'The Kerala Story’ Actress Devoleena Bhattacharjee Called Her Husband a ‘True Indian Muslim’ and Her Marriage a Love Jihad
New Age
Islam News Bureau
19
May 20123
• 'The Kerala Story’ Actress Devoleena Bhattacharjee
Called Her Husband a ‘True Indian Muslim’ and Her Marriage a Love Jihad
• Oxford Swears In First Muslim Womanof Colour, Lubna
Arshad, Lord Mayor
• India’s Most Prolific Ultra-Runner Sufiya Sufi Eyes
Her Fifth Guinness Record
• Islamic Women’s Organization Asks for Protection from
Kidnappings in Mozambique
• Iranian Leader of Women Trafficking Network Executed
By Islamic Republic
• ICT Community Development to Get £157,000 To Create A 'Mecca'
For The Women's Game At The Former IRA Pitches
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/actress-devoleena-jihad-muslim-kerala/d/129818
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'The Kerala Story’ Actress Devoleena Bhattacharjee Called Her Husband a ‘True Indian Muslim’ and Her Marriage a Love Jihad
Devoleena
Bhattacharjee got married to husband Shanwaz Shaikh last year.
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May 19, 2023
Devoleena
Bhattacharjee in a new tweet extended support to The Kerala Story once again.
She also called her husband a ‘true Indian Muslim.’
Days after
actor Devoleena Bhattacharjee said she and her husband, Shanwaz Shaikh watched
The Kerala Story together, a user on Twitter criticised her for her marriage on
the pretext of love jihad. Responding to it, the actor clarified called her
husband a ‘true Indian Muslim.’ Also read: Devoleena Bhattacharjee on The
Kerala Story: ‘My husband is Muslim, he didn't find it offensive or against his
religion'
It all started
when the right-wing leader, Sadhvi Prachi, posted pictures from a screening of
The Kerala Story in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. She wrote, “'The Kerala Story' was
shown free of cost to daughters in Haridwar.” In the comment section, someone
talked about Devoleena and mentioned her husband Shanwaz Shaikh. The same user
also wrote, as per Google translation, “Love Jihad is like that.”
Replying to it,
Devoleena Bhattacharjee tweeted, “Arey Khan
saabmujhebulaanekozarooratnahipadhi. Main aur mere husband pehle hi
dekhkaragaye the The Kerala Story aurbohot hi acchilagi hum donoko hi. TRUE
INDIAN MUSLIM naamsunahaikya ? Mere patiunme se hi
haijogalatkogalatkehnekitaqataurhimmatdonorakhtehai (There was no need to
invite me to the film screening as I and my husband had already seen it and we
both liked it very much. Have you heard about a true Indian Muslim? My husband
is one of them who can take a stand against wrong things and we both have the
same guts).”
Previously,
Devoleena had responded to a post that narrated the story of a woman, who
allegedly broke up with her boyfriend after watching The Kerala Story. The
actor has been tweeting in support of the film. She shared her take on the film
and said, "It's not always like that. My husband is a Muslim and came with
me to watch the movie and he appreciated it. He neither took it as an offence
nor he felt it was against his religion. And I feel thats how every Indian
should be like.” She also used the hashtag ‘The Kerala Story.’
Devoleena
Bhattacharjee got married to her gym trainer Shanawaz Shaikh in December 2022.
The actor is best known for playing the role of Gopibahu in Saath
NibhaaanaSaathiya from 2012-17.
Source: hindustantimes.com
https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/tv/devoleena-bhattacharjee-responds-to-user-who-calls-her-marriage-love-jihad-the-kerala-story-bohot-hi-acchi-lagi-101684494364468.html
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Oxford Swears
In First Muslim Woman of Colour, Lubna Arshad, Lord Mayor
Lubna Arshad
will hold the role of lord mayor for one year
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19-05-23
Oxford's new
lord mayor is the first in the city's history to be a woman of colour and a
Muslim.
Labour
councillor Lubna Arshad was sworn in at a ceremony in Oxford Town Hall, during
which the retiring lord mayor James Fry stepped down.
Ms Arshad said
it was the "honour of a lifetime" to serve in the city where she was
born and raised.
The term of
office for the role is one year and the position can only be awarded to an
elected councillor.
Ms Arshad said
her appointment was a "momentous occasion".
"I am
deeply humbled and grateful for the opportunity to serve as the lord mayor of
the city of my birth," she added.
In a statement,
Oxford City Council said: "Lubna has made history as the first woman of
colour, first Muslim woman of intersectional background, and the youngest Lord
Mayor representing the city.
"Her
achievement is ground-breaking and represents significant progress towards
diversity, inclusivity, and representation in leadership roles."
She was elected
as a city councillor in 2018, representing Cowley Marsh initially and later,
due to electoral boundary changes, now serves the Temple Cowley ward.
The Lord
Mayor's charities for the coming year are Humanity First, Oxford Community
Action and Asylum Welcome.
