woman joins several progressives in the fight to turn Delaware a deeper
blue
Brooke
Anderson
08
November, 2022
Madinah
Wilson-Anton at a café in her home district in Newark, Delaware. [Brooke
Anderson/TNA]
-------------
Madinah
Wilson-Anton is one of several progressive in Delaware's state legislature who
has ousted establishment Democratic incumbents and is now working to push
through progressive policies.
As
the daughter of two African-American Muslim converts in Newark, Delaware, she
grew up in an international environment in a community with Muslim immigrants
from different parts of the world. At an early age, Israel and Palestine were
always part of the conversation.
Her
diverse upbringing led to her wanting to work for the United Nations. She
studied languages (Spanish, Arabic, Chinese and French), and then turned to international
relations. Her interest in policy eventually led her to turn to local politics.
Her
language skills would prove useful when she ended up running for office and
doing grassroots campaigning.
"Language
is really helpful. When someone tries to meet you where you are, it means a lot
to people. It makes a difference with how you're able to start a relationship
with someone," she tells The New Arab.
After
completing her master's degree at University of Delaware, she worked for a
state legislator, John Viola. When he talked about retiring, she saw an opening
in 2020. And then when he changed his mind and decided to run again, she ended
up in a tight race against her former boss, eventually winning by just 43
votes.
"It
was definitely awkward," she says about running against her former boss.
But once she'd decided to run, she didn't think about turning back. Seeing the
process up close made her think about the movie The Wizard of Oz, when the
curtain is pulled back to show a regular man.
"If
it's a Republican or a Democrat, they're people just like you and me," she
says. "If it can be him, it can be me. It should be the person with energy
and drive."
"One
thing I try to remind people of is that it's bigger than our personal
relationships. It's a duty. Whoever's doing it should be doing it a hundred
percent," she says.
Wilson-Anton
entered that first race at the beginning of the pandemic. She describes her
strategy at the time as throwing everything at the wall in terms of phone
banking, holding virtual events and using social media to engage voters.
In
her latest primary in September in the solidly blue District 26, she won
against her Democratic opponent by a 30-point margin. She is on track to win on
8 November in the general election. And this last time around, she says her
former boss was helping her Democratic primary opponent.
She
says the main issue that stirred her to run for office was education inequity,
something she became familiar with as a legislative staffer. She has also seen
it as she goes through neighbourhoods at graduation time when the signs of
different school names line the streets, a result of school lottery programmes
that send students across town instead of to the local neighbourhood school.
She
sees Delaware as a microcosm of the country, noting that the north is very
Democratic, while the southern part is more rural with conservative values.
"Delaware
is pretty cool," she says. "What's really cool about the 26th
district is there's the microcosm in one. The neighbours are from all over.
There's the old and the new. It's where I grew up. I'm partial to it."
"We
have a lot of diversity. A lot of people are surprised at the options. We have
some great Middle Eastern restaurants. We have everything in this tiny
state," she says.
It's
unsurprising to hear Delaware touted, not just because Wilson-Anton is a
politician representing the state, but because it's often overlooked. It's a
state with stunning scenery on the east coast that many people pass through en
route from Washington DC to cities in the northeast, but where few stop to
visit.
In
fact, one can take commuter trains all the way down the coast from Boston to
Washington, DC. But the chain breaks in Delaware, where infrequent buses are
the state's only means of affordable public transportation.
Joe
Biden, who started his national political career as one of the youngest US
senators in US history at the age of 29, just one year older than Wilson-Anton
is now, has arguably put the state on the map more than anyone. As senator, he
was well known for his commutes between Delaware and Washington, DC. And as
president, he takes regulars trips to his home in Wilmington and to speak at
the university.
While
studying for her master's in public policy at the University of Delaware, she joined
the Biden Institute upon its establishment. There, she had brief encounters
with Biden, whom she describes as down to earth and approachable. In one
instance, she offered to make him coffee, but he insisted on doing it himself.
She
says that as president he's more progressive than she expected, though she also
understands there are limits to what he can do given the make-up of the House
and Senate.
She
sees the country's turn toward right-wing extremism as well as progressivism as
a response to failed neoliberal policies, including her state's longtime role
as an international corporate tax haven.
"A
lot of neoliberals are not delivering to working class people," she says.
"If that's not working, people will go to the other side. People are
turning to fascism."
"A
lot of people look at both parties and don't see anything different," she
adds.
