Ban on Triple Talaq Not Just Beneficial for Muslim Women, Positive Step for Men Too, Explains PM Modi
New
Age Islam News Bureau
08 February 2022
• ‘Christians,
women top blasphemy targets in Pakistan’
• Udupi
Muslim girls hope HC will let them wear hijab to class, principal deems them
‘beyond help’
• Muslim
schoolgirl asked to remove hijab in Puducherry, inquiry ordered
• US
Muslims react to Biden's nomination of first Muslim woman to be federal judge
• For
country’s uplift, women should work alongside men: Munir
• Women
protest denial to right to education of girls in Afghanistan, Pakistan
• Minister
of Education: Nigeria’s constitution allows Muslim women to wear hijab
• ISIS
women in Syria camp clash with police, one child killed
• Is
the balaclava trend offensive? These Muslim women say it’s complicated
• Islamic
Charity Foundation Urges Women To Take Up Responsibility
• Two
women kidnapped in Mirpurkhas after attack on house by 20 suspects
• UAE’s
Sheikh Mohammed, Saudi Arabia’s Princess Reema attend Beijing Winter Olympics
opening ceremony
• Developing
South Asian female talent, leadership in world of creativity
• Writer,
politician Bushra Rehman passes away in Lahore
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
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Ban on Triple
Talaq Not Just Beneficial for Muslim Women, Positive Step for Men Too, Explains
PM Modi
FEBRUARY
08, 2022
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi speaking in Rajya Sabha. (Sansad TV grab)
----------
Ban
on triple talaq has not only benefitted the daughters, but men too, Prime
Minister Narendra Modi told Rajya Sabha on Tuesday as he vouched for gender
equality. He added that men and women are on par today, and there was no reason
for the marriage age of males and females to be different.
The
Centre has proposed to raise the minimum marriageable age of girls from 18 to
21 years of age, irrespective of the religion. PM Modi had earlier said that
the purpose for raising the age of marriage for girls is to empower ‘desh ki
beti’ so that they get enough time to complete education and build their
careers and become ‘Aatmanirbhar.’
Recently,
Ittihad-e-Millat Council chief Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan’s daughter-in-law Nida
Khan had joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Nida, who is a victim of
triple talaq, said, “BJP’s fight against triple talaq was the turning point for
supporting the party. The security given to women by the BJP government by
making a law on triple talaq will be a big issue in the elections this
time."
PM
Modi further said in Parliament that the abolishment of Article 370 in Jammu
and Kashmir had empowered women. He went on to say that the government had
empowered the people as well by repealing Article 370.
In
the Rajya Sabha, PM Modi also addressed the pressing issue of gender disparity.
The Prime Minister stated that there is no reason for the marriage age of males
and females to be different. PM Modi also stated that the eradication of Triple
Talaq benefitted not only the daughters but the entire society.
Source:
News18
--------
‘Christians,
women top blasphemy targets in Pakistan’
February
7, 2022
Image:
Zee5
----------
Islamabad
[Pakistan], February 7 (ANI): Violence against Christians is on the rise in
Pakistan, particularly among Christian women, according to a new report by the
Center for Social Justice (CSJ).
CSJ
reports suggest, roughly 70 per cent of female victims of extrajudicial murders
on blasphemy charges come from these minority communities, and the bulk of the
victims are Christian women.
“If
you’re a Christian woman in Pakistan, you’re probably the most likely to be
charged with blasphemy following torture, a lengthy trial, and, most likely, a
death sentence are the end results,” reported Times of Israel.
Despite
making up just 5 per cent of the population, minority populations are
implicated in roughly one-third of all blasphemy cases, suggests the report’s
findings.
Blasphemy
laws in Pakistan are used to settle personal disputes, reported the Times of
Israel.
Over
half of the 484 members of minority communities charged with blasphemy were
Christians (264), nearly 40 per cent were Ahmadis (188), and the rest were
Hindus (21), Pervaizis (7), Ismailis (1), Sikhs (1), and Buddhists (2).
According
to a report from the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) in
Islamabad, of those accused of blasphemy, 89 have been subjected to
extrajudicial murder by lynch mobs since the country’s inception in 1947.
Most
of the cases, approximately 70 per cent, occurred in Punjab. The remaining
instances primarily occurred in Sindh, where 177 accusations were reported
during the ten year period, and Islamabad, where 55 cases were reported during
the same time. (ANI)
Source:
Zee5
https://www.zee5.com/articles/christians-women-top-blasphemy-targets-in-pakistan
--------
Udupi
Muslim girls hope HC will let them wear hijab to class, principal deems them
‘beyond help’
ANUSHA
RAVI SOOD
8
February, 2022
The
protesting students of the Udupi Women’s PU College | Photo: Anusha Ravi |
ThePrint
----------
Udupi:
As they have been doing for weeks now, five students of a women’s
Pre-University (PU) college in Karnataka’s Udupi district arrived at the
institution’s gates Monday morning, their heads covered with a hijab
(headscarf). With the institute banning entry to students wearing hijab since
December last year, the five — A.H.
Almas, H. Shifa, Aliya Assadi and two minor students aged 17, remained standing
outside the gates of the college.
PU
or junior college is how classes 11 and 12 are referred to in Karnataka. So,
the first PU is Class 11 and the second PU is Class 12.
All
five students, represented by their parents, have petitioned the Karnataka High
Court, seeking its intervention to allow them to attend classes in hijab, and
the HC is set to hear the matter Tuesday. On Saturday, the Karnataka government
ordered a ban on clothes which disturb equality, integrity and public order in
schools and colleges.
“I
am hopeful that the judge in this case will give us a positive response. I have
hope that he will uphold constitutional values and value our guaranteed right
to wear a hijab. Constitution already assures equality and education to us. I
don’t understand why the Karnataka government is not (doing so),” A.H. Almas, a
student of 2nd PUC told ThePrint Monday.
What
started as a disagreement over the wearing of hijab between a small section of
Muslim girls and the management of the Udupi Women’s PU College, has now taken
on political and ideological colours, with demonstrations being witnessed
across Karnataka, and a section of Hindu students wearing saffron scarves as
protest against Muslim students wearing hijab.
