More Restrictions on Afghan Women; Beauty Parlours Are Ordered To Be Banned
New Age
Islam News Bureau
04 July 2023
• More Restrictions on Afghan Women;
Beauty Parlours Are Ordered To Be Banned
• Tunisian Ons Jabeur Wants Level
Playing Field As Arab Women Take Tennis By Storm
• Moroccan Women Shake Up World Of
Gnaoua Music, A Spiritual Musical Repertoire
• 'It's Not Over Yet': Artists Work To
Keep Iran's Protests In View
• For The First Time, Muslim Students
Federation In Kerala Inducts 3 Women To State Committee
• Empowering Afghan Women Refugee
Teachers In Iran
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/afghan-parlour-restrictions/d/130132
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More Restrictions on Afghan Women; Beauty Parlours Are Ordered To Be Banned
Beauty Parlour, Afghanistan
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July 4, 2023
According to the morals ministry, the
Taliban government in Afghanistan has ordered beauty salons to shut down within
a month. This is the latest restriction on Afghan women’s access to public
spaces.
“The deadline for the closing of beauty
parlours for women is one month,” Mohammad Sadiq Akif, a spokesperson for the
Ministry for the Prevention of Vice and Propagation of Virtue, said on Tuesday,
referring to a ministry notice.
The ministry has also ordered the Kabul
municipality to bring the new decree of the Taliban leader into effect and
cancel the licenses of women’s beauty salons.
Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan
in August 2021, they barred girls and women from attending secondary high
school. Subsequently, authorities prohibited women from attending universities
last December.
In the meantime, women have been banned
from entering several public spaces, including gyms, parks and baths.
Apart from these, the Taliban has banned
women from working with humanitarian workers amid a dire humanitarian crisis in
the country.
The United Nations and other regional
and international organizations have denounced the repressive policies and
practices of the Taliban.
After the Taliban were ousted from power
in late 2001, only weeks after the 9/11 attacks on the United States, beauty
parlours sprang up in Kabul and other Afghan cities.
After the Taliban took control of Kabul,
several remained open by concealing their signs and windows, providing some
women work and serving their customers.
Several organizations, including the UN,
have warned the Taliban administration that restrictions on women are
preventing their rule from gaining international legitimacy.
Source: khaama.com
https://www.khaama.com/more-restrictions-on-afghan-women-beauty-parlors-are-ordered-to-be-banned/
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Tunisian Ons Jabeur Wants Level Playing
Field As Arab Women Take Tennis By Storm
Tunisia's
Ons Jabeur during a practice session ahead of the Wimbledon championships. EPA
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Reem Abulleil
Jul 03, 2023
For the first time in history, there are
two Arab women seeded in a Grand Slam and Tunisian Ons Jabeur is thrilled to be
sharing the spotlight with Egypt’s Mayar Sherif at Wimbledon this fortnight.
Ranked No6 and No31 respectively, Jabeur
and Sherif are just two examples of scores of Arab women athletes excelling on
the global stage, often outperforming their male counterparts and breaking many
barriers along the way.
“I think it’s so great to see. Who would
have even thought to see one Arab woman, and now you have two, and possibly
more on the way? It’s unbelievable what Mayar is doing for Egypt, for Africa,
and we hope to see more,” Jabeur told The National on the eve of the
Championships in south-west London.
“Maybe now, with the times, with the
more freedom that we have, and also seeing other women doing great in other
sports, I think that encourages us,” the 28-year-old says when explaining why
women from the region are rising to the top, and not necessarily the men.
“I believe that women are taking
advantage more and more of their chances to show who they are and I believe
it’s very important to do that. And hopefully we can change that forever.”
Having established herself as a regular
fixture in the world’s top 10 over the past two years – rising to a career-high
No2 last year – Jabeur feels she has gained a deeper perspective on the state
of equality, or inequality, between women and men in tennis and she wants to
shed light on the issues she and her fellow WTA players are facing.
“I still believe there is a big gap we
should close. I see, maybe now that I’m in the top 10, how women are treated,
there’s still a lot more to do,” said the two-time Grand Slam finalist.
The WTA announced last week a pathway to
achieve equal prize money at all combined tournaments by the year 2027 and at
all non-combined events by 2033. Jabeur is happy the association has taken such
a step but feels it should have been in the works a lot sooner.
The Tunisian also believes women’s
tennis is unfairly portrayed in a negative light, which possibly makes it
unappealing to investors.
“It’s great that the WTA is trying to do
that. My question is: Why now? Why didn’t you start this pathway a few years
ago?” she asks.