Source: bbc.com
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-65646618
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India’s Most
Prolific Ultra-Runner Sufiya Sufi Eyes Her Fifth Guinness Record
Nakul Shivani/
New Delhi
India’s most
prolific ultra-runner Sufiya Sufi is on the road again. This time, she is
aiming to get herself a fifth Guinness record by running from Manali to Leh in
under 100 hours. This will be her second run on this route.
“I did this in
2021 in 156 hours. I challenged myself to cut it down to under 100 hours,” said
Sufiya speaking to Awazthevoice.in from her base in a Manali village.
She is
currently training from a village called Majach, about 10 kilometres from
Manali town. Planning to reach peak preparedness by June, Sufiya plans to
embark on this arduous task in the first week of July. “I need time to be
mentally prepared. That is why I am giving myself enough time,” she says.
During her last
challenge, Sufiya feels she did not give herself enough time to acclimatise in
the mountains. “That’s the reason I took more than 150 hours to accomplish the
feat. I have learnt from my mistakes and this time I set-up base in a village
here.”
Based in a
village is allowing her to calmly prepare for her challenge without
distractions. Majach is a small village with about 70 families. “People are
very helpful here. Staying in a homestay helps me stay grounded. I get to eat
fresh food and the mentoring of village elders,” Sufiya chuckles talking about
the decision to shift base to a remote village. “Maybe I will stay here for the
next year or so, even after the run,” she adds with a smile.
Sufiya’s day
begins early. Up even as the snowfall adds to the beauty of the place, she runs
about 10 kilometres every day. On a given day this extends to about 30-40
kilometres. “Running in mountains is far more difficult than running on plains.
For every 5-6 kilometres I do in the mountains, I can do 20 kilometres in the
plains.”
Her regimen for
this special task resolves around increasing her lung power and mental
strength. “Oxygen levels are low at places here. So, I need to strengthen my
lungs.” Add to that her requirement to be mentally strong enough to accept the
challenge. For this she does meditation and gives enough time to do yoga.
For this
challenging run, Sufiya is hoping to get the support of a physiotherapist and a
doctor. “I hope someone can sponsor this part. This will make my preparation
easier,” she says in the hope that a few more hands in her challenge will allow
her to finish the task with more ease.
This upcoming
run by Sufiya comes a few months after she completed the Qatar circuit in under
200 hours. And it comes a few months before she will embark on another
challenge in the desert – the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates in 7
days.
But for now,
its running on the mountainous, curvy roads of Manali that is keeping her busy.
“I love challenges. I don’t feel scared. It’s not just about preparing the body
but it is also about the mind. I am setting some tough benchmarks, am I not?”
she asks before turning to prepare her run on the path covered with fresh
snowfall against the backdrop of the majestic Himalayas.
Source: awazthevoice.in
https://www.awazthevoice.in/sports-news/sufiya-sufi-eyes-her-fifth-guinness-record-21521.html
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Islamic women’s
organization asks for protection from kidnappings in Mozambique
By
RT Staff
Reporters
May 19, 2023
The Islamic
Women's Organization, based in Maputo, asked today for protection for women against
kidnappings in Mozambique in reaction to the kidnapping of one of its members
on Tuesday, reads a note received today by Lusa.
"Attitudes
and crimes of this nature cannot and should not go unpunished."
"We are
women, we want protection, we want peace and dignity, we want to study, work
and walk freely without fear," says the organization in a joint statement
with the Muslim Community of Mozambique.
At issue is the
kidnapping of a 47-year-old businesswoman outside her firm on Tuesday in . . .
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Source: riotimesonline.com
https://www.riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/lusophone-world/islamic-womens-organization-asks-for-protection-from-kidnappings-in-mozambique/
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Iranian leader
of women trafficking network executed by Islamic Republic
MAY 20, 2023
Iran on
Saturday executed two men who were convicted by an Islamic Republic court of
the sex trafficking of Iranian women and girls across the Middle East and Asia,
Iranian state media said.
Sara
JarefDriszadeh was found to have run a branch of the trafficking network run by
SharouzSokhnori, better known by his alias 'Alex.'
It is said that
the trafficking gang had also transported large quantities of drugs to be
handed over to other gangs.
The network was
discovered by the Islamic Republic, it said, who arrested and charged four of
the victims with corruption and prostitution. One of the traffickers was found
working in a school in Malaysia, where Iranian media alleged that they
distributed fake qualification certificates to sex workers.
The Iranians
behind the sex trafficking ring
It is claimed
that 'Alex' created a fake international company, where he was able to provide
false student visas to potential trafficking victims, which enabled the victims
to retain residence in countries such as Malaysia. This process was allegedly
sped up by an employee of the Iranian embassy in Malaysia, according to Iranian
media.
The embassy
connection allowed for false stamps to be placed on the victims’ passports so
that they could then be trafficked to other countries.
In 2019, 'Alex'
was extradited to Iran and, according to state media, responded to questioning
by stating that he "came to Iran from Dubai nine years ago. Before
entering Iran, I was in prison for five years and several months in the United
Arab Emirates, when I was deported and came to Iran.
"After
arriving in Iran, I met a girl named Sabia, who offered me to design a
website,” 'Alex' was quoted by state media as saying.