“There
are 1,000 students in our college, of which about 100 are Muslims. None of them
have an issue except this group of indisciplined and irregular students,”
alleged Rudre Gowda, principal of the Udupi Women’s PU College, while speaking
to ThePrint Monday.
“They
are poor in academics and their attendance and report cards have been sent to
the minority welfare board too. They are beyond help and blackmailing us. We
have held talks with their parents and community leaders multiple times and
they have understood that the girls are acting under the influence of someone
else,” said Gowda, one of the respondents to the girls’ high court petition.
While
the students agree that there are more than 90 Muslim girls who attend classes
without hijab, they are not the first ones here to wear it, nor have they taken
to wearing it recently, they claim. “It is a lie that we started wearing hijabs
only now. Some of our seniors used to wear hijab too. Sometimes, the teachers
would try to pull it off and the pin used to secure the hijab would cause wound
and bleeding. We have been discriminated against and harassed for wearing hijab
for years,” H. Shifa, another second PUC student, alleged.
Also
read: A timeline of how hijab row took centre stage in Karnataka politics and
reached HC
‘This
is Hindu Rashtra’ says college committee V-P
Meanwhile,
Yashpal Suvarna, vice-president of the Udupi Government Women’s PU College
development committee and a BJP leader, said “Hijab doesn’t feature in our
mandated dress code” for the college.
“When
the word doesn’t exist, it means it isn’t allowed,” Suvarna told ThePrint.
“This
is Hindu Rashtra. If ‘they’ are opposing ‘our’ culture then ‘we’ have to unite,
else there won’t be any result,” he added, when asked if Hindu organisations
were asking Hindu students to wear saffron scarves in protest against the
wearing of hijab by Muslims.
He
also accused the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Popular Front of
India (PFI) of instigating the five students through the Campus Front of India
(CFI), which has rejected the claim.
“We
are merely helping the Muslim girl students because they approached us after
the college authorities refused to let them insider classrooms,” Masood Manna,
committee member of the Udupi District CFI, told ThePrint. He mentioned that
the “help” included drafting and submitting memorandums to district education
officials, mobilising support from other students and community leaders for the
girl students, and arranging for press meets etc.
“We
are an organisation working for student welfare and do not want to bring
politics into it. In fact, it is BJP leaders who instigated Hindu students to
wear saffron scarves and politicised the issue,” Manna claimed.
The
rift over the wearing of headscarves has spread to other educational
institutions in the district and state.
R.N.
Shetty PU college in Udupi district’s Kundapur town declared holiday for
students till Wednesday, after some 200 Hindu students arrived on campus Friday
wearing saffron scarves, and demanded that they be allowed to wear it, since
Muslim students are allowed to wear the hijab. College authorities then banned
entry to both sets of students. The college is now waiting Tuesday’s High Court
order to resolve the issue.
“I
had called a parent-teacher meeting Monday, but cancelled it because we first
need to know what the High Court says,” Naveen Shetty, principal of the
college, told ThePrint.
Narayana
Shetty, principal of another college in Kundapur, the Bhandarkar College, also
added: “We are not allowing anyone in hijab or in saffron scarf. My college is
not a place for politics and anything that disrupts harmony won’t be allowed.”
Staff
at the college said Muslim girls who were adamant on wearing the hijab had not
attended college Monday.
Local
police too have their eyes trained on the high court decision. According to
sources in the Kunadapur police station, some 150 police personnel have been
deployed in groups across all colleges in the town.
Source:
The Print
--------
Muslim
schoolgirl asked to remove hijab in Puducherry, inquiry ordered
08th
February 2022
By
Debjani Dutta
PUDUCHERRY:
After Karnataka, a controversy has raked up in Puducherry after a government school headmaster allegedly asked
a Muslim student not to wear hijab and burqa in school.
A
joint delegation of political and social activists today petitioned the
Director of Education P T Rudra Goud in this regard seeking action against the
incident. At the same time, they have demanded a ban on RSS activities in the
courtyard of a government school,
following a video going viral.
The
girl is a student of 9th standard in Government High School in Ariyankuppam,
who has been coming to school wearing the hijab and burqa, according to her
father Iqbal Basha.
She
would remove the burqa once she reaches her school and attend classes wearing
hijab, he told TNIE. But this was objected to by the school headmaster, after
the school reopened on Feb 4, he said. Though she has been wearing the hijab
from first standard while studying in the same school, the objection has been
raised a few months back.
Basha
who is also the Organiser (South) of the SDPI party in Puducherry asked the
Headmistress to give her objections in writing, but she refused and directed
him to meet the higher authorities in the education department. Following this, he approached political and
social activists, who took up the matter with the authorities of Education
department.
One
of the petitioners Gayathri Srikanth, a member of DMK’s women wing said how
could a Muslim student be disallowed from wearing a hijab in school. In all
colleges and Universities, Muslim students have been permitted to wear it.
“The
matter has just been brought to my knowledge and I have asked the Chief
Education officer to inquire and give a report”, Rudra Goud told TNIE.
He
clarified that no orders have been issued banning students from wearing hijab
in school.
However
with regard to the complaint, reports have been reaching him that this student
suddenly started coming to school wearing burqa, which was objected by the
Headmaster of the school, he said.
However, a detailed report is awaited.
Following
the incident, he said that the Education department will formulate guidelines
on dress code for schools and after government approval will direct all
students to follow it, said Goud.
“Now
someone is coming wearing Burqa, tomorrow some other student may come wearing
saffron robes or shawls l“, he said citing Karnataka and hence a dress code
guidelines will be issued for everyone. Puducherry government is providing the
school uniform and in addition to that the few things that would be permitted,
he said.
On
the other hand, a video showing some physical training to school students in
the courtyard of a government school in
Sompet in Mannadipet Commune with students shouting “Jai kali”, “Bharat Mata ki
jai” has gone viral. The petitioners have raised objections to the
use of the school ground, allegedly for RSS activities and sought a ban on it.
The
Education Department has not given any permission to anyone for conducting any
physical training or yoga activities, said Rudra Goud. Most primary schools do not have a watchman
and it is difficult to control the use of the open courtyard after school, he
added. If someone applies for permission, it will be examined and accordingly
decided, said Goud.