“I’m sure somebody messed up some deals
and that’s why we’re in this situation. I don’t believe women’s tennis is that
bad, I feel like media [is playing a part]. I’m going to be 100 per cent honest
with you. If a top-10 woman player loses to another player, it’s seen as an
upset, it’s bad, it’s ‘women’s tennis’.
“But on the men’s side, if they do it,
it’s an unbelievable result, it’s an unbelievable achievement. That mindset
they have, the way they look at women is always on the negative side.
“I’ve heard some players saying, ‘But
you cannot get sponsors’. How would you want us to get sponsored if you’re
already making us look bad because you talk bad about us?
“I’m not saying that every match is
beautiful, no, there are good and bad matches, and the same thing is happening
on the men’s side.
“I’m not asking for free stuff as a
woman, never; but give me my chance to prove who I am, give any other woman who
is playing in any other sport. It’s very important to give them their chances
and the world needs to change because I believe there is a lot to see in
women’s sport.”
A recent report in the Financial Times
has revealed that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is exploring
investment opportunities into the ATP. Jabeur is “praying” the WTA is being
considered as well, especially at a time where Arab women are the ones making
history week in, week out, on the tennis tour.
“At the moment, the best Arab players
are women. So I pray, I really pray that they [Saudi Arabia] would go for
women’s tournaments, not only men,” declared Jabeur.
“If it’s men and women, make it equal,
make it equal prize money. For a country like Saudi that is evolving and giving
rights to women, I’m actually praying that they would give us our chance.
“I’ve been hearing from Twitter, from
everywhere else that [Saudi is interested in] ATP this, ATP that, and it kills
me. Hopefully that’s not true [that they are only interested in men’s tennis].
“Hopefully they will really put enough
money for women’s tennis and I’m praying for that. To any investor in Saudi,
please remember that there are amazing women tennis players playing around the
world and they need their chances to show. If you’re thinking of good
investments, it’s a great investment there.”
Jabeur’s historic run to the Wimbledon
final last year - she is the first Arab player in the Open Era and first
African woman to make a major final - took the tennis world by storm and was
the subject of one of the episodes in the Netflix docu-series 'Break Point'.
She followed that up with a second
consecutive appearance in a major final at the US Open a couple of months
later. By the end of summer, she had earned countless new fans, including one
legendary seven-time Grand Slam champion.
“Who didn’t follow her run last year
here, and at the US open?” Venus Williams said of Jabeur on Friday.
“I was always rooting for her, she’s a
wonderful person. She’ll open so many doors. And you can’t limit people to
opening doors just for a certain type of people, she’s opening doors for
everyone. That’s one thing about me and my career is I never wanted to be
boxed. You can be an inspiration to every single person, man, woman, child and
that’s what she is.”
By making it to the semi-finals at
Wimbledon last year, Jabeur had already crossed a barrier no Arab-born player
had ever crossed; the quarter-final stage so often proving the ultimate hurdle
for her and her predecessors at the slams.
She and her husband / fitness trainer
Karim Kamoun got “very emotional” watching the Netflix episode telling the
story of her journey to the final at SW19 and her face lights up when she
reflects on those magical two weeks.
“It was very tough to watch it, it was
very emotional for me and Karim because we watched it together. We looked at
each other and we both were crying. Unbelievable,” she says.
“I don’t think I could watch it again.
But it did bring back a lot of great memories and maybe in a way I felt a
little bit sorry for myself. Like I should have done something for that woman
crying over there, maybe I should have won that final. It is what it is,
everything happens for a reason and I’m trying to move on.
“The story is unbelievable. It’s like a
movie that you wanted to finish with a happy ending. It wasn’t the case, but
then you see all the support and how the Tunisians were supporting me, it did
bring a lot of great memories. And that’s why if you know me, you know the
story, you would feel emotional about that episode.”
Jabeur credits her love for playing on
grass and being mentally prepared for the tournament for her great result here
last year. She also says she drew energy from the massive support she received
from the crowd, which allowed her to play freely, and flaunt her creative game.
Arabic chants were ringing around the
All England Club throughout the fortnight, with many non-Tunisians learning the
words and joining in on the celebrations after every match.
“Every time I did press here at the
balcony they were shouting and singing. I remember just after the trophy
ceremony, it felt like The Lion King, I put my trophy up and they were like
screaming,” she recalls, referring to a famous scene from the popular animated
movie.
“It was honestly so amazing. Hopefully
we can see a lot of Arabs this year supporting us, me and Mayar, and that it
will be a great tournament for both of us hopefully.”
Jabeur begins her campaign at the All
England Club on Tuesday against Poland’s Magdalena Frech.
