“Talk to Me, Not About Me:” Afghan Women Demand Justice from World Leaders
New Age
Islam News Bureau
01
May 20123
• “Talk to Me, Not About Me:” Afghan Women Demand
Justice from World Leaders
• Future Queen of Jordan Rajwa Khalid Al-Saif Shows Off
High Street Fashion in Rare Public Appearance
• Iranian Women Share How They Push Back Against Islamic
Rules At Home
• Sudan: Elderly Woman in Border Town with Egypt Shares
Bread with Displaced People
• Saudi Designs Turn Heads at Hollywood Premiere of ‘Bridgerton’
Spin-Off
• The Role of Islamic Finance for Women Entrepreneurs
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/afghan-demand-justice-leaders/d/129679
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“Talk
to Me, Not About Me:” Afghan Women Demand Justice from World Leaders
The
“Talk to Me, Not About Me” letter was prepared by 21 Afghan civil society and
women’s organizations
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May
1, 2023
By
Fidel Rahmati
The
“Talk to Me, Not aboutMe” letter was prepared by 21 Afghan civil society and
women’s organizations in response to the Doha meeting, where the UN and other
nations will discuss recognition of the Taliban.
They
expressed their outrage over the Taliban’s recognition on Sunday, April 30,
while Afghan women, members of civil society, and media organizations remain
denied access to fundamental human rights.
The
letter states, “As Afghan women and members of civil society and media groups,
we are outraged that the UN or any of its Member States would consider
recognizing the Taliban, a terrorist group whose deeply repressive regime has
systematically sought to erase more than half of the population from society.”
Having
denied women and girls almost all their fundamental human rights, the Taliban
has become the only regime in the world upholding a system of gender apartheid.
Experience shows that giving into the demands of such regimes by compromising
on human rights will only strengthen their grip on power and prolong the
suffering of the people of Afghanistan.
“We
urge the UN to cancel all its plans, even if they are immediate “Baby steps”
towards recognizing an illegitimate regime that systematically violates the
human rights of all Afghans and its actions are crimes against humanity,” the
statement read.
Instead,
the United Nations ensures that the human rights of all Afghans, in particular
women and girls, are respected, protected and upheld. This should include a
strong focus on justice for past and present crimes by ensuring that the
Taliban leadership is held to account for gross human rights violations, war
crimes, crimes against humanity and violations of international human rights
and humanitarian law, including the Rome Statute.
This
must include cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation by the
International Criminal Court.
Since
taking control in 2021, the Taliban, according to these organizations, have
committed several human rights violations.
Meanwhile,
the UN meeting of Special representatives of nations in Afghanistan will be
held on May 1-2 in Doha, Qatar, behind closed doors to discuss the Afghanistan
situation and how to deal with the Taliban.
We
call on the United Nations to:
Immediately
condemn the Taliban’s treatment of women and demand that they respect the human
rights of all Afghan citizens, including women.
Take
all necessary measures to ensure the protection and safety of Afghan women and
girls.
Take
steps to prevent the Taliban from using the UN as a platform to legitimize
their regime and spread their ideology.
Work
with international partners to support women’s rights activists, civil society
organizations, and other groups working to protect women’s rights in
Afghanistan.
We
also acknowledge the serious security problems faced by Afghanistan’s minority
ethnic groups, particularly Sikhs and Hindus, targeted by the Taliban for their
religious beliefs. The persecution and violence against these groups are
unacceptable and must be condemned. The international community must take
immediate action to protect the human rights of all Afghan citizens, regardless
of their ethnicity or religion. Failure to do so would be a grave violation of
our shared commitment to uphold human dignity and justice for all.
Source:
khaama.com
https://www.khaama.com/afghan-women-demand-justice-from-world-leaders-talk-to-me-not-about-me/
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Future
Queen of Jordan Rajwa Khalid Al-Saif Shows Off High Street Fashion in Rare
Public Appearance
Rajwa
Al-Saif’s pink pantsuit comes from one of your favorite high street spots
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May
01, 2023
DUBAI:
Mere days after celebrating her birthday, Saudi Arabia’s Rajwa Khalid Al-Saif,
who is set to marry Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II, was spotted
supporting her fiancé at an event in Jordan.
