Assam's Arisha Sheikh Is Keen To Take Classical Sattriya Dance Beyond India
New Age Islam News Bureau
13 May 2024
·
Assam's Arisha Sheikh Is Keen To Take Classical
Sattriya Dance Beyond India
·
Backlash over Iran's National Girl's Day Poster
Encouraging Young Girls To Be Homemakers And Mothers
·
India’s First Muslim PM Will Be Hijab-Clad
Woman: AIMIM Chief
·
BJP's Madhavi Latha Asks Muslim Women To Show
Face For ID Check, Sparks Row
·
Iran Turns Tehran Book Fair into a Hijab
Battleground
·
Killings of Women Surge in Iran: 23 Killed by
Male Relatives
·
Iranian Police Assault Girl for Hijab
Non-Compliance
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/assam-arisha-classical-sattriya-dance/d/132309
-----
Assam's
Arisha Sheikh Is Keen To Take Classical Sattriya Dance Beyond India
Dance poet Arisha Sheikh's Rang Yatra performance
------
13-05-2024
Mukut
Sharma/Guwahati
Arisha Sheikh,
a 17-year-old dancer from Assam is determined to popularise Sattriya dance
across the world. Her performance and
achievements at a young age belie the notion that Muslim girls are not
permitted to perform dances. Sattriya is one of the eight dance styles
recognized as classical dance that has been prevalent in Assam since the 15th
century through the Satras established by Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev.
Arisha
Sheikh has earned accolades in India and abroad for her Satriya dance,
Bharatanatyam, Bihu dance, and acting talent. However, she is clear that she
does not want to dilute the traditional genre of Sattriya dance and its purity
in the name of modernisation and promotion.
In an
interview with Awaz-The Voice Assam Arisha Sheikh said, “My vision for the
future of Sattriya dance revolves around reverence for tradition and a
commitment to maintain its purity. It is to propel our cherished art form of
Sattriya beyond boundaries while maintaining its authenticity and adherence to
tradition, resisting the urge to modernize for the sake of accessibility.”
She says
she wants to emphasize the sacred duty and reverence inherent in the title of
'Guru', alongside the ancient 'Guru-Shishya Parampara (tradition of teacher and
disciple)'. “Today we witness an influx of individuals assuming the Guru’s
mantle without adequate qualifications or understanding. Despite having
completed my diploma and technically concluding my student journey, I perceive
myself as a beginner in the journey of learning and unraveling this ancient art
form. Teaching isn't merely about showcasing performances; it's about delving
into the depths of the art's origins, gaining a profound understanding of the
intricacies to pass on to future generations.”
Arisha
Sheikh is the youngest daughter of Arman Sheikh and Anjuma Sheikh of Guwahati.
She is currently a student of Class XII at Royal Global School, Betkuchi,
Guwahati.
Arisha showed her talent on August 15, 2009,
by participating in a few dance performances during a cultural program
broadcast on the Prag Channel. Then she was only 3 years old.
Noticing
her interest, Arisha's parents started teaching her Bharatanatyam under the
guidance of Padma Shri Indira PP Bora.
"I
started learning Bharatanatyam in 2011 when I was 5 years old, and I Satriya when I was 7. For the Sattriya dance,
I enrolled myself in Nartan Kala Niketan. I had the honour of learning Satriya
dance under the supervision of Sangeet Natak Akademi award winner Guru
RamkrishnaTalukdar and his wife Guru Rumi Talukdar,” Arisha said.
Arisha,
who holds a B-Grade Certificate in Sattriya Dance from Doordarshan Kendra, has
captivated thousands of people with her Satriya dance in various places across
India such as Mumbai, Puri, Bangalore, and Delhi. Last year, Arisha had the
opportunity to perform at the Round Square International Conference 2023 in
Nairobi, Kenya.
How did
she become attracted to Sattriya?
Arisha
replied, “At first, my mother was captivated by a 'bhortaal' performance, which
inspired her to enroll me at Nartan Kala Niketan to learn Sattriya. It didn't
take long for me to develop a deep love for this art form. From the
foundational Mati-akhara to the intricate compositions echoing life's essence,
I've been captivated by the sheer beauty and profoundness of this art form”.
In 2023,
Arisha attended a Sanskriti Sangam in Pathshala, Bajali where she played the
role of Dronacharya in a play called 'Abhimanyu Badha'. Her role made a deep
impression in the minds of art lovers.