Having reached the finals in two of her
last four Grand Slams, she is feeling the pressure to deliver and is hoping her
sub-par results on grass coming in – she won just one match on the surface this
year – will not stop her from performing well at her favourite major.
“I feel like people are expecting me to
go to the final every time I play a Grand Slam, which is difficult,” she says.
“Not because I made two finals that
means I should win a Grand Slam right now. But it’s a mindset, it’s a lot of
things going on. You should know what’s going on with the players. I believe
that people are judging more than they should be but again, I’m trying not to
listen to everybody and also not to listen to anybody except my team around
me.”
There may be a significant amount of
pressure on her, but watching Jabeur prepare for these Championships, you can
see she is still her playful, fun-loving self, joking around with her team and
forcing her coach IssamJellali to do push-ups on the practice court because he
lost a bet during their hitting session.
“I’m very excited to just play and enjoy
my time. There is a lot of pressure, yes. Maybe a lot more than I expected.
It’s new for me and I’m trying to manage it. It’s part of tennis. I’m looking
for Ons that is playing free on the court and enjoying the game no matter what
the outcome will be,” she concludes.
Source: thenationalnews.com
https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/tennis/2023/07/03/ons-jabeur-wants-level-playing-field-as-arab-women-take-tennis-by-storm/
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Moroccan Women Shake Up World Of
GnaouaMusic, A Spiritual Musical Repertoire
02 July, 2023
Young Moroccan women are bringing new
and inclusive energy to the centuries-old art of Gnaoua, a spiritual musical
repertoire traditionally reserved for men.
Also known as "tagnaouite", it
gained worldwide recognition after it was listed by UNESCO as intangible
cultural heritage in 2019.
"Why shouldn't women be part of
this dynamic?" asked Asma Hamzaoui at the Gnaoua World Music Festival in
Essaouira, a southern coastal city steeped in the musical tradition.
The 26-year-old Casablanca native is one
of the first women to perform Gnaoua, which blends African rhythms with
spiritual chants and poetry.
Her father, a Gnaoua master, initiated
her into the artform at a young age.
"I've accompanied him to his
evening gatherings since I was seven years old," recounted the young
woman, who in 2012 formed the group "BnatTimbouktou", or The Girls of
Timbuktu.
"I gradually learned to play the
guembri, a three-stringed lute made of camel skin. My father made sure that I
learned as much as possible before I flew solo."
The all-female ensemble wowed the
festival-goers – with Hamzaoui on vocals and the guembri, and four musicians on
qraqeb steel castanets.
They played alongside the
Amazonesd'Afrique, another all-female group, from Mali.
'Feeds the spirit'
"It's exceptional to have women
playing Gnaoua music, which shouldn't be reserved for men," said Hamza
Tahir, a member of the audience. "They bring fresh air into this
music."
Inspired by BnatTimbouktou's success,
rising star Hind Ennaira developed her passion for tagnaouite in her hometown
of Essaouira.
Its fortified citadel on the Atlantic
coast is a breeding ground for the mystical musical tradition, in which
religious hymns invoke ancestors and spirits.
Originally practised by enslaved people
and dating back at least to the 16th century, Gnaoua has gone from being
practised largely in private gatherings, where therapeutic rituals accompanied
the music, to public events such as concerts and festivals.
"The city of Essaouira is the
cradle of tagnaouite," said Ennaira, who was taught to play the guembri by
friends.
"It is beautiful heritage that
feeds the spirit. It is important for young people to value it."
Ennaira put her own touch on the
tradition by bringing in a guitarist and drummer to accompany the traditional
ensemble.
"At first, there were some differences
because they were not used to working with a woman," she said.
"But after some challenging
exercises, they adapted to me and we became complementary."
'Jimi Hendrix' style
Yousra Mansour – the frontwoman of the
band Bab L'bluz ("The Blues Gate"), which fuses Gnaoua, rock and
blues – also encountered challenges entering the music scene.
"There were two constraints for me:
first, the fact that this field is usually reserved for men, but also how we
interpret traditional music," the musician told AFP.
"It is not very accepted or even
tolerated by some of the stricter individuals.
"We replaced the bass with the
guembri and the guitar with the awisha [a small guembri] and created a kind of
'power trio' in the style of Jimi Hendrix with reimagined traditional
instruments," explained Mansour.
The 32-year-old vocalist passionately
defends women's freedoms, saying that "as a woman, I have not had an easy
life".
"There was a lack of women in this
field. When I see Asma Hamzaoui or Hind Ennaira, they are magnificent,"
she said.