For
the occasion, the future queen of Jordan showed off a hot pink pantsuit by high
street retailer Zara.
The
crown prince spoke about his relationship with his future wife during his talk
at the ‘Tawasol: Dialogue on Reality and Aspirations’ forum, saying: “I met
Rajwa through an old friend from school … I consider myself lucky because it is
not every day you meet someone like Rajwa.”
Late
last week, he wrote a heartfelt message to his fiancé for her 29th birthday.
“Wishing
my dearest Rajwa a very happy birthday! Looking forward to a life of love, compassion
and commitment with you,” the crown prince wrote on Instagram sharing a picture
of Al-Saif, who can be seen smiling as she holds onto the reins of a horse.
The
couple, who are tying the knot this summer on June 1, got engaged officially in
August in a ceremony held in the presence of King Abdullah II, Queen Rania and
the bride-to-be’s family in Riyadh.
Al-Saif
is the daughter of Saudi businessman Khalid Al-Saif and was educated in Saudi
Arabia before studying architecture at Syracuse University in the US.
Source:
arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2295636/lifestyle
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Iranian
Women Share How They Push Back Against Islamic Rules At Home
28/04/2023
Iranian
women are turning to social media to share their “before and after” photos
online with the caption, “I was born in a religious family, but then I tore the
family's virtue apart." Many of them are young girls who were brought up
religiously under the influence of their families. But they say they’ve now
found their own way, although sometimes in spite of psychological or even
physical violence.
In
one photo, they are wearing modest clothing – a black chador covering most of
their body – and a stoic expression. In the other, they have taken off the
headscarf, are wearing a bit of makeup and have a slight smile. This is how
Iranian women are sharing their stories online.
The
photos – shared on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok since mid-April – show how
they rebelled against their religious families and came out on the other side.
Images like these have gone viral online and other young women and girls in the
same situation have begun asking for advice on how to make the same changes.
Since
the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement began in Iran in September 2022, more and
more women have begun defying Islamic dress codes and guidelines in public
spaces.
They
have continued despite ongoing pressure from authorities and the morality
police, who have begun cracking down on compulsory hijab laws in parks, public
transportation, universities and even hospitals – and refusing services to
women who fail to comply.
Our
Observers in Iran, however, tell us that a growing number of Iranians seem to
be defending women who refuse to wear the hijab out in public.
But
for many Iranian girls and young women, the fight for social freedoms began at
home.
‘My
parents' reaction was insults, humiliation and physical violence’
Parnian
(not her real name) is one of the young women who has shared her “before and
after” photos on social media.
It
was another online challenge for me. I saw it like that but at the same time,
it was a way to show that if we fight we can progress. We are stronger than
they think. I found many others like me – seeing their photos was heartwarming.
I
was born into a very conservative, religious family in a town in central Iran.
Since I was four or five years old, I had to wear a black chador [Editor’s
note: an Islamic headscarf that covers the hair and body]. I had to pray five
times a day and fast from nine years old. I wasn’t allowed to use Instagram or
any other social media. Anything in the real world or online where a man could
be present was forbidden to me. I lived like this until I was 14 years old.
At
that age, I started comparing myself to other girls, to the freedom they had,
and to the relationships they had. I said to myself, “Something is wrong in
your life”. I also started researching and reading books, and eventually, I
found out that I had to make my own decisions and go my own way. That’s when my
struggle with my parents began.
Everything
changed when I was 18. I began dressing how I liked, stopped partaking in
religious rituals and started dating boys. My parents' reaction was everything
you can imagine: insults, humiliation and physical violence. They didn’t let me
go to one of the universities I was accepted into, because they wanted me to go
to a girls-only university.