The
political and social activists have faulted the NDA government in Puducherry
for such activities.
Source:
New Indian Express
--------
US
Muslims react to Biden's nomination of first Muslim woman to be federal judge
By
Zainab Iqbal in New York
7
February 2022
Muslims
across the United States are celebrating President Joe Biden’s judicial
nomination of Nusrat Choudhury, who, if confirmed by the Senate, will be the
first Muslim woman to be appointed as a US federal judge.
Choudhury,
a Bangladeshi American among the eight nominees announced by the White House on
19 January, is the legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
of Illinois, a position she has held since 2020. Before that, she served as the
deputy director of the national ACLU’s racial justice programme, following a
stint as a senior staff attorney for the organisation's national security
project, and was a Marvin M Karpatkin Fellow.
In
2020, leading Democrats called on Biden to appoint Muslim federal judges if he
were to be elected.
Making
the request in a letter at the time, House Representative Grace Meng wrote:
"The judiciary today does not reflect the America it presides over. As of
2020, there is to our knowledge no appointed member of the federal judiciary
who identifies as Muslim, nor has there ever been."
There
are currently 890 federal judges, and, if confirmed, Choudhury will be a judge
in the District Court for the Eastern District of New York and the second
Muslim judge on the federal bench. However, American Muslims argue that this
would still not be enough.
The
US federal judicial system decides the constitutionality of federal laws and
resolves disputes regarding these laws.
Talk
of the town
Choudhury's
over a decade-long commitment to fighting for civil liberties and justice for
all has been the talk of the town.
To
many, one of the most notable roles of Choudhury's career was when she was the
litigator in the Raza v. City of New York lawsuit against the NYPD’s unjust
surveillance and profiling of Muslims.
Last
year, Choudhury, along with 78 religious, civil and community organisations,
fought for the Chicago police board to fire John Catanzara, an officer who made
anti-Muslim statements. The officer eventually faced a disciplinary hearing and
resigned a day later.
Choudhury
has long been an outspoken critic on the frequency of unarmed Black men being
killed in America, writing in 2014 that it happens too often and that there
needs to be a comprehensive ban on racial profiling.
She
also challenged the No-Fly List of the US government, a database that
government agencies use to decide who is allowed to board flights. In 2012
Choudhury was the litigator in the first federal lawsuit challenging the No-Fly
List procedures.
"More
than two years ago, our clients were placed on a secret government blacklist
that denied their right to travel without an explanation or chance to confront
the evidence against them," Choudhury said in a statement at the time.
"The Constitution requires the government to provide our clients a fair
chance to clear their names and a court will finally hear their claims.”
Eric
Naing, the communications director at Muslim Advocates, believes Muslims should
be celebrating this nomination "whole-heartedly".
"Nusrat
has spent her whole career defending the civil rights of Muslim communities and
other marginalised communities," Naing told Middle East Eye.
"She
would break barriers as the first Muslim woman and Bangladeshi American federal
judge, but maybe more importantly, she has spent her entire professional life
in the trenches, with the community, fighting for civil rights."
In
July 2021, Muslim Advocates sent a letter to Senator Chuck Schumer urging him
to recommend Choudhury as a federal judge, which he eventually did.
MEE
has reached out to the ACLU to speak with Choudhury but was told she is not
able to speak publicly during the pendency of the nomination in the Senate.
"Nusrat
Choudhury’s nomination to the federal bench is historic...During her tenure as
legal director in Illinois, she has among other things led our legal team in
efforts to improve policing in Chicago, protect medically-vulnerable persons
detained on immigration charges during the COVID pandemic in Illinois county
jails, and challenged unfair practices that drive Chicago residents into
bankruptcy to pay fines and fees," the ACLU released in a statement.
'A
welcomed addition'
Choudhury's
nomination has been received more favourably than when Zahid Quraishi, a former
magistrate judge in New Jersey, became the first Muslim to be appointed as a US
federal judge last year.
Some
American Muslims had questions about Quraishi's professional past as a lawyer
for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and as a “detention advisor”
while serving in the military during the Iraq war, Slate reported last year.
One
of the many people to voice their concerns at the time was Zahra Billoo, a
civil rights lawyer and the executive director for the Council on
American-Islamic Relations San Francisco.
"There
are some grave human rights violations that have happened on America’s watch
over and over again for many, many years. The extent that it’s possible he
participated in some of them, or gave legal advice to some of them, we want to
know," she told Slate.
Billoo,
however, feels excited about Choudhury’s nomination, saying that Choudhury has
committed her career to public service and has taken on very difficult fights.
"This…news
should be championed. Nusrat’s commitment to her community and commitment to
justice is to be celebrated and would be a welcomed addition to the
bench," Billoo told MEE.
"At
the same time, she is just one judge in a centuries-old system that, from its
inception, has persecuted people of colour, poor people and political
dissidents.
"And
so while this is so exciting, it is hopefully the first of many needed
steps."
Similarly,
Sahar Aziz, a law professor and founding director of the Center for Security,
Race and Rights at Rutgers University, believes that while the nomination is
great news, it is not enough to change the flawed US judicial system.
"[Quraishi]
was a prosecutor. He had spent his entire professional life representing the
government or large companies," Aziz told MEE.
"Nusrat
Choudhury is representative of plaintiffs who bring civil rights cases. She
tends to sue the government, advocating against national security policies and
practices. And that is quite different in terms of how she has worked with the
law and has worked to ensure that the law provides equal protection to
everyone."
Government
lawyers and former lawyers for large companies are highly overrepresented in
the judiciary, she explained, which has caused significant concern within the
legal profession that the judiciary has a one-sided view of the efficacy of law
or the lack thereof.
According
to Aziz, although judges matter significantly, they are just one part of a
complex system comprised of multiple stakeholders that include jurors, lawyers
and government officials.
She
believes that having judges with "diverse professional experiences and
diverse personal experiences that are interconnected to their identities is
important at a macro level".
"When
you have judges that have homogenous experiences personally and professionally,
you will structurally produce a judiciary that is lopsided in favour of those
experiences and perspectives," Aziz said.
