Abdulazzez Zulfah, Nigerian Muslim Female Playing Football with a Hijab
New
Age Islam News Bureau
27
December 2021
•
Adidas, MDLBEAST Spotlight Saudi Female Talent
•
University of Turbat, Balochistan, to Provide Equal Opportunities To Women In
Every Field
•
Mobile Health Teams Employed For Afghan Women and Children: UNICEF
•
New Services Introduced For Kuwaiti Women Married To Expats
•
Canadian Medical Association Journal retracts controversial hijab letter
•
As The Force for Change, Women Pose an Existential Threat to the Iranian Regime
•
Six teams set to battle it out in first-ever Saudi Women’s Handball League
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/abdulazzez-zulfah-nigerian-hijab-football/d/126042
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Abdulazzez
Zulfah, Nigerian Muslim Female Playing Football with a Hijab
Abdulazzez Zulfah is a 17-year-old Nigerian female
Muslim/en-abna
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December
26, 2021
Abdulazzez
Zulfah is a 17-year-old Nigerian female Muslim who stands out on the pitch
because she plays football wearing the hijab.
When
she is not training on the pitch, she sells candies and sweets at the Ojota
Bridge in Lagos as a means of helping out her parents.
Zulfah
believes her hijab is not a hindrance but an inspiration for other Muslim girls
who may be interested in sports.
Why
Islam says hijab is empowering for women, not oppressing
Hijab
is a veil worn by most Muslim women in the presence of any male outside of
their immediate family, which usually covers the head and chest, and sometimes
the face.
The
Quran instructs both Muslim men and women to dress in a modest way. About half
a dozen verses refer specifically to the way a woman should dress or walk in
public.
The
clearest verse on the requirement of modest dress is in chapter 24 of the
Quran, verse 31, telling women to guard their private parts and draw their
khimār over their chest.
In
chapter 33, verse 59, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is commanded to ask his family
members and other Muslim women to wear hijab when they go out, so that they are
not harassed and assaulted.
Source:
ABNA24
https://en.abna24.com/news//nigerian-muslim-female-on-playing-football-with-a-hijab_1212439.html
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Adidas,
MDLBEAST Spotlight Saudi Female Talent
Lily Collins plays Emily Cooper in Netflix series
‘Emily in Paris.’ Supplied
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December
27, 2021
DUBAI:
Adidas Originals has partnered with Saudi Arabia’s MDLBEAST entertainment
company to launch a mini content series highlighting the region’s emerging
female talent.
The
series, titled “Playground of Possibilities,” spotlights three female artists
who performed at the recent SOUNDSTORM music festival in Riyadh — DJ Viva,
Biirdperson and Tamtam
It
delves into each artist’s background, how they got into the music industry and
their message for the future generation of creatives.
Tamtam
is a Saudi singer and songwriter who is currently based between Riyadh and Los
Angeles, while
DJ
Viva is an electronic music DJ whose advice to young music makers is: “Be the
sounds, not the echo.”
Finally,
Biirdperson is a DJ and filmmaker who credits music with being able to “connect
people’s hearts in ways that words and actions cannot,” according to a released
statement.
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1993541/lifestyle
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University
of Turbat, Balochistan, to Provide Equal Opportunities To Women In Every Field
December
26, 2021
TURBAT:
Pro Vice Chancellor (PVC), University of Turbat (UoT), Dr. Mansoor Ahmed has
said that the University believes to provide opportunities of equal
participation to the women in every field of life.
He
expressed these views during a meeting with Regional Director Women’s
Development Department Balochistan Ms. Shazia Riaz at UoT.
A
delegation of Women’s Development Department, Government of Balochistan, led by
Regional Director Women Development Department Balochistan visited the
University of Turbat and met with Dr. Mansoor Ahmed, Pro-Vice Chancellor,
University of Turbat.
During
the meeting, they discussed the matters related to the upcoming Women’s Expo
2022 which going to be organized at Turbat in February next year by the Women’s
Development Department, Balochistan in collaboration with district
administration of Kech.
Dr
Mansoor Ahmed appreciated the efforts of Government of Balochistan for holding
such an important social festival under the auspices of Women’s Development in
Turbat city for the first time.
On
behalf of Prof. Dr. Jan Muhammad, Vice Chancellor of the University of Turbat,
he assured the visitors for full cooperation during the forthcoming mega event
in District Kech.