I
have been beaten by my father, I do not know how many times. Once, he took me
out to the desert and beat me with a stick. He told me to give him my
boyfriend's number, even though I didn’t even have a mobile phone and wasn’t
allowed to go out alone.
I
had to leave their house. I moved to Tehran to live with a relative of my
mother who is understanding and very cool. I bought a mobile phone, I work, I
buy clothes I like, I dress the way I like, I go out with friends and
colleagues … I live the way I want to the extent that I can in this country.
But
the threats and pressure from my family continue through phone calls and
messages. In the last one, my father threatened that if the member of my
mother's family that I live with does not kick me out, he will divorce my
mother!
And
since the "Woman, Life, Freedom" revolution started, their pressure
has increased. They are afraid that the power of this revolution will make me
even more rebellious.
But
I am hopeful. If I have survived until now, I can make more progress. I am
trying to apply again to a university inside or outside Iran. Sometimes the
only way is to be strong. You do not have an option B.
‘They
finally understand we must respect each other's way of life’
Rima
(not her real name) is another woman who has shared photos of herself both
under her family's religious pressures and now.
My
father is religious but more relaxed, while my mother was ultra-conservative
and forced every single detail of Sharia law on me. When I was 12, I started
questioning religion and our lifestyle. I wore the chador until I was 15, and
then my mother died.
After
that, reading books helped me find my own beliefs. I found disturbing
contradictions in religion and I realised I did not want to live with these
contradictions and have to convince myself with faith.
My
father and the rest of the family are religious, but they did not want to force
me. They talked to me and tried to convince me otherwise: "OK, you don’t
have to wear a chador, but wear a hijab [which covers only the hair and not the
entire body]". Then they said, "Ok, you can take off your headscarf inside,
but keep it on in the street". I pushed them back little by little. And
since the "Woman, Life, Freedom" revolution, even the little bit of
pressure that remained has disappeared. They have finally understood that we
must respect each other's way of life and they have accepted me as I am.
Sometimes
we argue about "things girls can or cannot do". They can not force me
and I do what I want.
Following
the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian who died while in the custody
of the morality police in September 2022, Iran saw months of mass protests.
Girls and young women have led the protests, chanting the slogan “Woman, Life,
Freedom”.
Police
crackdowns on the protests have resulted in more than 537 deaths, thousands of
injuries and tens of thousands of arrests.
Source:
observers.france24.com
https://observers.france24.com/en/middle-east/20230428-iranian-women-push-back-again-islamic-rules-at-home
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Sudan:
ElderlyWoman in Border Town with Egypt Shares Bread with Displaced People
01-05-23
The
door is open": in northern Sudan, edlerly woman shares bread with
displaced people.
"The
door of our house is open, we will welcome any guest who comes to us":
local resident Naamat Jabal Sayyid Hasan, 75, bakes bread in a mud hut as she
does daily to offer to people fleeing war-torn Sudan passing through the
northern town of WadiHalfa, near the border with Egypt.
Her
gesture comes amid warplanes bombing raids over Khartoum as fighting between
Sudan's army and paramilitaries entered a third week with the UN chief warning
the country was falling apart.
"We
are in WadiHalfa, the people of WadiHalfa, we welcome our guests (people
fleeing the war-torn Sudan), we welcome our people, all people. The door is
open, the schools, the mosques, the country will welcome any guest who comes to
us. We only hope that God will stop the wars and that both (parties) will agree
to solve the situation, to solve the country, to save our youth and to fix our
situation and the situation of Muslims. The door of our house is open, we will
welcome any guest who comes to us. Generosity exists and goodness exists."
Naamat Jabal Sayyid Hasan said.
Water
and food have been in shortage in Khartoum according to humanitarian
organisations say who on Sunday said operations are at a standstill as they
look to resume work in some areas.