"So
with Nusrat Choudhury, I think she counterbalances the trend because she’s a
Muslim woman and because she worked most of her career in civil societies
specifically in the ACLU," she said, highlighting Choudhury's
representation of people affected by post 9/11 laws, policies and practices.
Aziz
argued, however, that one judge cannot change the entire system, especially
because the power of a judge is limited.
"Ultimately
you want a judge who is objective and impartial, but again informed to
understand that what may exist on paper isn’t always reflected in the reality,
particularly of those groups in society that are less powerful, that are often
scapegoated, that are stigmatised," she said.
"And
that certainly has been the case for Muslims, Arabs and South Asians for the
last 20 years."
Source:
Middle East Eye
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-biden-nominates-first-muslim-woman-federal-judge-choudhury
--------
For
country’s uplift, women should work alongside men: Munir
February
8, 2022
Patron
in Chief United business Group SM Munir has said that for the development of
the country, it is imperative that women also work alongside men. All the women
chambers of the country have a vital role to play in reviving the country’s
economy.
He
said this while talking to former Vice President of FPCCI and Founder of
Khairpur Chamber of Commerce Shabnam Zafar on telephone.
He
said UBG has ensured the participation of women entrepreneurs in all the
committees in the FPCCI and the United Business Group under the leadership of
Zubair Tufail has been playing a vital role in strengthening women and we will
continue to support women at various levels.
SM
Munir said that during the presidency of Mian Idrees, Zubair Tufail, Abdul Rauf
Alam, Ghazanfar Bilour and Dawar Khan Achakzai, equal rights were given to
women at FPCCI and we are happy that Shabnam Zafar was elected Vice President
of the Federation of Chamber of Commerce and industry from the men’s seat on
Sindh quota and she performed her duties successfully. Shabnam Zafar agreed
with the head of UBG.
Munir
said all the leaders and workers of the group should intensify their contacts
with the leaders of associations and chambers of commerce across the country.
President
UBG appreciated the efforts and dedication of Khalid Tawab, Hanif Gohar, Tariq
Aleem and other leaders and said that once again United Business Group will
lead the business community successfully with determination and enthusiasm.
Source:
Pak Observer
https://pakobserver.net/for-countrys-uplift-women-should-work-alongside-men-munir/
--------
Women
protest denial to right to education of girls in Afghanistan, Pakistan
SHABIR
IBN YUSUF
07
Feb, 2022
Srinagar:
Young girls and women Monday held a protest in front of United Nations office
here against the denial of right to education to girls in Afghanistan, Pakistan
and Pakistan occupied Kashmir.
They
presented a memorandum to UN officials here.
The
protest was organised by J&K Youth Society and was led by its Vice
President Yana Mir.
The
girls and women held peaceful protests and denounced the denial of right to
education to girls in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir.
The
memorandum was presented to UN officials by the protestors on behalf of the
women of Jammu and Kashmir.
“We
would like to bring to your attention the deplorable state of educational
opportunities to our sisters in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Pakistan occupied
Kashmir with an appeal to initiate a United Nations driven process to protect
the rights of these women to secular education,” read the memorandum.
“Since
the Taliban took over Afghanistan, all schools and educational institutions for
girls have been shut down. The two decades of enforced peace under an
international mandate had provided a glimmer of hope to thousands of girls and
their families that Afghan girls could finally have access to education without
fear,” it said.
“The
geo-political compromise of August 15, 2021 changed all that in the blink of an
eye without a thought to the implications for half of that country’s
population. If the plight of Afghan women and men is to be the responsibility
of Afghans alone, then they should have been left alone a long time ago.”
“A
lot of propaganda is carried out across the United Nations and other
multilateral platforms about the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
The proponents and buyers of this propaganda conveniently ignore the wide gap
in the educational opportunities afforded to the girls of J&K in comparison
with their sisters in those parts of J&K which are illegally under foreign
occupation,” the memorandum said.
“Pakistan
occupied Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan today have been sadly left behind on the
education front, depriving our sisters of the right to modern and secular
education. Over the years, Pakistani leadership has resorted to spreading
religious conservatism as a means of political domination.”
“A
vast majority of Pakistan’s population only have access to religious education
through a flourishing chain of Madrassas. Education cannot be fettered by
dogmatic ideas and students have a right to the vast expanse of knowledge that
exists. Absence of modern schools and colleges in PoK and G-B has deprived our
sisters the opportunity that we have come to take for granted in India. Not
just in J&K, we have access to any institution of our choice anywhere in
India,” it said.
“It
is our fervent appeal that the United Nations take note of the deplorable
condition of girls’ education, a right that has been cruelly and forcibly
snatched away from them for reasons of history, for which they are not
responsible nor should they be made to pay the price for it.”
“As
far as the plight of our sisters in Pakistan is concerned, the less said the
better. Except for the urban centers in Punjab and Sindh, access to modern
education is non-existent even for boys. In their effort to suppress the
freedom movement in Baluchistan, the Pakistani leadership has unleashed
extremist religious parties which indulge in indiscriminate killings in a
display of intolerance that is reminiscent of medieval times,” it said.
“Madrassas offering free education, if it can be called that, have mushroomed
in Balochistan.
The
poor and unemployed families of one of the most richly endowed Provinces have
no choice but to send their children to these Madrassas, where their fragile
minds are poisoned with retrogressive ideas and information.
In
the absence of employment opportunities, students of these Madrassas end up
becoming teachers themselves, further proliferating these institutions and
their teachings.
The
government’s half-hearted efforts to standardize Madrassa education have been
met with resistance from the powerful conservative forces in the country.”
“The
situation is no better in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where all moderate and progressive
political forces have been sacrificed. The Province has seen a level of
Talibanization that is not there even in Afghanistan.
The
educational prospects of the girl child in KP can be described in two words:
Malala Yusufzai. Our sisters in KP face as bleak a future as those in
Afghanistan,” it said.
“Unless
the rot is stemmed, very soon most of our Pakistani sisters, barring the rich
and powerful, would be subject to the same future.”
The
memorandum said: “We have deliberately not included facts and figures as these
are well documented and publicly available for anyone to see. Our effort here
is to make you see the helplessness of our sisters in these countries.
