Today’s Arab Women Theologians Have Plenty Of Past Exemplars
New
Age Islam News Bureau
09
July 2023
• Today’s Arab Women Theologians Have Plenty Of Past
Exemplars
• How The Taliban Are Violating Women's Rights In Afghanistan
• Malay-Muslim Model Nia Atasha Rosli Divides Fans,
Conservatives
• Women Should Be Included In Future Of Afghanistan:
UN
• Over 500 Women Charged With Various Crimes
Imprisoned In Afghanistan: Report
• Iran Books 2024 IHF Women’s Junior Handball World
Championship Ticket
• Iran’s Women Runners-Up At 2023 ParaVolley Asia
Oceania Zone
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/arab-women-theologians/d/130170
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Today’s Arab Women Theologians Have Plenty Of Past
Exemplars
Image: Illustration by
Mallory Rentsch / Source Images: WikiMedia Commons
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Jul 9, 2023
From desert mothers to modern scholars, the Middle
East has long featured females leading from the margins—and sometimes near the
centre of patriarchal power.
The Middle East today is at a kairos moment in time.
As women across the region fight for their rights and freedoms, the tectonic
shift is felt also in Christian academia. What was once a trickle of female
theologians has developed into a growing number of developing leaders, enabling
and emboldening other women to rise in leadership.
These Ammas (from the original Syriac) were Christian
ascetics who also inhabited the deserts of Egypt, Palestine, and Syria in the
fourth and fifth centuries, whether in monastic communities or as hermits. Both
men and women respected them as spiritual exemplars of maturity and wisdom,
imparted through teaching, preaching, and their own sublime examples.
Amma Syncletica of Alexandria (d. around A.D. 350) led
a community of women who desired to serve God, with religious insights highly
esteemed in the writings of Pope Athanasius the Great.
Amma Sarah, the fifth-century hermit from Egypt’s Wadi
Natroun desert, was known for her asceticism, courage, and spiritual teachings.
As a well-educated reader, she was concerned that her heart be fully upright in
her pursuit of God.
Though these desert mothers desired solitude, they did
not see cultural norms for women as obstacles to their calls or their pursuit
of God, keeping relationships as role models in their daily study and prayerful
life.
For modern-day Christians seeking to be faithful in
their spiritual lives in a complex context like today’s Middle East, the core
practices of desert mothers can provide rich insights. The monastic framework
encourages the integration of spirituality and theology, with the Word of God
and spiritual disciplines at the center.
Through times of solitude, these desert mothers
produced profound theological works—lacking sorely in the Arab world today,
especially those written by women.
Strolling down Star Street in the old city of
Bethlehem today, I can see the sanctuary of the Syriac Church of the Virgin
Mary. From the outset, Syriac Christianity offered women positions as
deaconesses and consecrated virgins. Literary sources contain frequent
references to this from the fifth century until the tenth century, in both the
western (Maronite) and eastern (Assyrian/Chaldean) traditions of Syriac
Christianity.
Several of the earlier texts mention the BnatQyama,
“Daughters of the Covenant,” alongside references to deaconesses. These were
women who had taken vows of celibacy and simplicity, working in the service of
Christ. Not only did their women’s choirs (generally comprised of consecrated
virgins) lead worship, but their hymns also provided essential instruction for
believers about the Bible, theology, and Christian community. Their remarkable
teaching and liturgical ministry can be traced through at least the ninth
century.
Jacob of Sarug (d. 521), for example, mentioned the
women’s choirs as “female teachers” (malphanyatha, in the feminine plural),
whose singing declared the “proclamation” (karuzutha, corresponding to the
Greek kerygma) in the liturgy. Syriac sources describe the Daughters of the
Covenant, cherished for their melodious conveying of scriptural truth, as
conversant with exegetical, ascetic, and hagiographic literature, demonstrating
a culture where women were concerned about theological education in its many
forms.