PVC
acknowledged that women can play a very important role in the development of
society therefore it is imperative to ensuring their participation in
developmental process. He said higher education empowers the women to play
their due role in nation building.
The
visiting officials also lauded the efforts of Vice Chancellor and his
administrative and academic team for creating an academic environment of
gender-equality in the University of Turbat where female students are being
encouraged and motivated to play their role in every fields of life.
The
officials from Women’s Development Department also visited different academic
departments of the University and interacted with the teaching faculty and
students.
Source:
Pakistan Today
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Mobile
health teams employed for Afghan women and children: UNICEF
27
Dec 2021
United
Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund has said that they have
employed mobile health teams across Afghanistan to address the health issues of
Afghan women and children.
The
humanitarian agency has said that the teams will travel around the country to
provide health services to those women and children who cannot access the
services.
The
teams are equipped with urgent nutritional packages and will provide services
to the malnourished children in Afghanistan.
Earlier,
UNICEF had estimated nearly half of the Afghan children to be facing
malnutrition in 2022.
On
the other hand, the UN has estimated over 24 million people of Afghanistan to
be on the verge of starvation as the country is going through the worst
humanitarian disaster on earth.
Source:
Khaama Press
https://www.khaama.com/mobile-health-teams-employed-for-afghan-women-and-children-unicef-87687/
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New
services introduced for Kuwaiti women married to expats
25
December 2021
KUWAIT
CITY, Dec 25: The Assistant Undersecretary for Residency Affairs at the
Ministry of Interior Major General Anwar Al-Barjas stated that a Kuwaiti woman,
who is married to a non-Kuwaiti man, can complete all the transactions of her
husband and children at the citizen service centers, reports Al-Rai daily.
However, he highlighted the ministry’s endeavors to promote electronic
transformation and gradually reduce and even avoid in-person visits by clients.
Al-Barjas,
in the presence of the Director of CItizen Service Centers Brigadier
Abdul-Qader Shaaban, inaugurated the citizen service center at Al-Salaam area
following its renovation to become one of the model service centers in the
country. In a press statement on the sidelines of the inauguration event,
Al-Barjas said, “This step will not be the last in opening service centers and
equipping them with the best advanced services. There are instructions from the
Minister of Interior Sheikh Thamer Al-Ali and the Undersecretary of the
ministry Lieutenant General Sheikh Faisal Al-Nawaf to rehabilitate all
dilapidated citizen service centers and address any negatives issues
first-hand, as well as qualify workers with courses and skills with all
available means to complete citizens’ transactions”.
Source:
Arab Times
https://www.arabtimesonline.com/news/new-services-introduced-for-kuwaiti-women-married-to-expats/
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Canadian
Medical Association Journal retracts controversial hijab letter
December
24, 2021
The
Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) has retracted and formally
apologized for a letter it recently published about the hijab following calls
from multiple organizations and individuals.
Interim
editor-in-chief of the CMAJ, Dr. Kirsten Patrick, apologized on Thursday for publishing
the letter, which she said "did not contain appropriate subject matter for
publication" and "disgusted many readers across Canada."
The
letter, published on Dec. 20 with the headline "Don't use an instrument of
oppression as a symbol of diversity and inclusion," was written by
Montreal pediatric surgeon Dr. Sherif Emil in response to the CMAJ's use of an
image last month of two young girls, one of whom is wearing a hijab, that
accompanied a piece on social interventions in primary care.
In
the letter, Emil argued that he respects a woman's choice to wear the hijab, a
term commonly used to refer to the head covering many Muslim women wear, and
said harassment and discrimination because of that decision is "real"
and "wrong."
He
added, though, that "respect does not alter the fact that the hijab, the
niqab and the burqa are also instruments of oppression for millions of girls
and women around the world who are not allowed to make a choice.”
A
number of organizations, including the National Council of Canadian Muslims,
Muslim Advisory Council of Canada and Muslim Medical Association of Canada,
criticized the letter for being Islamophobic and called on the CMAJ to retract
it.
The
online version of the letter has since been removed from the CMAJ's website and
replaced with a statement, saying the editorial process for the article was
"flawed and biased."
"CMAJ
acknowledges and is deeply sorry for the considerable hurt that many people
across Canada have experienced from reading this letter," the statement reads.