Their
leaderships are committed to a kind of conservatism that has no place for
women, let alone education for them. It is our sincere hope that you will raise
this matter in front of the world community in a manner that objectively and
apolitically seeks solutions to this grave human rights problem.”
Source:
Greater Kashmir
--------
Minister
of Education: Nigeria’s constitution allows Muslim women to wear hijab
February
7, 2022
The
Nigerian Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, says Nigeria’s constitution allows
Muslim women to wear hijab in line with the teachings of their faith.
He
noted that all citizens are allowed to practice their religions as long as no
harm or inconvenience is caused to other people.
He
spoke at the National Mosque, Abuja, at a public lecture organised by the
Coalition of Nigerian Muslim Women as part of activities marking this year’s
World Hijab Day.
Adamu,
represented by Hajiya Sidikat Shomope of the Social Mobilisation Department,
Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), said it was unfortunate that the
controversy over the wearing of hijab in the country had gone down to the
school level and generated needless clashes.
There
was violence on Thursday at the Baptist High School, Ijagbo in Oyun Local
Government of Kwara State, leading to the killing of Habeeb Idris, a Muslim
student of the school, when a rally by the Muslim students was reportedly
disrupted by hoodlums and security agents.
The
minister said: “The wearing of hijab by Muslim women is a Sunna as recommended
in the Holy Qur’an (Q 33 V 59).”
According
to him, there is a lot the country can gain by dialoguing on matters of
religious differences rather than resort to violence.
“Our
children will remain citizens of Nigeria irrespective of their faith. They will
live and interact in the world outside school where no boundary exists between
the religions.
“We
should understand that the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
guarantees freedom of religion to all citizens. This, by implication, means
that all citizens are allowed to practice their religions according to the
teachings of their faith as long as no harm or inconvenience is caused to other
people.”
He
appealed to all traditional, religions and community leaders to use their
offices to douse tension so that Nigerians could all live in peace, harmony and
tolerance.
Adamu
also called on parents and school teachers “to ensure that in both words and
actions, they present the best model to our children to emulate.”
Chairman,
House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters, Aisha Duku; Hajiya
Maryam Bukar Abba; Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, Nasarawa State
University, Keffi, Prof. Saadatu Hassan Liman; Prof. Rafatu Abdulhamid of the
University of Abuja and the FOMWAN National Ameerah, Hajiya Rafat Sanni, asked
hijab-wearing Muslim women to ensure that while the hijab covers their physical
appearance, the essence on their lives and behaviours are also prioritised.
The
wife of former Vice President Namadi Sambo, Hajiya Amina, said: “We are more
determined to sensitize and promote this Islamic identity and culture without
being intimidated.”
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Prof. Ishaq Akintola, who spoke on ‘The Hijab as
a Metaphor of Our National Aspiration’, noted that it is the responsibility of
everyone, especially government at all levels, to ensure that the rights of all
female Muslims are protected to adorn hijab in public.
Source:
ABNA24
--------
ISIS
women in Syria camp clash with police, one child killed
07
February ,2022
Women
held in a camp housing families of ISIS militants in northeast Syria tried to
kidnap their Kurdish guards Monday, an opposition war monitor said. The attempt
led to a shooting that left one child dead and several other people wounded.
A
Kurdish official confirmed there was an attempt to kidnap female guards but had
no immediate word on casualties. The sprawling al-Hol camp is where tens of
thousands of women and children — mostly wives, widows and children of ISIS
members — are held.
The
attack in the camp came days after ISIS’s top leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi
al-Qurayshi, was killed in a US raid on his safehouse in northwest Syria. The
camp has witnessed dozens of crimes over the past year.
The
incident also comes two weeks after ISIS fighters attacked a prison in Syria’s
northeastern city of Hassakeh, where some 3,000 militants and juveniles are
held.
The
attack on the prison led to 10 days of fighting between US-backed fighters and
ISIS militants that left nearly 500 people dead. US-backed Kurdish fighters
brought the situation under control eventually.
President
Joe Biden said al-Qurayshi had been responsible for the Syria prison assault.
The
Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said women in the al-Hol camp
tried to kidnap guards leading to a shooting in which a 10-year-old child was
killed and six women and children were wounded.
The
Observatory said the shooting caused a fire and the women were not able to
kidnap the guards.
Shixmus
Ehmed, head of the Kurdish-led administration’s department for refugees and
displaced, confirmed to The Associated Press that some camp residents tried to
kidnap their female guards. He had no information on casualties.
Another
Kurdish official who works in the camp said he was not aware of a kidnapping
attempt but that there were some riots in a small section holding mostly
foreign women and children. Speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations,
he said seven women and children were hurt during Monday’s riots.
In
the fenced-off camp, multiple families are often crammed together in tents,
medical facilities are minimal and access to clean water and sanitation
limited.
Some
50,000 Syrians and Iraqis are located in al-Hol. Nearly 20,000 of them are
children.
Monday’s
incident occurred in the separate, heavily guarded section of the camp known as
the annex. Another 2,000 women from 57 other countries are located there and
they are housed with about 8,000 children. The women in the annex are
considered the most die-hard ISIS supporters.
The
Observatory recorded 84 crimes inside the camp in 2021 in which 89 people were
killed, including two Kurdish police, 67 Iraqis and 20 Syrians.
Source:
Al Arabiya
--------
Is
the balaclava trend offensive? These Muslim women say it’s complicated
By
Angelyn Francis
Feb.
7, 2022
All
winter, balaclavas have swept the internet. On Tik Tok, #balaclava has nearly
158 million views. There are dozens of tutorials on the platform showing how to
crochet your own, how to style it for winter fashion and how to make your own
from a scarf.
And
almost as many people in the comments pointing out and cracking jokes about how
similar the style is to hijab — particularly the scarf DIYs.
A
balaclava, a practical garment that was used by soldiers during the Crimean
War, has become the winter accessory of choice this season.
Feelings
about the trend get especially complicated in places like France and Quebec,
where laws bar people wearing religious symbols from certain public spaces.
Mask mandates issued by the same bodies of government have further complicated
the conversation about wearing face-coverings, like a niqab.