Hannah Ajaymi was born in 1720 to a Maronite family in
Aleppo, Syria. But she became known as Hindiyya due to her dark olive
complexion, etymologically linked to the Arabic name for India. By the time she
was 17, she was considered a model of piety in the spiritual disciplines,
including oral prayer and fasting. Uninterested in marriage, she considered
herself espoused to Christ.
Hindiyya’s determination to establish a religious
congregation indicated her dedication to Christ, and she became the foundress
and mother superior of a group of monastic women. Her first convent formed in
Aleppo in 1753, but she frequently traversed the Lebanese mountains and founded
four monastic communities overall.
Hindiyya was unusually well read in Arabic religious
works, with a considerable collection of her own publications. Her major work,
Sirr al-Ittihad (Mystery of the Union), is the first-known rare Arabic account
of a mystical experience between Jesus and a Christian woman. And her Al-Durar
al-Saniya (Precious Jewels) is a significant theological work—over 400 pages of
spiritual counsel for her nuns. Hindiyya died in 1798.
While modern-day Lebanon struggles to rise out of
ashes and debris, the contemporary Maronite church has developed room to
discuss the role of women, with its 2022 synod dedicated to their particular
mission. Hindiyya was revered as a saint at certain times in her life, but at
other times was seen as a heretical threat to the established order. Yet as a
prominent priest told me, “It is about time the Maronite church reopens
Hindiyya’s file.”
Known as Ummina in Arabic and Tamav in Coptic (“Our
Mother”), Irini is a modern-day example of a desert mother. Born Erene Yassa in
1936, she became mother superior of the Old Cairo convent of St. Abu Saifein
and played a major role in the revival and reformation of Coptic monasticism
for women. She was consecrated as a nun in 1954 and wrote many meditations on
biblical teachings, mystical visions, and physical sickness.
Finding inspiration in the life of fellow Alexandrian
Amma Syncletica, she gave up her family wealth to pursue a path of poverty. She
passed away in 2006.
Mother Irini is well known and treasured by many
Egyptian Christians as a female leader within the Coptic revival. Copts honour
her spirituality alongside the cherished figures of Pope Cyril VI (1959–1971)
and Pope Shenouda III (1971–2012).
Endowed with great spiritual vision, she employed her
gifts to teach and guide both her nuns and frequent visitors—male and
female—who sought out the wisdom of her monastic community. Not only did she
lead a life of prayer, but she was also a gifted manager. And as the sincerest
flattery for her spiritual stature, popular acclaim exaggerates her visions and
miracles, similar to historic male Egyptian saints like Abanoub and Mina.
By enhancing the convent’s library with publications
about godly women, Mother Irini expanded space for women in the Coptic church,
where men are usually the official representatives. Renewal had previously been
centered on male monasticism, but today there are hundreds of nuns and
mukarrasat (consecrated virgins) in Egypt, serving the poor and recalling the
traditions of ancient times.
But as mirrored in other Eastern churches, her example
has inspired women outside the convents as well, stimulating renewed engagement
in theological education.
A monastic of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Mother Lois
Farag is a lecturer at Luther Seminary who authored St. Cyril of Alexandria, A
New Testament Exegete: His Commentary on the Gospel of John and Balance of the
Heart: Desert Spirituality of Twenty-First Century Christians.
The young scholar Dina Tarek has produced substantial
works in both biblical studies and spiritual theology through the School of
Alexandria Foundation.
Marked by deep spirituality, these women are leading a
new generation of female Arab theologians—within a diverse theological
landscape where their presence has often been unrepresented, their voices
ignored, and their contributions unacknowledged.
In many ways their emergence has been sparked by a
Protestant egalitarian vanguard, which in turn cross-pollinates the evangelical
churches with a greater respect for their historic brothers and sisters.
In the land where Christianity was birthed but where
its numbers are currently dwindling, these shining female stars remind us that
through the empowering of the Holy Spirit and with the prayers of the global
church, the glorious gospel will continue to be proclaimed, bringing both
present and eternal hope to an aching region.
