US Envoy for Afghan Women, Rina Amiri Urges Islamic Emirate to Change Policies Toward Women
New Age Islam News Bureau
11 March 2024
·
US
Envoy for Afghan Women, Rina Amiri Urges Islamic Emirate to Change Policies
Toward Women
·
Iran
To Prosecute Sender Of Hijab Altercation Video To IITV
·
Iran
Diplomat Denounces Western Envoys’ Silence On Massacre Of Gaza Women On Women’s
Day
·
Saudi
Arabia’s Project Masam Celebrates International Women’s Day In Riyadh
·
Approximately
60 Afghan Women Graduate From Kabul Sewing Workshop
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/afghan-rina-amiri-islamic-emirate/d/131892
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US Envoy for Afghan Women,
Rina Amiri Urges Islamic Emirate to Change Policies Toward Women
Rina
Amiri, United States Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls and Human Rights
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11 March 2024
Mitra Majeedy
Rina Amiri, United States
Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls and Human Rights, said that Afghanistan
loses over one billion dollars annually due to the caretaker government's
policies toward women and girls in Afghanistan.
Rina Amiri wrote on X that
the ban on girls' education and women's employment in Afghanistan harms all
Afghans in the country and that to mitigate this damage, policies toward women
and girls need to change.
“Afghanistan is losing more
than $1B annually due to the Taliban's extreme decrees against women and girls.
The edicts prohibit Afghan women and girls’ education and employment are
hurting all Afghans. To lift Afghanistan out of aid dependency and poverty,
these policies must be reversed," she said on X.
"We should be given the
right to work, and we demand the government to grant all women the right to
education and work. How long can we stay at home? Many women like me are the
sole breadwinners for their families, so we need to work,” said Fauzia, an
unemployed woman.
The United Nations Women's
Department said in a statement that excluding women from decision-making
deprives Afghanistan of opportunities to emerge from the crisis.
"Excluding Afghan women
from decision-making not only deprives Afghanistan of any chance of emerging
out of crises, it also signals that attacking women’s rights, silencing their
voices and erasing them from society doesn't just get unpunished, it becomes
normalized," said UN Women on X.
"I ask the government
and the international community to assist women in other sectors because women
make up the largest segment of society, and if good work opportunities are
provided for them, they have great potential," Shabnam, a student, told
TOLOnews.
The Islamic Emirate said that
good opportunities have been provided in the trade sector for women and it
supports their achievements in Afghanistan.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the
spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, said that the frozen Afghan funds in the
US directly impact the lives of women and men in the country, hence the need
for the US to understand its responsibility in this regard.
"If America is so
concerned about the Afghan people, it should first and foremost release the
frozen Afghan funds. Approximately 9.1 billion dollars frozen in America
directly negatively impacts the lives of the Afghan people; it affects both our
sisters and men. Anyway, they must understand their responsibility towards
Afghanistan," he said.
Previously, the United States
special representatives has called on countries worldwide to continue
supporting women and girls in Afghanistan.
Source: tolonews.com
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-187770
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Iran To Prosecute Sender Of
Hijab Altercation Video To IITV
A
screengrab from the confrontation between the young mother and a cleric in Qom
(March 2024)
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11 March 2024
Maryam Sinaiee
Iranian authorities will
prosecute the individual who sent a video to Iran International TV depicting a
scuffle over hijab at a clinic, leading to widespread outrage on social media.
The video went viral in Iran
on Saturday depicting a tense encounter between a young woman and a cleric who
is filming her holding her baby while her hijab is loose in a clinic in the
religious city of Qom.
Iran’s clerical rulers
encourage everyone to confront women with insufficient hijab and urge them to
abide by the law. Reporting on others is also encouraged and there have been
instances of people filming women to send it to the authorities for legal
action.
The incident escalated into a
brawl when the young woman noticed the cleric filming her. Other women in the
hospital intervened and asked the cleric to delete his video in fear that it
would lead to further problems for the mother.