In
Delaware, she says people are lucky to have options. In this election cycle,
she is one of several progressives, all women, who has beaten a Democratic
incumbent and is expected to win in a solidly blue district. She says the
Working Families Party in Delaware has been instrumental in supporting
promising progressives in the state.
She
says she plans on staying in state politics because being part of a small state
assembly allows her to have a louder voice than she would in national politics.
Emgage-Action,
a Muslim American advocacy group, endorsed Wilson-Anton in her first primary
and has continued to do so with each race.
"We're
actually e very proud of our endorsement," Mohamed Gula, Emgage-Action
advocacy director tells TNA. The group typically gives candidates a survey to
fill out on their policies. Gula says she included policies in her responses
they hadn't thought to ask about.
"I
really love when they're grounded in their local communities," he says.
"I think her future will be that, especially if she continues working as
she has been. We'll be there every step of the way."
Source:
The New Arab
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/how-muslim-woman-turning-delaware-deeper-blue
--------
Despite
obstacles, self-sacrificing Afghan women lead way to education
Bilal
Guler
07.11.2022
KABUL,
Afghanistan
'We do not want Afghan girls
to remain uneducated, forgotten and excluded from society,' says Afghan
volunteer
-----------
Despite
many obstacles, self-sacrificing Afghan women educators have taken it upon
themselves to teach girls who are not allowed to go to school, child workers
who contribute to their families' livelihoods, and illiterate women.
The
Taliban, who came to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, imposed restrictions
on working women and girls' education.
Though
barriers preventing women and girls from receiving education at the level up to
6th grade and in universities were removed, in most of the country, girls were
not allowed to return to education in public schools at the secondary and high
school levels.
In
many provinces of Afghanistan, volunteers are imparting education to
underprivileged children in informal schools they have established with their
own means.
SodabeNezend
and AzitaNezend, two sisters in their 20s, are among the Afghans who willingly
shouldered the responsibility to educate those children who are deprived of
education.
These
sisters opened the doors of the school they established in the capital Kabul to
Anadolu Agency correspondent, where teachers give lessons 25 hours a week to
nearly 250 students. Students are also trained in tailoring and carpet weaving
here.
“The
school offers courses in History, Mathematics, Persian, English, Biology,
Chemistry, and Physics in accordance with the curriculum,” SodabeNezend told
Anadolu Agency.
"It
is very clear that women are forgotten and marginalized in Afghanistan at all
times. We do not want this situation to be repeated. We do not want Afghan
girls to be uneducated, forgotten, and excluded from society," Sodabe
said.
AzitaNezend
said: “We found that most of the girls were depressed and lost motivation after
the Taliban’s decision to prevent them from education. By establishing such a
school, we wanted to give hope to girls that one day schools will reopen,"
Azita noted.
Taliban
returned to power in Afghanistan last year on Aug. 15 as officials of the
US-backed Kabul administration fled the country and foreign forces withdrew.
Taliban's
takeover followed by the disruption of international financial assistance left
the worn-torn country in economic, humanitarian, and human rights crises.
Many
Afghan women have demanded their rights be reinstated by taking to the streets,
protesting, and organizing campaigns.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
--------
Jordanian
filmmaker using virtual reality to fight Muslim stereotypes
Handan
Kazanci
05.11.2022
A
Jordanian filmmaker and producer is fighting stereotypes about Muslims with the
help of virtual reality films on Islamic history.
"We've
been producers and filmmakers for over 10 years but we never thought that we
will go into entertainment until we were in Disney," Samah Safi Bayazid
told Anadolu Agency.
Bayazid
is co-owner of LightArt Media Productions and Light Art VR, a company she
describes as “for Islamic entertaining virtual reality experiences.”
The
idea for VR films about Islamic culture came when she and her husband were
visiting the theme park. “We were having so much fun,” she said.
“Why
don't we have as Muslims, anything fun like this?” she wondered.
“What
if we can tell our stories and our heritage? And the Islamic history in a super
entertaining way, using cutting edge technology, we develop our software,” she
said.
Bayazid
said her company has "achieved the goal of entertaining and still
educating people.”
The
company produces films in eight languages, including Turkish, has four VR films
about Islamic heritage, and is producing a fifth and sixth within the next
year.
The
33-year-old was in Istanbul to attend a two-day conference hosted by the Women
and Democracy Association (KADEM), an Istanbul-based women's advocacy group,
together with Türkiye's Family and Social Services Ministry.