More
than 500 people have been killed since battles erupted on April 15 between the
forces of army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former number two Mohamed
HamdanDaglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Source:
africanews.com
https://www.africanews.com/2023/04/30/sudan-edlerly-woman-in-border-town-with-egypt-shares-bread-with-displaced-people/
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Saudi
designs turn heads at Hollywood premiere of ‘Bridgerton’ spin-off
April
30, 2023
DUBAI:
Actresses Arséma Thomas and Katherine McNamara showed off head-turning looks
from Saudi designers at the recent world premiere screening of “Queen
Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” in Los Angeles.
Thomas
showed off an all-white look by Saudi designer Mohammed Ashi, founder of
Paris-based label Ashi Studio, at the event. The Maeve Dress, created with
taffeta in a delectable shade of cream, hailed from the celebrity-loved label’s
Spring/Summer 2023 Couture collection.
“What
a dream gown,” the 28-year-old actress posted on Instagram Stories about the
caped gown with its futuristic bubble sleeves and peek-a-boo cut-out on the
bodice.
The
rising star plays the role of a young Lady Agatha Danbury in “Queen Charlotte:
A Bridgerton Story,” Netflix’s spin-off of the wildly popular “Bridgerton”
series.
The label’s Spring/Summer 2023 Couture
collection is titled “Moon and Dust” and was unveiled on the sidelines of Paris
Haute Couture Fashion Week in January.
British
Japanese singer Rina Sawayama showed off a silver gown from the same collection
in early March when she attended the London premiere of “John Wick: Chapter
4.”
Meanwhile,
actress Katherine Mcnamara hit the red carpet at the “Queen Charlotte: A
Bridgerton Story” screening in an emerald green coordinating set by Saudi
fashion label Honayda, helmed by designer HonaydaSerafi.
Her
outfit consisted of a lace-and-tulle shirt paired with a pair of taffeta
shorts, which Mcnamara accessorized with a twisted emerald ring by Lebanese
fine jewelry label L’atelierNawbar.
From
Priyanka Chopra Jonas to LupitaNyong’o and Adriana Lima, Serafi has dressed a
number of A-listers around the world. In August, she became the first Saudi designer
to showcase her collection at Harrods in London, reaching yet another milestone
for her label which was founded in 2016.
“I
feel very proud as Honayda is the first female-led Saudi label to be displayed
at Harrods. The collaboration had been cooking for about eight months, and it
was a pleasure working with their team on this exciting launch of exclusive
pieces available only at Harrods. It is an honor to be retailing at one of the
world’s oldest and most prestigious department stores — but definitely, the
journey is ongoing, and we are not stopping here,” Serafi told Arab News at the
time.
“When
I first started my brand, the fashion scene in Saudi Arabia was still young. I
discovered every aspect of creating from my own experiences — starting from
sourcing to tailoring and selling. Since then, I’ve seen amazing growth in the
industry,” she added.
Source:
arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2295171/lifestyle
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The
role of Islamic finance for women entrepreneurs
May
1, 2023
Islamic
banking and finance is now touching the $3 trillion mark globally and has
crossed Rs7tr in asset size in Pakistan by December 2023. Women entrepreneurs,
who are playing a significant role in the economic development of many
countries, can largely benefit from Islamic finance, which offers financing and
investment opportunities that are Shariah-compliant.
Pakistan,
like many other countries, has seen a rise in the number of women entrepreneurs
in recent years. However, women entrepreneurs in Pakistan face a range of
challenges, including limited access to finance, observing cultural values and
family requirements, and a lack of knowledge about business management and
banking.
Islamic
finance offers a unique opportunity for women entrepreneurs in Pakistan, as it
provides a more ethical and equitable form of financing that aligns with
Islamic principles.
Women-led
startups and enterprises in Pakistan can significantly influence the country’s
economic development. However, one of the main challenges faced by these
businesses is limited access to finance.
According
to the World Bank, only seven per cent of women in Pakistan have access to
formal financial services. This limited access to finance is a significant
barrier for women entrepreneurs, who need capital to start and grow their
businesses.