Muslim
Montreal-based stylist Amira Bahmed has mixed emotions about the trend. On the
one hand, trends spread widely and fashion often draws inspiration from
different cultures, so it’s nothing out of the ordinary. But on the other hand,
she’s seen how double standards with laws related to head covering have
affected people in her life.
Bahmed
told the Star that a friend of hers who wears hijab moved to Quebec from France
and went back to school to become a teacher, only for Bill 21 to come into
effect and put her plans on hold.
“They
can’t put their education (to) work. They are being abused physically or
verbally. They are seen as oppression figures,” she said, talking about the
impact opinions of hijab have.
While
one is done for style and the other is a personal religious choice, Bahmed said
it would be nice if this trendy moment could be used to question just why one
is treated so differently than the other.
“Can
we learn that in the end, it's the same thing?” she said.
And
Ginella Massa, host of “Canada Tonight with Ginella Massa” on CBC, has similar
thoughts. Two celebrity examples immediately came to mind.
“White
women like Julia Fox and Kim Kardashian have the luxury of covering up because
it’s ‘cool,’ but I wish anyone who celebrates modest fashion also advocate for
the women who were doing it long before them, and being chastised for it,”
Massa wrote in a message to the Star.
In
2021, Kardashian showed up to the Met Gala entirely covered, face and all, in a
fitted black outfit, an effect similar to that of a burqa.
And
more recently, Fox was complimented for wearing a head scarf by Vogue France.
The magazine was quickly reprimanded by readers, considering France’s ban on
religious symbols in public schools and recent vote to bar them from sports
games. The country has also outlawed “full veiling” such as wearing a burqa or
niqab in certain public spaces.
Massa
has dealt with harassment about wearing hijab on TV throughout her career as a
broadcast journalist. And she noted that racialized women like herself
disproportionately face backlash and are targeted while wearing hijab.
“I’m
all for women wearing whatever they want, if it makes them feel good and
confident. If that means covering from head to toe, power to them! What’s
annoying is that when it’s in the name of ‘fashion,’ it’s celebrated, but when
it’s spiritual practice, it’s frowned upon, labelled as backward, or
oppressive, and in some places even banned,” Massa writes.
“Let’s
normalize modest wear, whatever the motivation.”
Source:
The Star
--------
Islamic
Charity Foundation Urges Women To Take Up Responsibility
February
7, 2022
By
Karimatou Jallow
Women
In Islam Charity Foundation has urged women to take up societal responsibility
to ensure better communities in the 21st century.
The
foundation made the call during a news conference held on 5th February, 2022 at
Pipeline Mosque with utmost aim of educating the people on the role of women in
Islam.
Speaking
at the women dominated conference, Imam Basir Drammeh, said women have a
pivotal role to play in Islam and in societies.
“Women
have a great role to play in Islam and in the society since they are ones who
will be with the children during the day it is their responsibility to teach
the children good morals and values.
“During
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) time we used to hear of women who sacrifices and
dedicated their life for Islam and also saved the society in an Islamic way, we
still have them but more is needed in order to ensure a responsible child who
will contribute in the society in Islamic way,” the Imam told the gathering at
the press conference.
However,
he said the western culture has deeply affected how society operates, adding
people want to live like westerners nowadays.
“The
western culture has affected the people because they want to live a life that
is not accepted by their religion and because of that we lack dignity, respect
and values in the society and this is not what we expect from good Muslim
women,” he added.
He
advised women to exercise their responsibility on their children in an Islamic
way and that will enable a good society.
Meanwhile,
Saidy Sallah also said the foundation seeks to help those who are in need and
assured their commitment to helping the needy people.
“This
foundation was established to help those who are in need, and we have achieved
some of our dreams of helping many people without any sponsor and we also plan
to establish a school where female children will learn their deen,” she
explained.
She
therefore advised people especially women to join the foundation, to ensure
development in the society and also help those who are in need.
Source:
Voice Gambia
--------
Two
women kidnapped in Mirpurkhas after attack on house by 20 suspects
Qamaruddin
Shaikh
February
8, 2022
MIRPURKHAS:
Amid a street protest and sit-in by several hundred outraged members of the
Rajput community and residents of Naokot town, the area police on Monday
carried out a raid on a house to recover two women, aged 19 and 14, kidnapped
by more than 20 men a day earlier.
The
women told the police that they were subjected to torture and criminal assault
by several of the kidnappers.
Police
and protesting villagers told local reporters that about two dozen men, some of
them carrying firearms, broke into a house in Nafees Nagar, ransacked the
furniture and fixtures present inside, collected cash and other valuables and
kidnapped the two women, one of them married, at gunpoint on late Sunday
evening.
They
said most of the intruders belonged to the Tungri clan and had come from the
nearby Hanif Rajput village.
Victims
recovered in police raid, claim having been raped by several men
The
incident agonised the local Rajput community and several hundred of its members
took to the nearby section of the Naokot-Mirpurkhas road. Demanding immediate
recovery of the kidnapped women and arrest of the culprits, they raised slogans
against the area police and attackers. They also lit bonfire in the middle of
the road and held a sit-in causing disruption in the movement of vehicular
traffic for several hours.
In
the meantime, Naokot police with the help of informers, carried out a raid on a
house, purportedly belonging to Hayat Tungri, in Nafees Nagar and recovered
both the women from the guest room (autaq).
The
women were escorted to the Nafees Nagar police post before they were taken to
the Naokot police station, where they narrated their ordeal. Later, they were
sent to the town’s rural health centre for a medical examination as they
claimed that they were physically tortured and subjected to criminal assault by
several of the kidnappers.
A
case of armed attack, looting and kidnapping was registered at the Naokot
police station against 20 unknown suspects on the complaint of the women’s
close relative, Ali Raza.
Sources
in the area police said some of the suspects had been picked up, but their
names were not disclosed till Monday night.
The
Jhuddo DSP and SHO visited Nafees Nagar and Hanif Rajput village to collect
first-hand information. The DSP issued necessary directives to the area police
and persuaded the protesters to disperse peacefully.
The
recovered women were likely to be produced in the local court on Tuesday
(today).