The
theme of the fifth International Women and Justice Summit was "Cultural
codes and women," with Anadolu Agency serving as the event's global
communication partner.
“I'm
here to talk about the image of women and the presentation of women in the
media,” Bayazid told Anadolu Agency on the sidelines of the summit.
“I've
worked in this industry for over 12 years and living in the US I see how the
way women, specifically Muslim women, are being represented in the media
directly affects how we are being treated and this sometimes causes Islamophobia,”
she added.
Telling
our story
Bayazid
cited the importance of “telling our stories as a Muslim producer and
filmmaker” and said she will be talking about the importance of telling the
stories of Muslim characters.
Along
with her husband Muhammad, Bayazid founded Light Art VR five years ago. “We
decided that we want to produce entertainment for Muslim audiences around the
world,” she said.
They
started producing a Virtual Reality computer-generated company to show 8k
resolution films “that take you back in time 1,400 years ago, to witness the
story of Islam,” she said.
The
director based in Washington also discussed reactions from audiences. “So, we
have completed two different reactions because we have our Muslim audience and
non-Muslim ones.”
Muslim
audiences, she said, were “screaming, laughing, crying,” when they watch the
company’s films.
Non-Muslim
audiences had similar reactions but were surprised to learn facts about Muslim
culture they did not know until watching the film.
“We
did our project in New York just to share our Islamic culture," she said.
"They loved it and they said 'we didn't know all this information because
it's very informative.”
“For
example, they thought that Islam is a religion of violence. They told us that
before watching our VR experiences they thought that women are second-class
citizens in Islam and they are controlled by men,” she said.
“It's
one of the reasons to educate people and to tell them about our Islamic
heritage and culture, to tell our own story and on our narrative,” said
Bayazid. “Because we're not going let other people tell our story the way they
want. It's our job to tell it the right way.”
Source:
Anadolu Agency
--------
Ammar
film festival shifts focus to Iranian women’s issues
November
7, 2022
Established
by a number of Iranian revolutionary figures, the festival has been named after
AmmarYasir, a close companion of the Prophet Muhammad (S).
Speaking
in a press conference, the director of the Ammar Policy-Making Council,
SaeidKhorshidi, said some of Iranian society’s concerns and needs have been
disregarded in the media.
For
instance, he said, Iranian women’s issues have always been ignored by the
media.
“The
path Iranian women have followed over the past forty years has not been
discussed by the media; the Islamic Revolution’s achievements in women's issues
are instructive; I hope the revolutionary filmmakers would regard this
subject,” he stated.
The
Ammar Policy-Making Council has selected Argentinean Muslim cleric Edgardo
Robin to replace the former president of the festival, Nader Talebzadeh, who
died in April.
Following
his conversion to Shia Islam under the influence of the Islamic Revolution,
Robin uses the name SoheilAsaad.
As
a graduate of the Beirut Arab University in Lebanon and Al-Mustafa
International University in Qom, he has been traveling across the world to
promote Shia Islam.
“We
are Hajji Nader’s heirs; as his children, we will follow the path he chose,”
Asaad said at the press conference.
“The
festival is unique in character, linking art, thought and media,” he noted and
added, “I was a stage actor when I was living in Argentina. It was vitally
important for me to do everything in an artistic way. When I shifted to Islamic
studies I pledged to myself to do everything based on thought.”
“The
Islamic Revolution should not confine its artistic and media activities only to
national boundaries; this culture and lifestyle should be promoted as exemplary
and a model for the world,” he stated.
As
a cleric, Asaad said that establishing “a Shia Hollywood” was once a concern
for him and added, “Cinema is really powerful, so it’s really necessary to do
whatever we can.”
Source: Tehran Times
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/478441/Ammar-film-festival-shifts-focus-to-Iranian-women-s-issues
--------
International
Women’s Ice Hockey Championship – Kuwait defeats Andorra
November
8, 2022
KUWAIT
CITY, Nov 7 : The Kuwaiti national team defeated Andorra 5-0 in its second
match in the Kuwait International Women’s Ice Hockey Championship, while
Luxembourg beat the UAE and Colombia over Ireland.
The
Kuwaiti players played very well,
especially in the second and third halves, so that the women’s hockey team
grabbed its first three points in the championship, occupying fourth place with
a goal difference from Emirates team, while Andorra remained without points in
sixth and last place .