“I started the
site for her, and she used to upload pictures and numbers of girls on the site
for prostitution. To improve my work, I took extensive measures and slowly got
to know Sabia's main networks in Dubai, Malaysia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan.
How were
victims selected for trafficking?
It is alleged
that 'Alex' found some of his victims through their social media profiles. It
is also alleged that some local celebrities had used their influence to bring
girls to 'Alex.'
According to
the report, 12 celebrities were involved in the ring, one of whom was
identified as Masih who was said to have recruited 30 victims. For every victim
they introduced, they were allegedly paid a sum of money.
Members of the
trafficking ring had changed their contact details to avoid arrest but 123
different phone numbers were recovered, exposing the network. Alex’s phone also
contained images of passports, birth certificated, national identity cards and
photos of the victims. Iranian media also implied that a large number of
pornographic videos and photos were held on Alex's device, which he reportedly
used to blackmail his fellow traffickers.
It is alleged
that Sokhnori's US-based mother was involved in the network. She is said to
have founded a company in 2004, which enabled investments in the United Arab
Emirates. It was through this company that funds were allegedly transferred to
a company in Dubai.
Human
trafficking in Iran
Former US
President Donald Trump’s administration in 2017 added Iran to a US list of
countries accused of failing to crack down on human trafficking. Two years
later, the US State Department again designated Iran as a so-called Tier 3
country, the report's ranking for countries that do the least to tackle the
crime.
Under a 2000 US
law called the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, the United States does not
provide non-humanitarian, non-trade-related foreign assistance to any country
that does not comply with minimum standards for eliminating trafficking and is
not making efforts to do so.
“The government
of Iran does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of
trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so,” said the 2019
State Department report.
Source: jpost.com
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-743647
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ICT Community
Development to get £157,000 to create a 'Mecca' for the women's game at the
former IRA pitches
20 May 2023
ICT Community
Development's ambitious plans for the women’s game have taken a massive leap
forward after the UK government's "game changing" investment of
£157,000.
The company
with charitable status has received over £157,000 for a grass pitch upgrade at
the former Inverness Royal Academy playing fields which was handed over by
Highland Council in a community asset transfer last September.
It was one of
23 projects to receive a share of £2 million as part of the UK government’s
ongoing investment in multi-sport facilities in collaboration with the Scottish
Football Association.
The government
programme is an ongoing UK-wide £300 million capital investment that seeks to
build capacity in under-served areas and provide for underrepresented groups,
such as women’s football.
As part of the
Government’s 2022/23 commitment, 23 sites in Scotland will see their facilities
improved, significantly increasing the availability and access to high quality
facilities for football and other grassroots sports.
A key priority
for the government is to level-up access to community sports facilities to help
as many people as possible get involved and to deliver all of the mental and
physical health benefits associated with active and healthy lifestyles.
Gordon Fyfe,
joint chairman of ICT Community Development Trust, said: “The grant from the UK
government via the Scottish Football Association is very welcome indeed and
enables us to start work on the drainage works that are required to bring the
10-acre site back into life and provide our city with a hub that is safe and
accessible to the many and varied groups we work with.
“It is such an
exciting project and we are looking forward to completing the funding required
to create something special for our community.”
Scottish
secretary Alister Jack travelled to Caledonian Stadium – home of Caley Thistle
– for the announcement where he met with two footballers and the club chief
executive Scot Gardiner.
“What will be
created at the former Inverness Royal Academy playing fields will be a Mecca
for women’s football in Scotland,” Mr Jack said.
“It will set a
very high bar for the other clubs because there will be a permanent base there
for the women’s team, there will be a vibrant girl’s academy, there will be
opportunities through different projects they are running for young people and
also for people with disabilities.
“As a community
hub it is going to be an incredible facility. It has been in a constant state
of decline, so there will be new buildings there, the whole site will be
properly drained and there will be six new pitches there.”
Mr Gardiner
said: "We are very grateful to both the SFA and to the Dept of Culture,
Media and Sport to receive such a huge grant for our ICT Community Trust Hub at
the Royal Academy.
"This
amazing sum is a real game changer for our fundraising efforts which will go a
long way towards helping us make a real difference to our sporting community
both here in Inverness and beyond.
"We were
very happy to thank the Secretary of State for Scotland Alastair Jack and
Cameron Watt of the SFA when they visited Caledonian Stadium on Thursday
morning."
Scottish FA
Vice President Mike Mulraney, said: “The Scottish FA’s grassroots strategy,
Football for All, aims to increase participation at all levels by removing
barriers and improving accessibility to the game.
“Helping clubs
to improve their infrastructure and facilities is central to this strategy and
we are grateful to the UK Government for their support.
“Clubs are the
beating hearts of communities across Scotland and through partnerships like
these, we will help reinforce the power of football locally and in doing so
develop our national game.”
Source: inverness-courier.co.uk
https://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/news/caley-thistle-trust-to-get-157-000-to-create-a-mecca-for-314278/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/actress-devoleena-jihad-muslim-kerala/d/129818