Source: Independent.Ng
https://independent.ng/todays-arab-women-theologians-have-plenty-of-past-exemplars/
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How The Taliban Are Violating Women's Rights In Afghanistan
Women in Afghanistan are no
longer allowed to play soccer, not even when wearing a burqa Image: Ebrahim
Noroozi/AP Photo/picture alliance
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July 8, 2023
Thousands of beauty salons will be forced to shut down
in Afghanistan this month following a decree by the Taliban. For many women,
these salons were their last remaining opportunity to earn money legally. Not
only were they the sole source of income for many families, but they also
provided safe spaces for women to meet, exchange thoughts and feel welcome.
Hardly any other country restricts women's rights as
much as Afghanistan. Here, women report living in prison-like conditions that
widely forbid them from taking part in public life.
"Over the past 22 months, every aspect of women's
and girls' lives has been restricted. They are discriminated against in every
way," the United Nations (UN) Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights
Nada Al-Nashif said in a statement on June 19.
A recent report
by the UN Human Rights Council stated further that the "grave, systematic
and institutionalized discrimination against women and girls is at the heart of
Taliban ideology and rule," adding that the Taliban "may be
responsible for gender apartheid."
At the time, the Taliban justified their prohibition
by claiming that many female students hadn't worn appropriate Islamic attire,
such as a hijab, and that there had been a mixing of genders.
In December 2022, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric
said it was hard to imagine how Afghanistan would develop and tackle the
challenges it faced without the active participation of women and the education
they bring to the table, pointing out the "devastating impact on the
country's future."
According to various media reports, women are now
continuing their education in online seminars. However, due to the country's
poor internet network and the lack of jobs and career prospects, this is hardly
an alternative.
The Taliban have forbidden women from working with the
United Nations or with nongovernmental organizations. This has led to several
international NGOs such as Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council and
CARE to shut down their operations in Afghanistan, because they could not
implement their projects without female staff. Thousands of female government
employees were let go or even paid to stay at home.
Earlier this year, Yamini Mishra, regional director
for Amnesty International's South Asia office, said barring women from working
for NGOs in Afghanistan was exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. "It is
as if the Taliban are intentionally driving the country into famine," she
said.
"Their discriminatory policies are bringing
shocking levels of food insecurity and making the delivery of international
assistance almost impossible," she added. Women in need of assistance can
only receive aid from other women, as they are forbidden from being in contact
with men who are strangers to them.
The humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders
has said the Taliban's decision to exclude women from higher education and
their employment at aid organizations has drastically worsened access to
medical treatment. This is particularly due to the travel restriction the
Taliban have imposed on women.
What's more, the Taliban has ruled that women can only
be treated by female doctors. So far, women have been allowed to continue
working in hospitals — but there are too few female doctors, especially in
rural areas. And they, too, are bound by the same movement restrictions as
their patients. Those who cannot find a mahram to accompany them to work are
forced to stay at home. This is why practically all of Afghanistan suffers from
a lack of female doctors and midwives.
g restrictions have become equally restrictive. In the
summer of 2022, Afghan TV presenter Sonia Niazi fought against the regulation
to cover her face, but was forced to comply when on air.
In Afghanistan, women are required to wear a burqa, a
garment which covers the entire body. If a woman does not comply with this
regulation, her male relatives risk jail time.
A team of soccer players poses, each player presents a
ball and is wearing a burqaA team of soccer players poses, each player presents
a ball and is wearing a burqa
Women in Afghanistan are no longer allowed to play
soccer, not even when wearing a burqaImage: Ebrahim Noroozi/AP Photo/picture
alliance
Female athletic teams are no longer allowed to
compete. Due to this rule, Afghanistan's national women's teams live in exile
in Australia. The Taliban's edict forbids women in Afghanistan from visiting
parks, fitness studios, public pools, gymnasiums and sports clubs, making
sports practically impossible for women.