In
the second match, Luxembourg won its second victory in the tournament by
defeating its UAE counterpart 6-3 with six points in second place, with a goal
difference from Colombia , while the UAE team remained at 3 points in third
place.
In
the third match, Colombia topped the championship with a goal difference after
its second and outright victory over its Irish counterpart (7-3), raising its
score to 6 points, Colombian players were excellent in attack and defense,
while Ireland received its second defeat to settle in fifth place without
points.
Source:ArabTimesOnline
--------
Rapper
Drake faces backlash for song 'dissing' Moroccan women in new album 'Her Loss'
November
8, 2022
Drake’s
new album "Her Loss" has caused quite an international stir, rearing
heads and climbing the chart beats. However, his line on Moroccan women has
triggered a fierce backlash against the self-proclaimed feminist rapper.
In
collaboration with Savage 21, Toronto-born Drake released last week a 16-track
album, mainly diss tracks, taking a non-subtle-shot at fellow rappers and
rivals such as Ye (Kanye West), DRAM, Ice Spice, and controversially, Meghan
Thee Stallion.
While
the 'beef culture' is no stranger to hip-hop, several Moroccan listeners said
Drake has crossed the line with his track, "Jumbotron S*** Poppin."
"Thick
Moroccan b****, this my fav', I'ma go on and beat it. (…) Send a girl home,
call another, dawg, I'm too slime. She ain'twanna eat it on her first day, it's
haram," said the rapper in his third solo track in the newly released
album.
The
reference to Moroccan women was widely seen as another form of long-standing
offensive stereotypes regarding the "hyper-sexualising" Moroccan
women.
"This
song disrespects and sexualises Moroccan women because it reinforces a
long-standing stereotype, according to which Moroccan women are seen as bitches
(…) and sex workers," YasminaBenslimane, a Moroccan human rights activist
and founder of feminist platform politics4her, told The New Arab.
For
far too long, the reputation of sex-working haunted Moroccan women in airports
and politics and now apparently in art too, explained the Moroccan activist in
reference to the "Mehram-gate scandal."
Earlier
this year, the "Mehram-gate" scandal erupted as many young Moroccan
women came together to share their stories of being denied access to Jordan, a
country that does not require a visa for Moroccans because they are under 30
and they were travelling without a male companion (Mehram).
According
to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the trade association
representing the world's airlines, a Moroccan woman aged between 16 and 36
needs the prior agreement of the Ministry of the Interior, except in the
following cases: "She is accompanied by a husband, father or brother. She
is part of an official delegation. She is the daughter of a high-ranking
officer."
Jordan's
embassy in Rabat said at the time, "It lacks visibility at the
moment" on the sexist travelling rule that contradicts the right of
movement.
Moroccan
officials have not reacted to the Mahram-gate scandal until the moment.
Many
Gulf countries also restrict the entry of Moroccan women under 35.
In
a nutshell, Drake's usual way of charming his fan base by dissing women who
"broke his heart" has taken a profound sexist, and arguably racist,
meaning in this case.
Ironically,
on the same album, Drake confessed in his track "on BS" that he is a
"feminist," pointing to his call out against the abortion ban in the
US.
However,
many argue that Drake's past actions and new-brand lyrics do not line up with
this assessment.
Source:
The New Arab
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/drake-faces-backlash-dissing-moroccan-women
--------
Who’s
Who: Aliya Al-Sabti, general manager of the National Address Unit at Saudi Post
November
07, 2022
She
oversees the national address across Saudi Arabia and improves its
transformational journey as one of the pioneer women leaders in SPL.
Al-Sabti
leads the transformation by enabling a contactless delivery experience and has
been instrumental in launching the short address for over 7.5 million addresses
with 100 percent coverage of the Kingdom.
Moreover,
the NAU has built multiple strategic partnerships with map platforms such as
Google to enable address accessibility and navigation. As a result, its
adoption has shown remarkable growth, enhancing the delivery experience and
service quality across industries.
Al-Sabti
ensures improving user experience and maintaining its standards to meet
customer needs regularly.
Additionally,
she has worked closely with leading companies such as Aramex, Jahez and Noon to
improve the end-to-end delivery experience in logistics, food delivery and
e-commerce.
Before
SPL, Al-Sabti worked in digital consulting as a digital transformation advisory
manager at Ernst & Young Middle East. She managed several digital
transformation projects for the public sector and contributed to setting up the
Digital Experience Maturity Index for government services.