Describing
her experience of the show, Arisha said, “Initially I was cast as one of the
Saptarathis and I felt deeply honoured when my guru bestowed upon me the role
of Dronacharya in the dance drama "Abhimanyu Badh". It was a profound
experience, delving into the depths of the character's psyche, and embodying his
wisdom and conflicts. With each step, and each expression, I endeavoured to
breathe life into Dronacharya's character, drawing from a reservoir of emotions
to convey the complexities of his mind on stage. The trust placed in me by my
guru fuelled my determination to do justice to the character.”
Arisha
Sheikh earned the Visharad Point 2 Certificate in Bharat Natyam under
Bhatkande, Lucknow. In Kolkata, Arisha got the opportunity to further improve
her skills as she attended workshops of Guru Ram Vaidyanathan, a Bharat Natyam
exponent.
Arisha’s
talent is not limited to Satriya and Bharat Natyam. She also earned fame as a
dance expert. She holds a three-year diploma in Western dance and holds a
pre-foundation level certification in the PDCP program offered by The Dance
Works.
Arisha
was awarded the title of 'MouKunwari' and received accolades for her beautiful
Bihu dance performance.
Arisha has never faced any obstacles or
criticism in her career in Sattriya and Bihu dance and acting from her Muslim
family. "I am very fortunate that I was born into a cultured family. I
have seen the atmosphere of arts and culture at home since childhood. My
parents recognized my talent when I was young and they have inspired me to
pursue dance or acting. "
Arisha,
who will turn 18 on May 22, has been selected for the Royal Global School's
Telegraph Award in 2021 in recognition of her contribution to the field of
dance. He was also a recipient of the Future Face Award of IIDF Guwahati twice.
She was awarded once in 2019 for Bharat Natyam and in 2022 for excellence in
Sattriya dance.
Arisha
Sheikh has honed her skills through a comprehensive three-year program in fine
arts at the Guwahati Artists Guild. She also completed a three-month course led
by talented actor Baharul Islam and actress Bhagirathi Bai Kadam in acting.
Arisha
also appeared in different roles on the small screen in several TV serials; and
sang for a song album titled 'Monikut' in which she teamed with popular singer
Kalpana Patwari.
Source: awazthevoice.in
https://www.awazthevoice.in/culture-news/assam-s-arisha-sheikh-is-keen-to-take-classical-sattriya-dance-beyond-india-28751.html
--------
Backlash
over Iran's National Girl's Day Poster Encouraging Young Girls To Be Homemakers
And Mothers
A government billboard in Tehran for National Girl's Day
-------
12-05-24
A
government billboard in Tehran encouraging young girls to be homemakers and
mothers has sparked a social media backlash amid the country's violent
oppression of women.
The
poster, at Valiasar Square in Tehran for Iran's National Girl's Day, depicts a
girl sweeping the house, feeding a baby, massaging her father, and helping her
brother, titled "The light of the eye," a term of endearment in
Farsi.
It comes
while there has been a new wave of crackdowns to compel women to comply with
compulsory hijab laws under a new initiative called the "Noor [light]
Initiative." A user on the X social network wrote, "The irony of the
Noor Initiative patrol vans being parked under the same billboard to arrest the
‘the light of the eye'."
The
juxtapositioning of the poster has fueled the anger, the area in front of the
billboard mainly used as a parking space for morality police vans to enforce
hijab on women passing by in Valiasr, one of the capital's main squares.
Since
the launch of Noor, social media has been flooded with videos of morality
police violence against women rebelling against the hijab. There have also been
allegations of police officers extorting money from women in exchange for
leniency, as well as accusations of theft and sexual harassment.
Several
social media users have written that the girl "The light of the eye"
is introduced in this banner. Still, if the same girl, "showing a bit of
hair," sets foot outside the house, "she will become a thorn in the
eye of the regime and will be taken into those vans at the bottom of the
picture."
Some
users shared pictures of women killed during the 2022 Woman Life Freedom
movement, such as Mahsa Amini, NikaShakarami, Sarina Alizadeh, and Hadis
Najafi. They said that the government of the Islamic Republic is celebrating
the day of the girls while "for no other reason than their hair, they
torture, rape and kill them."
The
death of 22-year-old Amini in morality police custody sparked the months-long
nationwide protests. During the movement, regime forces killed around 550
protesters, injured hundreds, and arrested over 22,000 people.