Source:
Dawn
--------
UAE’s
Sheikh Mohammed, Saudi Arabia’s Princess Reema attend Beijing Winter Olympics
opening ceremony
February
05, 2022
LONDON:
Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed on Friday attended the opening
ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, which was inaugurated by
Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The
event, which took place in Beijing’s National Stadium, known as the “Bird’s
Nest,” was also attended by leaders and representatives from around the world.
Sheikh
Mohammed, who arrived in Beijing earlier on Friday on an invitation from Xi,
said he was delighted to attend the event, wishing all the participants
success, Emirati state news agency WAM reported.
Saudi
Arabia’ ambassador to the US Princess Reema bint Bandar also attended the opening
ceremony on behalf of the Kingdom, where she cheered the first ever Saudi team
to qualify for the winter games.
“Filled
with pride as I witness the first ever Saudi Winter Olympics Team at the
opening ceremony in Beijing today! They inspire us by proving that there is no
limit to their ambition,” shae said in a tweet.
The
ceremony featured artistic and musical performances and exhibits, which
showcased various aspects of Chinese culture. Athletes then waved the flags of
their countries, while the Olympic flag was raised, followed by the lighting of
the torch, and a firework spectacle.
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2018441/sport
--------
Developing
South Asian female talent, leadership in world of creativity
Feb
07 2022
Sarah
B. Haider
When
it comes to creativity, there is no shortage of talent in South Asia. There are
people in this part of the world who are brimming with ideas that not only have
the potential to defy conventional wisdom but also bring about a change in
society.
People
with creative minds do not have to say out loud that they have special modes of
thinking. They just do what comes to them naturally: break the rules, go beyond
the existing paradigms, and think anew.
Unfortunately,
however, there is a scarcity of creative platforms available to South Asian
communities that could help people — especially women — channelise their
creativity.
Sensing
the lack of opportunities available to South Asian women belonging to creative
fields, United Kingdom’s Bradford Literature Festival and Pakistan’s Adab
Festival initiated a ground-breaking international collaboration to develop
female talent and leadership in the arts and culture.
A
project — which was based on a digital exchange and development programme —
brought together women from diverse and disadvantaged communities in Bradford
and across Pakistan.
Titled
“Producers of the Future: From Keighley to Karachi”, the programme was the
brainchild of Adab Festival’s Director Ameena Saiyid, who hails from Karachi,
and BLF’s Director Syima Aslam, who is of British-Pakistani heritage.
Opportunity
for under-represented South Asian women
The
programme was focused on the cultural skills development of South Asian women
from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds in Bradford and Pakistan, who
face gender-based, social, cultural, technological, and economic barriers to
careers in the arts and culture sector.
According
to its initiators, the much-needed opportunity tackled the under-representation
of South Asian women in the talent pipeline and positions of leadership in the
British creative sector, while also providing a wonderful opportunity for the
brave, pioneering, and struggling women artists and writers of Pakistan.
This
project was supported by the British Council Digital Collaboration Fund, which
supports the UK and Overseas Cultural Partnership to develop digitally
innovative ways of collaborating.
A
group of ten women – five from the Bradford District and five from Pakistan –
worked collaboratively over six months to curate and produce a digital
literature festival programme. Participants received a monthly bursary,
mentoring, specialised training and funding opportunities to attend arts and
cultural events (digitally or live).
As
explained by Saiyid, the participants attended online training and mentoring
sessions, lectures, and workshops on how to organise a festival or creative
artistic events.
Developing
the confidence, practical skills and industry connections needed to underpin
the continued development of their creative careers, this international group
of women have been equipped with the skills they need to design and deliver
cultural activity within and informed by their own communities and experiences
long after the end of this project.
Women
moving ahead as pioneers
Speaking
about the project, Ameena Saiyid said that “From Keighley to Karachi” was of
great benefit to Pakistani female talent in the creative sector.
“Women
in the creative sector in Pakistan — particularly in rural areas — face
enormous challenges such as gender discrimination, segregation, exclusion from
the public space, lack of mainstreaming, exposure and empowerment, and an
insistence on male dependence,” she said.
“However,
despite women treading a painful course, with every small victory snatched,
with great effort and courage, from the teeth of hardened male prejudices,
women are not discouraged and are moving ahead as pioneers whilst smoothing the
way for those waiting in the wings.”
On
the other hand, Syima Aslam was of the opinion that highlighting the value and
variety of careers in the creative sector is a key priority for Bradford
Literature Festival.
“It
has been an honour to lead this talent development project in partnership with
Adab Festival. The women who took part were recruited across the boundaries of
class and geography and their training will enrich their own communities,” she
said.
“We’re
incredibly proud of the work curated by this inspiring cohort, and the
marginalised conversations they have pulled into the mainstream. This
innovative project has successfully highlighted not only the impact of the arts
in connecting communities but also the dynamic potential of creative careers
and the importance of developing a sustainable talent pipeline."
‘More
skilful, inspired, and confident’
Shedding
light on how she benefitted from the programme, Nazhat Shakir — who was one of
the participants in the project — said when she applied to “Producers of the
Future,” she did not have much experience with the field of creativity and did
not know how to put her ideas to use.
“After
a six-month journey with the BLF and Adab Festival, I emerged as a more
skilful, inspired, and confident person, ready to play my role in the creative
field,” said Shakir, who hails from Chitral.
“As
compared to other parts of Pakistan, creative fields are not given much
importance in Chitral. And that is the reason it is hard to find many people
from my state in creative fields, particularly producers,” she said.
Shakir
added that she applied to the programme so that she could highlight issues and
contributions of Chitrali women to the world of creativity.
“We
have a rich culture here, but many aspects of it are unexplored and
undocumented, so I wanted to tell the world about the history of Chitral, our
historical songs, and stories of people so that we could become a part of the
global village,” she said.
She
further said that it is a producer’s job to preserve a culture and ideas for
the next generation.
“And
to this end, I wanted to play my part as a producer.”
Humanising
Lyari
One
of the participants in the programme was Dur Bibi, a young woman who completed
a master’s degree in defence and strategic studies and had no background in
creative arts.