Before
that, she worked as a data and artificial intelligence senior consultant at IBM
Services Middle East. She managed mega portfolios with over SR300 million
($79.86 million) revenue and developed data and AI solutions for the
telecommunication and banking industries.
Al-Sabti
earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Imam Mohammed bin Saud
Islamic University in 2012. She later completed her IBM Consulting by Degrees
program as a certified design thinking practitioner and a certified artificial
intelligence or IBM Watson developer.
She
was recognized as IBM’s top performer in 2013 and 2014. Al-Sabti is the
founding member of the Saudi Data Community and IBM Female Business Resources
Group. She is also co-founder of the IBM Saudi Blue Leap Program.
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2195421/saudi-arabia
--------
Egyptian
Montenegrin actress Tara Emad talks representation and dream roles
November
07, 2022
DUBAI:
Hard work and persistence are the keys to success for Egyptian Montenegrin
actress Tara Emad, who is the first Middle Eastern star to score a campaign
with Chanel Beauty.
The
actress, who fronted a campaign with Cartier in the past, told Arab News the
opportunity is not one she takes lightly.
“It
makes me feel that I have a role now. Growing up, I always wanted to see
representation,” she said, adding that she feels “incredibly grateful” for the
chance to serve as that representation for other young women around the world.
“It’s rewarding, it’s humbling,” she said.
Having
started her career at 14 as a model, the now-29-year-old has a number of films
and advertorials under her belt. Born to an Egyptian father and a Montenegrin
mother, Emad told Arab News that she was always fascinated by the camera as a
child and was comfortable being in the spotlight.
“I
felt that this is where I belong, in front of the camera. My mother noticed how
much I loved being photographed and how much I loved posing in front of the
camera…It was always the joke in the family that ‘Tara is always camera ready’,
no matter what or where.
“I
was fascinated by the fact that I could do roles and live other people’s lives
through characters and be them for a certain amount of time,” she added. “It’s
incredibly daring. It’s beautifully demanding.”
Emad
nabbed her first role at the age of 15, but her breakout role came at 20 when
she starred alongside renowned Egyptian actor Adel Imam in the 2014 comedy show
“Saheb El-Sa’ada” that aired during Ramadan.
“Given
that opportunity, I was not aware…how much it was going to reflect later on in
my life and how big of a step it was. I was not aware until the series was
airing,” she said. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and it has changed
everything that came afterward.”
Despite
her stellar portfolio, the actress is yet to star in an action film.
“I
would love to do action,” she said. “I don’t think — especially in the Arab
world — we have enough roles that are written for lead women (in action
movies). There might be some action sequences, but there is not a (female-led)
action movie…So I would love to do that.”
Source: Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2195191/lifestyle
--------
UAE:
Strategy to make Dubai pioneering model for women-friendly cities launched by
Dubai Women Establishment
November
08, 2022
Dubai:
Dubai aims to be a pioneering model for women-friendly cities and a strategy to
achieve this has been launched by the Dubai Women Establishment (DWE).
DWA
has launched its new strategic plan for 2023-2027 to support women and
consolidate their participation in the development process in all fields.
The
plan is in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid
Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai who
considers the human resources as a main priority. It also follows the
directives of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of
Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, to upgrade the government work
system in accordance to the best international practices to enhance Dubai’s
competitive position, includes three strategic pillars.
The
pillars include creating an enabling environment for women in the labour
market, developing women leaders, and enhancing the quality of life for women
in society.
Through
these pillars, DWE seeks to achieve its vision of “Dubai as a pioneering model
for women-friendly cities”.
To
achieve this, DWE plans to implement relevant projects and qualitative
initiatives in cooperation with the authorities concerned in the emirate
ranging from the public and private sectors, and also global partners.
The
plan benefits from the unlimited support provided by the UAE’s wise leadership,
the supportive legislative structure and the effective policies, which reflects
the Establishment’s commitment to continue its support, and increasing its
social and economic influence and strengthening its presence across global
platforms.
Creative
vision
SheikhaManalbint
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Women Establishment, wife of
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the
Presidential Court, said: “At a time when the UAE is preparing to embark on a
new journey of prosperity, we announce the launch of the Dubai Women
Establishment’s 2023 – 2027 strategic plan, which incorporates a creative
vision to make Dubai a pioneering model for women-friendly cities.