Patrick,
the journal's interim editor-in-chief, meanwhile, said representation from
Canada's Muslim community is "currently lacking" on the CMAJ's
advisory bodies and is something she will "seek to remedy."
She
adds that while the CMAJ may have lost the trust of many stakeholders, she
hopes the journal can earn it back "with humility and action."
"I
sincerely apologize for the considerable hurt that so many people, including
medical colleagues and learners, have experienced from reading the letter. I
take full responsibility for the inadequacy of editorial process that led to
this error," Patrick said.
"Furthermore,
I should point out that the title of the letter was authored by the CMAJ and
was not the responsibility of Dr. Emil," she said.
Emil
has since published a statement through the Canadian Healthcare Network in
response.
He
previously told CTVNews.ca that his letter tried to address the appropriateness
of showing a toddler or "pre-pubescent" girl wearing a hijab, as well
as the millions of women around the world who don't have a choice either way.
Emil,
who is Christian but grew up in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, also said he wished to
share the viewpoint of a trainee, who asked to remain anonymous but said the
image brought back memories of being forced to wear the hijab as a child.
After
the trainee shared her viewpoint with the CMAJ, Emil said he was encouraged to
respond to the journal's use of the picture.
The
National Council of Canadian Muslims has since thanked the CMAJ for removing
the letter, saying it appreciates "the efforts of the editor in chief for
taking action and doing the right thing" and looks forward to working with
her to "ensure this never happens again."
Tabassum
Wyne, executive director of the Muslim Advisory Council of Canada, who also
serves on McMaster Children's Hospital's family advisory council and works with
the hospital’s anti-racism coalition, which includes a diverse group of
pediatric doctors, told CTVNews.ca over the phone that she was glad the CMAJ
"took the necessary steps to correct that mistake" and hear from
diverse voices.
The
council had a virtual meeting with the CMAJ's interim editor-in-chief, Wyne
said, during which it was suggested that the journal look at anti-Islamophobia
training in the future.
Reading
the letter, she says she considered the impact it may have on physicians and
patients who wear the hijab.
Wyne
also expressed concerns about having anyone on the internet read the letter in
an accredited journal.
Source:
CTV News
"And
that's why we pushed so hard to have it retracted, and we're happy with the
results."
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As
the force for change, women pose an existential threat to the Iranian regime
December
26, 2021
A
glance at the role of women in anti-regime protests from 2009 to date
On
the anniversary of the 2009 and 2017-2018 uprisings in Iran, it seems
appropriate to glance over the Iranian women’s role in anti-regime protests and
uprisings as they are the force for change.
Whenever
the Iranian regime is tied up in trouble, it escalates attacks on women.
Since
seizing power, the clerical regime sought to subjugate the society by enforcing
the mandatory Hijab on women and imposing various restrictions on women’s work
and social activities.
However,
Iran’s aware and freedom-loving women knew that the restrictions had nothing to
do with Islam. They looked to brilliant role models among Muslim women of the
opposition People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), who defied the
regime and its misogynous laws.
Despite
its heavy price, they have never given in to the sufferings of life during the
past four decades under the clerical regime.
On
the anniversary of the uprisings on December 27, 2009, and December 28, 2017,
we glance over the role of women in the democratic struggle in Iran against the
ruling regime. Women are the force for change and an existential threat to the
regime.
Women
pose an existential threat to the regime
The
clerical regime’s Interior Ministry held the first nationwide gathering of
general directors of women and family affairs of provincial governorates on
December 9, 2021.
The
regime’s Interior Minister, Ahmad Vahidi, addressed the gathering. He
emphasized that women’s role was more critical than men’s, adding, “If the
Revolution (i.e., the clerical regime) were to receive a blow, it would be from
women.” (The state-run Entekhab.ir – December 19, 2021)
“Nothing
is more important than focusing on the issue of women and families. Because of
your position, the governorate should be entirely at your service. You need to
show the direction. Your efforts should include a combination of hard and soft
work, coercion and choice, as well as obligation and willingness,” Vahidi told
the officials in charge of women and family affairs.
To
this end, all media and government agencies have mobilized around the
Population Growth Plan approved by parliament in November. By emphasizing that
women’s childbearing and motherhood are her main job, they want to force
families to deliver between three to five children, notwithstanding the
infrastructure and environmental deficits on the ground.