Speaking
to Geo.tv, Bibi revealed that she suffered the nerves and the doubts that often
plague those who dare to step outside of their comfort zones and try something
different.
“I
am a Baloch and I live in Karachi’s Lyari neighbourhood,” she said.
“Unfortunately, when it comes to Baloch people, the media has portrayed us to
be uneducated people, while Lyari is always associated with violence and
gang-wars. As a result, people fail to humanise us.”
She
said that despite having no background in creative fields, she decided to apply
to the programme to try her luck. The next thing she knew was an email in her
inbox, informing her that she was short-listed for an interview.
“I
am well-educated, but since English is my third language, I cannot speak it
fluently. And while this dampened my spirits, my interviewers — both from
Pakistan and Britain — put me at ease and I nailed it,” she recalled.
Bibi
— who co-produced the event “Breaking Musical Boundaries,” about rappers from
her neighbourhood — said when was informed that she had made it through the
final selection process, she couldn’t believe it.
“I
kept thinking why would they select someone like me who has no background in a
creative field, could not properly speak in English, and came from a
marginalised area,” she said. “But when I formally started the programme, one
of my trainers, Irna Qureshi, told me that I was selected because the panel saw
that I had leadership skills, and I could serve as an inspiration to the women
of Lyari.”
“I
wanted to bring out the true face of Lyari through the event,” she said. “And I
think I have successfully done that!”
Establishing
connections
Wajiha
Naqvi —a singer, cultural anthropologist, and creative professional from
Karachi — applied to be a part of the project because she felt the need to
expand her skillset and explore new avenues within the world of creative arts.
“The
programme attracted me because it would teach participants how to put together
an online digital festival by equipping them with the required tools,
knowledge, and skills,” she said. “In the future, I would like to put together
my own festival online too, so [I saw this as a great opportunity].”
Naqvi
also found “From Keighley to Karachi” useful because working with BLF and Adab
Festival and the people associated with it rendered a lot of credibility to the
project.
“The
project also gave me a chance to connect with creative female producers from
Pakistan and the UK. It was very interesting to interact with women from
diverse backgrounds with similar goals, i.e. to promote arts and culture,” she
said.
“It
was a six-month online journey throughout which we designed and executed a
strain of online events. The training sessions were entirely virtual, so
communicating with people in different time zones yet making it work was an
enlightening experience.”
Naqvi,
who worked on two events, said that finding panellists, convincing them to
speak, and designing the topic for a panel discussion required a lot of
coordination and enthusiasm.
“All
the participants motivated and inspired each other throughout the programme.
And I am already talking about collaborating with some of the women in
Bradford.”
‘Self-reliance’
For
Ishrat Shaheen, who is an architect and project manager from the Bhakkar
District of Punjab, being selected to participate in “From Keighley to Karach”
was a unique experience.
“It
was a great opportunity for me to hone my skills as a producer because the
programme not only allowed participants to exercise their creative liberty but
it also provided them with the required funds to execute the events in the best
way possible,” said Shaheen, who produced an online event called the “Memory of
Places” along with a Bradford student Halima.
The
event featured writers who explored places of their childhood and the impact
that leaving those places behind had on their adult lives.
“The
event was based on migration, which I have personally experienced in my life,
so it was of particular interest to me,” she said. “In Pakistan, many people do
not wish to be associated with the creative and art industry because of a lack
of monetary benefits. Also, there’s a dearth of academies where people could go
to polish their creative skills.”
She
said that the training enabled her to be self-reliant as she can now produce
events on her own too.
“Although
the programme was virtual, it helped us learn a lot from the mentors as well as
the participants in Bradford. All five of us from Pakistan, who participated in
this programme, have emerged successful and now we will be able to work
independently,” she enthused.
The
digital events
The
participants produced a total of five events, including “Where are all the
white voices?” — a panel discussion that highlights the absurdities and
dehumanisation inherent in contemporary discussions on race and representation
by flipping the gaze, presenting a ‘diversity panel’ in a world where it is
white people who are the historically marginalised.
“How
do we talk about loss and grief?” which, as the name suggests, is a holistic
discussion about loss and grief in a post-pandemic world.
“On
a scale of one to Muslim, how Sufi are you?” a discussion on how Sufism is
often used to promote a “progressive” version of Islam, particularly in the
West.
“Breaking
Musical Boundaries,” an online event that introduced two ground-breaking
Pakistani rap artists, both of whom showcase lyrics in Balochi and Urdu.
Source:
GEO TV
--------
Writer,
politician Bushra Rehman passes away in Lahore
February
8, 2022
LAHORE:
Fiction writer and former lawmaker Bushra Rehman passed away here on Monday.
Funeral
prayers for her were offered in Garden Town. She was unwell for the last one
month after suffering from the Covid-19, as per some media reports.
Bushra
Rehman was born in Bahawalpur in 1944. She did her MA Journalism from the
Punjab University.
She
was elected to the Punjab Assembly on a reserved seat for women in 1985 and
then the 1990 elections. She served as an MNA on a seat reserved for women in
2002 and 2008.
Besides
being a lawmaker, Rehman was also a distinguished novelist and columnist,
having received the Sitara-i-Imtiaz for her achievements in literature in 2007.
In
one of her interviews, she said he mother and elder sister were poets and she
had got an atmosphere at home which was literary. She wrote her first short
story when she was just 12 and started writing stories for a children’s
magazine that was printed from Bahawalpur.
Bushra
Rehman authored around 25 collections of short stories, novels, travelogues and
newspaper columns. Some of her novels were Allah Mian Ji, Bahisht,
Barah-i-Raast, But Shikan, Chaand Se Nah Khelo, Chaarah Gar, Chup, Ek Awara Ki
Khatir, Khoobsurat, Kis Morr Par, Lazawal, Payasi, Lala Sehrai, Lagan,
Sharmeeli, Tera Sang Dar Ki Talash Thi and Parsa among many others. Some of her
novels were adopted for the PTV dramas, including Payasi and Lagan. She was
known for writing travelogues too.
Source:
Dawn
https://www.dawn.com/news/1673841/writer-politician-bushra-rehman-passes-away
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/triple-talaq-muslim-women-pm-modi/d/126328