“The
strategic goals align with the directives of Sheikh Mohammed to advance women’s
participation in various fields and provide them with the needed contentment.
This aligns with His Highness’ keenness to invest in people as the real capital
to lead development and growth, especially [since] women have demonstrated
their efficiency and highly contributed over the past 50 years with their
dedication to the economic and social prosperity of the UAE and its global
prestige.”
Supportive
approach
SheikhaManal
pointed out that the UAE was founded on a supportive approach towards women and
benefits from their capabilities as a main contributor across all development
paths.
The
Dubai Women Establishment was created in 2006 by a decree of Sheikh Mohammed
and is an example of the unlimited support provided by the UAE’s leadership to
women and their active presence in various fields.
SheikhaManal
affirmed that the new strategic plan aligns with the vision of the Dubai
government in providing a friendly and conducive environment for women, whether
they are citizens, residents or visitors, thus enhancing the competitiveness of
Dubai as a city suitable for living - not only for women, but for society as a
whole.
She
stressed that Dubai already has many practices that make it friendly to women
in terms of policies and services of all kinds.
SheikhaManal
indicated that the new strategy of DWE builds on the results of the past
five-year work plan, which witnessed many achievements in the field of
supporting women, enhancing their participation and influence in social,
economic and political life, and increasing their representation in leadership
positions. In order to move forward towards developing the economy of Dubai and
enhancing its competitiveness globally.
She
affirmed that the new strategic plan focuses on contributing to the
strengthening of supporting legislation and policies, consolidating
partnerships and allowing women to influence locally and globally through their
prominent economic and social role and their effective presence in
international platforms such as conferences and forums. The strategy also
includes performance indicators and methodologies for continuous development.
Future
needs
Mona
Ghanem Al Marri
Mona
Ghanem Al Marri, chairperson of the Board of Directors and managing director of
the Dubai Women Establishment, said that the strategic plan 2023-2027, in
addition to its focus on supporting women professionally and economically and
upskilling their functional and leadership capabilities, emphasizes all the
elements that guarantee the quality women’s lives and achieving a balance
between the requirements of work and social life.
The
strategy will also focus on the future opportunities in the labour market, in
order to attract women to all sectors, in addition to providing consultations
and building a knowledge centre for best international practices related to
women empowerment.
Al
Marri highlighted the components of the new strategy, highlighting that it
includes specific mechanisms to implement its main objectives and themes.
The
pillars
Starting
with the first pillar, creating an enabling environment for women in the labour
market, where it will be achieved by contributing to strengthening the
legislative environment and ensuring its application to meet the future needs
of women. It will also provide incentives and the mechanisms necessary to adopt
and implement new ideas related to women’s entrepreneurship, with a focus on
identifying future opportunities and fields of work for women, and determining
the skills required.
The
second pillar, developing women leaders, will be achieved through continuous
efforts to build and enhance leadership competencies and skills to increase
women’s representation and promote their participation in leadership positions
that enable them to achieve their aspirations and achieve gender balance in
society. Additionally, the plan incorporates implementing projects and
initiatives that support the external representation of women such as in boards
of directors on a global level, while also focusing on the technical skills
needed for new job opportunities, keeping pace with the fourth industrial revolution.
Al
Marri stated that the third strategic pillar related to enhancing the quality
of women’s life in society, will be achieved through several mechanisms. The
foremost of this is ensuring the efficiency of implementing federal and local
policies and legislation that support women, putting forward initiatives and
creating practices that support work-life balance and bettering women’s quality
of life.
Qualitative
initiatives
Shamsa
Saleh, member of the Board of Directors and CEO of the Dubai Women Establishment,
said that the strategic plan 2023-2027 features a number of new qualitative
initiatives that will be implemented according to a timeline. They will have a
significant impact in achieving the strategic pillars and objectives, and the
implementation will be evaluated according to performance indicators.
She
referred to a number of these initiatives, including the “Dubai’s Pioneering
Model for Women-Friendly Cities”, where standards will be developed for this
global model, and the “Dubai leadership” initiative at the level of the Dubai
government, with the aim of increasing the commitment of Dubai’s corporate
government leadership to support women and the gender balance agenda.
She
also mentioned the “Women on Global Boards” initiative in addition to the
“Innovation Incubators” initiative, which includes developing and activating a
framework that supports innovation, applying all creative and developmental
ideas related to women and encouraging participation in them; attracting young
pioneers in their field of work and highlighting them as promising talents.