Source: Dw.Com
https://www.dw.com/en/how-the-taliban-are-violating-womens-rights-in-afghanistan/a-66143514
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Malay-Muslim Model Nia AtashaRosliDivides Fans,
Conservatives
8 Jul, 2023
Malaysian model and actress Nia AtashaRosli made waves
on social media this week with her revelation as the first Malay-Muslim model
for global lingerie label Victoria’s Secret.
The T-shirt Bra Collection, launched by Victoria’s
Secret Malaysia on Monday, features the 27-year-old alongside Miss Universe
Malaysia 2018 Jane Teoh as well as Thai actress and model Janie Tienphosuwan.
The campaign marks many firsts for the iconic brand,
including its first Malaysian models to front a local campaign, its first
Malay-Muslim model, and its first all-women production team – formed in
collaboration with the Women Photographers Malaysia (WPM) community. It will
also be appearing in Victoria’s Secret stores globally.
In an interview with lifestyle magazine Eh Malaysia at
the launch event, Nia said: “I’ve always had a dream since I started modelling
to be the face of [Victoria’s Secret] or in a campaign for [them] and … here we
are!”
She also posted a video compilation of the launch
event on her own Instagram account on Tuesday, thanking the local Malaysian and
American teams she had worked with.
“I’m honestly still processing everything and
currently in pinch-me mode,” she added. “Teenage Nia wouldn’t believe this.”
Over the past week, fans and netizens have flooded the
comments of her post with overwhelming support, declaring how “proud and happy”
they are for the young model.
One Instagram user said, referring to the extravagant
wings worn by top models in the now-defunct Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show:
“Can’t wait to see you walking with a [pair of] wings one day!”
Malaysian celebrities like actresses Yuna Rahim and
Alicia Amin, host Azura Zainal and fellow model Melissa Th’ng also chimed in to
congratulate Nia.
“I can say I know a VS (Victoria’s Secret) model now,”
wrote Malaysian hip hop artist SYA, whose real name is Nur Batrisya Mohammad
Nazri. “Slayyy mama.”
The campaign has also been lauded as a win for
diversity, with Teoh commenting in an Instagram post that it “marks a
noteworthy milestone for us as Southeast Asians” as models from this region
have historically been under-represented in the industry.
“So glad to see the brand I grew up watching … has
taken its stand on a more sustainable brand image, to be more inclusive and to
embrace diversity,” she added.
Victoria’s Secret Malaysia promoted the campaign with
the hashtag #BeAuthenticBeYou, as a celebration of “women who fearlessly
embrace their individuality in every aspect of their daily lives, empowering
them to feel confident and comfortable in their own skin”.
Under WPM’s Instagram post of the campaign video, the
top comment reads sarcastically: “By ‘embracing individuality’, it means
embracing their [the three models’] light-skinned and skinny bods yeah? That’s
what you stand for, correct?
“You don’t stand for people of colour, or anyone who
looks different from you. Congrats on your deal, must be nice to be recognised
for your individuality, I’m sure you struggled to get there.”
Similarly, other Instagram users also called for more
representation of “darker-skinned [Southeast Asian] women” as well as a wider
variety of “realistic body types” such as plus-sized women and women with
“mummy tummies” or caesarean-section scars.
Source: Www.Scmp.Com
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Women should be included in future of Afghanistan: UN
09 July, 2023
Kabul [Afghanistan], July 8 (ANI): As Afghan women
continue to live miserable lives under Taliban rule, the United Nations (UN) UN
Women Executive Director SimaBahous emphasized that women should be included in
the future of Afghanistan, Khaama Press reported.
In response to the recent closure of women’s beauty
salons and hair salons, she stated that this is yet another setback for women’s
rights in the nation. The Taliban declared on July 4th that all women’s beauty
parlours in the nation should be shut down.
According to the Taliban’s moral ministry, they also
emphasised in their directive that women’s beauty parlours should be closed on
July 23.