The
regime has also eliminated subsidies towards contraceptives to support the
Population Growth Plan. As a result, the cost of buying birth-control devices
also weighs heavy on women and families, most of whom face an economic crisis.
Those who cannot afford it confront unwanted pregnancies, which will have
long-term irreparable social, human, and environmental consequences.
Why
does the Iranian regime feel threatened by women?
Why
does the regime’s Interior Minister explicitly feel threatened by women?
A
look at the past two months’ protests in Isfahan and Shahrekord, nationwide
protests and strikes by teachers, and the active and prominent presence of
women in these demonstrations explains it all.
Of
course, this is not a spontaneous phenomenon. Women have played a leading and
inspiring role in anti-government demonstrations from 2009 to January 2018 and
November 2019 throughout the past decade.
In
November 2019, the state-run media published images of women in the Resistance
Units as leaders of the protests. They wrote women played a leading role in the
cells of four or five people. They also encouraged people to join the protests.
The
state-run Mashreqnews.com wrote on November 20, 2019, “Women had a remarkable
role in the recent mischief. They had a special role in various scenes in
inciting the public to carry out acts against the establishment.”
The
state-run Fars news agency affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
also wrote on November 20, 2019, “Women’s special role in running and leading
the recent riots seemed remarkable. In numerous places, particularly in the
Tehran suburbs, women who were apparently between 30 to 35 years old had a
special role in leading the riots. These women wore the same garbs; each had a
different role; one filmed the riots, the other stopped the cars, and another
one incited the people to join the ranks of riots.”
In
an interview, the Iranian regime’s Interior Ministry officials told Reuters
that of the 1,500 protesters killed during the uprising, 400 of them were
women. The hundreds of women falling victim to the regime’s brutal crackdown
bespeak their widespread participation in the uprising.
Why
are women a force for change?
The
unique role played by Iranian women in the uprisings is no coincidence.
Women
are the force for change because the sharp edge of the mullahs’ repression has
always targeted them in all areas of social and private life. Having borne the
brunt of repression for more than 40 years under the mullahs’ rule, Iranian
women are a compressed coil that will spring out even further as the spell of
repression is removed.
Iranian
women have proved their indispensable role in the struggle against religious
fascism with utmost dedication and sacrifice in the 1980s. They proved their
worth and competence during the dark era of vicious tortures, mass executions,
and the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners.
After
earning their rightful place in the leadership of the Iranian Resistance, these
women have preserved the movement and led it under the most challenging years
and through the most complicated circumstances since 2003.
Today,
Iranian women join the PMOI/MEK Resistance Units more and more every day.
Because they have found that the only solution to achieve their rights and
freedoms is to overthrow and change the mullahs’ misogynistic regime.
They
have found their role models among the PMOI/MEK women who never backed down
from their ideals since day one despite enduring imprisonment and torture at
the expense of their lives. This blood-drenched struggle paved its evolutionary
path to women’s leadership in the opposition movement.
Maryam
Rajavi’s election as Secretary-General of the PMOI/MEK and the President-elect
of the National Council of Resistance of Iran opened the way for competent
women to lead the movement. For more than three decades, women have led this
movement, motivating and inspiring Iran’s freedom-loving women who seek
equality.
Now
it is clear why the regime’s Interior Minister acknowledges the danger posed by
women. And this is the reason the regime’s entire apparatus has mobilized to
keep women at home amid numerous economic and political crises.
Source:
Women NCR
https://women.ncr-iran.org/2021/12/26/as-the-force-for-change/
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Six
teams set to battle it out in first-ever Saudi Women’s Handball League
December
27, 2021
Saudi
Arabia’s first Women’s Handball League is set to kick off on Dec. 27 at Dar
Al-Uloom University in Riyadh.
It
will be the sport’s first competition for female athletes since the
establishment of the Saudi Arabian Handball Federation, which will oversee the
tournament through its own women’s committee.
Six
teams will take part in the league, which will run from Dec. 27 -30, with Najd,
Jeddah Hands and Al-Majd in the first group, and Najd Al-Mustaqbal, Elite and
Al-Himma making up the second group.
The
matches will be refereed by Saudi female officials who have completed courses
organized by the SAHF in cooperation with the Ministry of Sports.
Day
one of the league will start with the Jeddah Hands facing Najd, with the second
match between Najd Al-Mustaqbal and Al-Himma.
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1993536/sport
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