The footage captured the
young mother in the clinic with her sick infant. Shortly after entering, her
headscarf slips off.
Hassan Gharib, the prosecutor
of the religious city of Qom, said Sunday that an order to identify and
prosecute the person who leaked the CCTV footage to Iran International has been
issued. However, he clarified that no arrests have been made in connection with
the incident.
Gharib emphasized the
importance of adhering to the religious duty of urging others to abstain from
forbidden acts and uphold religious principles. “In any case, we will
decisively, fairly, and speedily investigate the matter.”
Typically, rather than prosecuting
people who bother others over hijab, authorities often target and punish
victims, as well as individuals who share photos and videos with foreign-based
Persian media outlets that tarnish the image of the regime, its officials, or
clerics.
In September, 29-year-old
Elham Farshad who had a verbal encounter with a cleric harassing her over hijab
was sentenced to three years and eight months in prison after a video of the
incident was leaked on social media.
“It is necessary to point out
that the error of the person who sent the video to anti-revolutionary media
should not be overlooked. This calls for intelligence work and action that will
teach [such people] a lesson,” the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) linked Fars News
Agency wrote Sunday.
At a press briefing Sunday
most of which was related to the controversies over legislation and enforcement
of hijab, President Ebrahim Raisi’s aide, Sakineh-Sadat Pad, said she had seen
the video and would follow up on the matter.
Pad characterized the actions
of both the woman and the cleric as "aggressive" and their behavior
as "disagreeable." While acknowledging the understandable concern of
the young mother for her sick child, Pad did not explicitly condemn the
cleric's infringement upon the woman's privacy and rights. She emphasized the
need for further investigation into the matter.
The footage obtained by Iran
International (IITV) from the clinic's CCTV captures the young woman seated
against the wall in a secluded area, cradling her sick baby in her arms. Her
hijab has slipped down over her shoulders. In the background, the cleric
covertly uses his mobile device to capture pictures or video of the woman,
presumably to document her violation of hijab regulations.
Upon realizing the cleric's
actions, the woman swiftly passes her baby to someone nearby and confronts the
cleric, demanding to inspect his phone to delete the recorded footage. The
cleric refuses, escalating the situation into a physical altercation as
bystanders intervene.
The cleric flees the scene,
and the woman is taken away from by the clinic staff after having a nervous
fit. The identities of the cleric and the woman are not known.
Some Twitterati have
commented that the incident is evidence of the opposition to compulsory hijab
and shows that the Islamic Republic has failed in enforcing it even in Qom,
Iran's second religious city and the seat of most of its seminaries.
Most hardliner social media
users have blamed the woman for failing to comply with hijab rules and then
arguing with the cleric and charging to attack him. They justify the cleric’s
actions by arguing that his intention was pure, and he only wanted to carry out
his religious duty.
Some hardline, pro-government
social media users have called the young mother “rowdy” or “a shrew”. Those
against the compulsory hijab, however, have created several hashtags in support
of the young mother such as “We Are All Rowdy/Shrews”.
Source: iranintl.com
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202403103604
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Iran diplomat denounces
Western envoys’ silence on massacre of Gaza women on Women’s Day
11 March 2024
A top Iranian Foreign
Ministry official has censured the hypocrisy of some foreign ambassadors to
Tehran, saying their utter silence on Israeli massacre of Palestinian women in
the Gaza Strip refutes their expression of support for women’s rights.
In social media post on
Sunday, Rasoul Mousavi, director general of the South Asian affairs department
at Iran’s Foreign Ministry, pointed to the diplomats’ messages on the occasion
of the International Women’s Day (March 8), asking, “Do you really expect us to
believe that there is sincerity in your words because you speak Persian?”
“If you are talking about
women’s rights, why aren’t you saying a word about the 9,000 women killed in
Gaza by the Zionists?” Mousavi further asked.
It comes as the Israeli
regime’s genocidal war on Gaza continues to claim more lives, especially those
of women and children, with UN Women data showing that 9,000 Palestinian women
have been so far killed by the Israeli military in the besieged territory.