One
of the reasons behind this lack of access to finance is an unwillingness to
engage in intertest-based financing offered by conventional banks. These
faith-sensitive customers opt not to borrow on interest or, in some cases,
avoid opening bank accounts in a conventional bank due to interest.
The
government of Pakistan has recognised the importance of women entrepreneurs and
Islamic finance in the country’s economic development. In 2018, the State Bank
of Pakistan (SBP) launched a gender finance policy to increase women’s access
to finance.
The
policy aims to increase the percentage of female customers to 25pc by 2020 and
30pc by 2025. This policy is a step in the right direction and demonstrates the
government’s commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs in Pakistan.
Islamic
finance can be crucial in addressing the financing needs of women entrepreneurs
in Pakistan. One of the unique features of Islamic finance is its emphasis on
social justice and ethical conduct.
This
emphasis makes Islamic finance a suitable option for women entrepreneurs
looking for financing opportunities that align with their values and
principles.
For
example, Islamic finance prohibits the payment and receipt of interest (riba),
which is considered exploitative and unjust. This prohibition creates an
opportunity for women entrepreneurs to access financing that is based on real
trade (buying & selling), profit-sharing (Musharakah) or leasing (rental)
arrangements, which are directly linked to real business or utility derived
from real assets and considered equitable and beneficial for both parties.
To
support and provide financing for women entrepreneurs, who may not have access
to traditional forms of financing due to lack of collateral, some Islamic banks,
with the support of the government and the SBP, are now also offering small
ticket collateral-free financing under the youth financing scheme.
Additionally,
the State Bank has introduced a Shariah-compliant Islamic Refinance and
Guarantee scheme specifically for women entrepreneurs, Islamic Refinance Scheme
for Working Capital Financing of Small Enterprises and Low-End Medium
Enterprises (IWCF), Islamic Refinance Facility for Modernisation of SMEs and
Islamic SME Asaan Finance (I-SAAF) Scheme to support entrepreneurship in
Pakistan.
These
schemes provide financing opportunities for women entrepreneurs across the
country to meet the credit needs of their businesses.
Islamic
financial institutions in Pakistan are also providing a range of products to meet
the diverse financing requirements of their customers, including short-term,
long-term, and trade financing.
Women
entrepreneurs also have the opportunity to utilise these facilities to address
their business and financing needs.
In
Pakistan, Islamic bank recognises the importance of women’s financial
inclusion, and to cater to their specific needs and preferences, these banks
offer a range of products and services designed exclusively for women.
These
products may include savings and investment accounts, personal and home
financing, and Islamic credit cards, among others. By providing these
specialised products and services, Islamic banks like Meezan Bank, Dubai
Islamic Bank, Faysal Bank and others are contributing to women’s economic
development and helping them achieve financial access for their business needs.
Another
important area to encourage women entrepreneurs to avail Islamic financial
services is holding regular seminars, workshops and training sessions specially
designed to their needs. These sessions will help them to develop their skills
and knowledge about finance and business.
These
programmes can be particularly beneficial for women entrepreneurs who may lack
formal education or training in business management and those who are averse to
investing or borrowing on interest. Thus, Islamic finance is the exclusive
means for ensuring financial inclusion and ethical financing for many women
entrepreneurs and startups in the country.
Creating
financial literacy, building an understanding of Islamic financial products and
capacity building in terms of bookkeeping and documentation are some of the
main challenges faced by women-led startups, entrepreneurs, and professionals
in Pakistan.
Industry,
regulators and academia need to collaborate more often to overcome these
challenges. A workable action plan and strategy need to be developed, keeping
in view the religious preferences and desires of the target market to make this
initiative a success.
Ahmed
Ali Siddiqui is the Director of the Centre for Excellence in Islamic Finance,
IBA.
Samia
Tahir Jawad is a research associate.
Source:
dawn.com
https://www.dawn.com/news/1750222
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/afghan-demand-justice-leaders/d/129679