The
plan also includes an initiative to encourage women’s participation in local
and global competitive indexes, and an initiative which focuses on cultural
heritage, in line with Dubai’s strategy and the call of Sheikh Mohammed to
preserve the Emirati cultural heritage. The initiative will focus on linking
the cultural heritage to women, in addition to other initiatives that support
achieving the strategic objectives of the plan.
Source:
GulfNews
--------
60
rural women in Sindh receive handloom training
November
06, 2022
Azeem
Samar
Karachi:
Sixty underprivileged rural women of Sindh have completed a four-month training
to operate handlooms in order to empower them to earn their livelihood.
The
handloom weaving training was organised by an alliance between ZABTech, a
platform working to impart vocational training to youth, and the non-profit
SZABIST Foundation named after former prime ministerZulfikar Ali Bhutto.
The
graduating rural women from Larkana district received free-of-charge training,
handlooms, and tablet computers with customised applications to enable them to
virtually showcase their products and earn money through e-commerce.
The
beneficiary women also received a stipend as their transportation charges for
attending the training.
ZABTech
in collaboration with the SZABIST Foundation has so far imparted vocational
training to 60,000 underprivileged youths in the province to transform their
lives.
Speaking
at the graduation ceremony, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, who is the youngest daughter
of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, said that vocational training of the
youth through such charitable initiatives would go a long way to bring
socio-economic stability in the country.
She
said the SZABIST Foundation had been undertaking such welfare projects to act
upon the vision of the past and current leadership of the Pakistan People’s
Party (PPP) including Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for youth empowerment.
She
said the collaboration between the two entities would continue to launch more
such charitable programmes to impart technical and vocational training to the
youth of rural areas to empower them to start their careers in different
fields.
She
told the audience that the handloom training initiative was a pilot programme
to launch similar courses for the empowerment of rural women and to help them
achieve financial independence.
PPP
Women Wing President, FaryalTalpur, said the manifesto of her political party stood
for empowering underprivileged women to achieve distinction in different
spheres of life.
She
said that the rural youth of Sindh was multi-talented as upon receiving such
training they would play their due part in the progress and development of
Pakistan.
Source:
GulfNews
--------
Ireland
Women to go ahead with Pakistan tour despite attack on Imran Khan
Nov
04 2022
Lahore,
Nov 4 (IANS): The Ireland women's cricket team will go ahead with its maiden
tour of Pakistan for the three One-day Internationals and as many T20I matches
after an assessment of the situation arising out of the attack on former
Pakistan Prime Minister and cricket captain Imran Khan suggested there was no
threat to the team.
The
first ODI of the series between Ireland Women and Pakistan Women on Friday will
go ahead despite the incident taking place at Wazirabad, approximately 150km
outside Lahore, venue of the three ODIs and three T20Is. As per the schedule,
the series will go on till November 16 after the third T20I.
A
gunman opened fire at a campaign truck carrying Imran Khan at Wazirabad in
eastern Paksitan, wounding him in both his legs. The gunman was arrested at the
scene and no group has claimed responsibility for the shooting.
The
attack happened while Imran Khan, who led Pakistan to their first World Cup
title in 1992, was leading a protest convoy of his political party, Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), supporters in Wazirabad and heading towards the capital,
Islamabad, as part of his campaign aimed at forcing the government to hold
early elections. Imran is reported to be safe and admitted to a hospital. One
person has reportedly died and seven have been wounded in the attack.
Cricket
Ireland said according to the current advice provided to it, there was no
change in threat level and it was liaising with Pakistan Cricket Board and
security advisors to assess the situation.
"Current
advice provided to Cricket Ireland is that there will be no change in the
threat level as a result of this incident. The Ireland Women's squad has been
briefed, while Cricket Ireland's security advisors will continue to review
procedures and monitor the situation," it said.
"Cricket
Ireland is currently liaising with the Pakistan Cricket Board, in-country
security advisors and diplomatic services. The PCB Chief Executive Faisal
Hasnain has spoken directly with Cricket Ireland Chief Executive Warren Deutrom
and Team Manager Beth Healy, and provided them with an updated assessment of
the on-ground situation," it added.
The
Ireland Women's squad has been training at the Gaddafi Stadium ahead of the
first match of their first-ever tour of Pakistan.
Source:
DaijiWorld
https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=1016305
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