It is estimated that at the
current rate of attacks against the defenseless people, the Israeli genocidal
war on Gaza is killing each day an average of 63 innocent Palestinian women, of
whom about half (37 women) are mothers.
At least 31,112 Palestinians,
mostly women and children, have been killed and 72,760 wounded since the
Israeli regime launched the war on Gaza on October 7.
Source: presstv.ir
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/03/11/721668/Iran-Gaza-women-Rasoul-Mousavi-diplomats-International-Day-killing-
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Saudi Arabia’s Project Masam
celebrates International Women’s Day in Riyadh
March 10, 2024
HAIFA AL-SHAMMARI
RIYADH: In honor of
International Women’s Day, Project Masam, a Saudi initiative aimed at clearing
landmines in Yemen, hosted a dinner banquet last Friday, March 8, to
commemorate the occasion in the capital city of Riyadh.
A group of ladies attended
the event, including Princess Haifa Al-Faisal, founder of the Zahra Breast
Cancer Association; Ghadha Al-Fahad, a journalist at Al Arabiya; and Zafran
Zaid, a consultant at the Yemeni Ministry of Human Rights.
During the dinner, the
attendees discussed the crucial role of women in Saudi society and the
significant influence they exert not only on the family structure but also on
various aspects of the community.
Furthermore, the ladies also
commended the women’s empowerment strategy currently underway in the country,
led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which has achieved unparalleled progress
for women.
“Women play a pivotal role in
the renaissance of both ancient and modern societies. There is no doubt that
women constitute half of society and form the foundation of the family, upon
which societies are built,” said Sumayah Al-Mahmoud, director of public
relations and media affairs officer at Project Masam.
She added: “Empowering them
means a conscious, empowered and capable society, and disrupting them is
certainly disrupting society and delaying its advancement and progress.”
Another conversation took
place during the night, discussing Project Masam’s humanitarian efforts in
clearing Yemeni lands of mines.
Since 2018, Project Masam has
cleared more than 55 million square meters of Yemeni land, including populated
areas such as residential and agricultural zones, villages, educational
centers, and roads.
The initiative has succeeded
in ridding the country of a total of 434,576 mines, including both explosives
and unexploded ordnance.
Source: arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2474336/saudi-arabia
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Approximately 60 Afghan women
graduate from Kabul sewing workshop
Fidel Rahmati
March 10, 2024
A sewing workshop called
“Rah-e Danesh” graduated 60 Afghan women after a one-year training program in
Kabul.
The workshop celebrated the
graduation of 60 ladies on Wednesday, during a ceremony who had completed their
studies in the fields of tailoring and artistic drawing.
Simultaneously with the
increasing interest of girls and women in handicrafts, Husna Roufi, the
entrepreneur and founder of this workshop, says she has been active in this
sector for more than a year and has provided training and workspace for 300
young women.
Ms. Roufi told the media, “I
established this sewing workshop for girls after universities were closed to
them, and now the girls work with me in a safe environment.”
Meanwhile, Khairuddin Mayel,
the deputy of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment, says the chamber supports
determined women in the country.
He further added that if
women adhere to the “hijab”, Islamic dress code, there is an opportunity for
them to work, and they play a significant role in their family’s income.
Sodaba Saadat and Vida Amiri,
who have graduated from this training program, told Khama Press that they want
employment opportunities so they can support their families while enhancing
their skills.
The Deputy Office of the
United Nations in Afghanistan stated in its recent report that the presence of
girls in the handicraft sector has increased in the past two years.
The apprentices who have completed
this sewing training course are asking the Taliban administration to provide
employment opportunities for them in this sector.
Handicrafts are among the
limited fields that have attracted more attention from girls and women,
especially in the city of Kabul.
Source: khaama.com
https://www.khaama.com/approximately-60-afghan-women-graduate-from-kabul-sewing-workshop/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/afghan-rina-amiri-islamic-emirate/d/131892