"It is not easy to evolve in a
predominantly male universe, but we see changes emerging."
Source: newarab.com
https://www.newarab.com/news/moroccan-women-shake-world-gnaoua-music
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For the first time, Muslim Students Federation
in Kerala inducts 3 women to State committee
Until now, the MSF State committee had
no women members
June 24, 2023
The Muslim Students Federation (MSF),
the students’ wing of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), witnessed a
historic moment on Saturday when three women students were selected to its
State committee.
Until now, the MSF State committee had
no women members. The women were working separately under an organisation named
Haritha.
On Saturday, Haritha State president
Aysha Banu, State secretary RumaizaRafeeque, Malappuram district president
Thohani K. were inducted into the MSF State committee, marking the beginning of
a new era in Muslim women student politics.
Ms. Banu was made the State vice
president of the MSF, while Ms. Rafeeque and Ms. Thohani were made State
secretaries.
“It’s been a historic moment for the
MSF. We are looking forward to brighter days for the MSF,” said Ms. Rafeeque.
The Haritha leadership of Ms. Rafeeque
and Ms. Banu had won their mother party’s approbation when it launched an
ambitious life-support programme named Supporting Mantra to Initiate Life
Enlightenment (SMILE).
The five-pronged SMILE project included
mental health support system for women students, training in basic self-defence
skills, strengthening and widening women’s education reach and imparting
entrepreneurial skills.
Source: thehindu.com
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/for-the-first-time-muslim-students-federation-inducts-3-women-to-state-committee/article67005687.ece
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Empowering Afghan women refugee teachers
in Iran
4 July 2023
Since launching in 2021, the UNESCO
Afghan Teacher Training Programme has made significant progress in fostering a
brighter future for displaced Afghan teachers and students. Supported by the
Government of Japan and UNICEF Iran, and in collaboration with the Iranian
National Commission for UNESCO and the Universities of Tehran, and Kharazmi,
this initiative is equipping Afghan refugee teachers in the Islamic Republic of
Iran with the necessary tools and skills to provide quality education amidst
challenging circumstances.
Shaping a brighter future for refugee
Afghan teachers and learners
With the completion of its first phase
in 2022, and upcoming phases in 2023, the programme has enabled approximately
500 Afghan women refugee teachers in Iran to receive recognized training and
certification. The goal is to support Afghan women with the skills and
knowledge they need to deliver quality learning for the displaced Afghan
children living in Iran and to ensure that their education continues until they
can return to formal schooling. The teachers are also trained to provide
psychosocial support to these out-of-school and crisis-affected children,
helping them to overcome the challenges of displacement and adapting to a new
environment.
The underlying vision of the project is
to share the latest teaching methods with these displaced or not displaced
teachers, enabling them to teach effectively in their host countries.
Recognizing that teachers are not mere conveyors of knowledge but also role
models, the programme strives to also provide them with the required training
to inspire and empower their students. The quality education and support
provided by these trained teachers will indirectly benefit approximately 9,000
primary school students in Iran.
Sharing skills and knowledge gained by
teacher beneficiaries
One of the programme's participants, Ms
Sokhan, a former chemistry teacher and school principal in Afghanistan,
expressed her gratitude during a phone call to UNESCO Tehran. “Thanks to the
training, I regained a sense of purpose and I have the ability to cope with the
challenges I face as an Afghan refugee,” she said. Ms Sokhan emphasized that
the most valuable aspect of the initiative was the opportunity for teachers to
share their experiences and knowledge gained throughout their years of
teaching. She also really appreciated the teacher’s active engagement with
participants, sharing with them the practical lessons from their extensive
experience in the field of education.
Reflecting on the impact of the
programme, Ms Alami, who participated in the first phase last year, emphasized
the importance of mental health education. “The training programme allowed me
to grasp the importance of addressing psychological well-being in the
classroom,” she said. Armed with this new knowledge, Ms Alami was able to
establish deeper connections with her students and provide more effective
support to those affected by displacement, both physically and mentally.
Vision for the future
A core aspect of the programme is to
empower teachers and gradually transform them into advocates for improved
teaching methods. Follow-up courses are planned to focus on vital areas such as
mental health, social-emotional learning, psychological support, and overall
well-being.
Trained teachers will play a pivotal
role in educating out-of-school children while also serving as local facilitators
within the refugee community. With their close ties with the community and
their advanced education, these teachers will become invaluable resources for
addressing the diverse needs of their communities.
Source: unesco.org
https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/empowering-afghan-women-refugee-teachers-iran?hub=343
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/afghan-parlour-restrictions/d/130132