This is the most recent limitation on Afghans’ access
to public areas, which also includes bans on visiting secondary schools,
universities, gyms, bathhouses, parks, and even working for aid organisations.
According to a ministry notice, beauty salons for women must close within one
month, according to Mohammad Sadiq Akif, a spokeswoman for the Ministry for the
Prevention of Vice and Propagation of Virtue, reported Khaama Press.
Moreover, the ministry instructed the Kabul
municipality to implement the most recent decision of the Taliban leader by
revoking the licenses of women’s beauty parlours.
As for the Taliban’s ban on beauty parlours, Rina
Amiri, the US representative for women’s and girls’ rights in Afghanistan,
stated that it “removes another vital space for women’s work at a time when
they are struggling to feed their families, eliminates one of the few refuges
for women outside the home & further transforms the country into a cruel
& extreme outlier in the world,” Khaama Press reported.
Afghanistan, under the Taliban, is facing its worst
humanitarian crisis and the women of the country are denied fundamental rights.
According to a World Food Programme assessment, Afghanistan is one of the
nations with extreme food insecurity, with nine million people affected by
severe economic difficulties and hunger.
Source: The Print
https://theprint.in/world/women-should-be-included-in-future-of-afghanistan-un/1661271/
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Over 500 women charged with various crimes imprisoned
in Afghanistan: Report
08 July, 2023
Kabul [Afghanistan], July 8 (ANI): Officials at
Afghanistan’s Prisons Administration have said more than 500 women charged with
various crimes are imprisoned in the country’s prisons, TOLO News reported.
The deputy head of the Office of the Prisons
Administration, Habibullah Badar, said the Taliban has instructed prison
officials to not punish the prisoners.
“The number of women in the prisons is between 500 to
550. Some are being detained and some are released … We are trying to release
them if their crime is less,” he said, as per TOLO News.
A political analyst, JavidMomand, said: “The right of
a prisoner is that efforts should be paid for their reform. As you see in other
countries, prisons are like universities. There are educational programs and
when they are released to society, they are disciplined.”
“The women in the prisons have the right to have access
to their families, lawyers and human rights organizations and the right to
defend themselves,” said RuqiaSayi, a women’s rights activist, as per TOLO
News. (
Source: The Print.In
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Iran Books 2024 IHF Women’s Junior Handball World
Championship Ticket
July, 09, 2023
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran qualified for the 2024 IHF
Women’s Junior (U-20) Handball World Championship.
Iran lost to China 29-23 and Chinese Taipei 28-18 in
the competition, but defeated Uzbekistan 37-36, India 39-31, Hong Kong 45-16
and Kazakhstan 27-24.
The Asian Women's Junior Handball Championship is the
official competition for junior women's national handball teams of Asia, and
takes place every two years.
It’s the second time that the competition is hosted by
the Handball Association of Hong Kong, China.
The competition also serves as a qualification event
for the World Championship, with the top five teams qualifying for the 24th IHF
Women’s Junior (U-20) Handball World Championship in North Macedonia from June
19 to 30, 2024.
Source: Tasnim News.
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Iran’s Women Runners-Up At 2023 ParaVolley Asia
Oceania Zone
July 8, 2023
TEHRAN – Iran’s women’s sitting volleyball team lost
to China 3-0 (25-12, 25-15, 25-11) in the final match of the 2023 ParaVolley
Asia Oceania Zone Championships on Saturday.
China, 2020 Paralympic Games runners-up, also booked
their place in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
Japan also bagged the bronze medal after completing a
straight-sets match 3-0 (25-7, 25-5, 25-9) over Korea.
The men’s team will also meet Kazakhstan in the final
match later in the day.
The competitions started on July 3 in Astana,
Kazakhstan and will finish on July 8.
Source: Tehran Times
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/486592/Iran-s-women-runners-up-at-2023-ParaVolley-Asia-Oceania-Zone
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/arab-women-theologians/d/130170