Many
progressive Iranians criticized the outdated portrayal of women in a country in
which women have fought for their right to education. “Couldn't you show a girl
playing sports, studying, having fun, or hanging out with her family?”
Between
2011 and 2022, women outnumbered men on Iran's college and university campuses,
yet women in the labor force accounted for only 19 percent in 2020. The
government has made “systematic efforts to limit women’s access to the
workplace,” according to a 2021 State Department report. The women who are
employed reportedly earn 41 percent less than men for the same work.
Iranian
leaders have stated numerous times that the primary function of women in
society is to bear children, raise children, take care of the household, and
serve their husbands.
The wife
of Iran's President, Ebrahim Raisi, said it is an example of violence when
women study and work like men in an interview with Venezuelan state TV.
JamilehAlamolhoda claimed, "We want women to remain women. Why should we
be like men? Why should we study, work or live like men? This is a form of
violence". She has continued to call the murder of Mahsa Amini “fake media
hype".
During a
meeting with women in December, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei reiterated his
views that holding a job shouldn't prevent women from carrying out their
“actual duties.” “There is, however, a crucial requirement that women won’t be
‘deprived’ of that important and fundamental ‘feminine task’, housekeeping and
childbearing,” Khamenei said.
Just
months ago, the United Nations branded Iran's new laws on hijab 'gender
apartheid' and rights groups such as Amnesty International have slammed the
regime's ongoing gender-based oppression and violence.
Source: iranintl.com
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202405112062
--------
India’s
First Muslim PM Will Be Hijab-Clad Woman: AIMIM Chief
May 12,
2024
All
India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) Chief Asaduddin Owaisi has claimed
that India will have a Muslim woman wearing a hijab as the Prime Minister of
the country.
In an
interview with Hindustan Times, Owaisi said, "Inshallah, it will be in the
form of a woman wearing a hijab and heading this great nation. The time will
come. Maybe I will not be alive to see that day, but it will happen
inshallah."
When
asked about the PM attacking Muslims in his speeches during the election
campaigns, the AIMIM chief said that he is not surprised by it as it is in his
"original DNA".
He said,
"That's his original language. That's his originality-which is that they
hate Muslims. That is the real Hindutva ideology. The Prime Minister has been
consistently saying this from 2002, which made him the prime minister of this
great nation twice, unfortunately. Anyway, people have decided. So he's gone
back on his original agenda of spewing venom, creating divisions, creating
suspicion about Muslims ... saying Muslim women give birth to more children,
which is all rubbish and nonsense."
He
criticised the PM saying that he has forgotten G20, Chandrayaan, 5 trillion
economy, the permanent Security Council seat, 'Vishwaguru' and 'Viskit Bharat'.
"All have gone to the dustbin," he added.
Owaisi
further stated that the PM will not retire after 75 (the age rule implemented
on the senior leaders like LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Yashwant Sinha).
He said,
"So you're assuming Modi will leave after 75, is it? I don't think so.
Modi will not leave. Modi will have to be defeated politically. This is my
thinking."
Meanwhile,
the stage is set for the fourth phase of voting in the ongoing Lok Sabha
elections. 96 seats will go for polls across 10 states on Monday.
Issues
like reservations, appeasement politics, corruption and jobs dominated the
battle of narratives in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
Source: oneindia.com
https://www.oneindia.com/india/india-s-first-muslim-pm-will-be-hijab-clad-woman-aimim-chief-owaisi-3822881.html
---------
BJP's
Madhavi Latha Asks Muslim Women To Show Face For ID Check, Sparks Row
May 13,
2024
Hyderabad:
Kompella Madhavi Latha, BJP's firebrand candidate from Hyderabad, faces a
police case after a video showed her asking burqa-clad Muslim women at a
polling booth to reveal their faces so that she can match them with the
photographs on their voter ID cards.
The case
has been registered under relavant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the
Representation of the People Act. The Hyderabad Collector's office has
confirmed in a post on X that a case against the BJP candidate has been
registered in Malakpet Police Station.
Ms
Madhavi Latha is among the most-talked-about candidates in the fourth phase of
Lok Sabha polls that is underway today. She is up against a formidable
candidate -- four-time MP from Hyderabad and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi.
District
Election Officer Ronald Ross earlier told NDTV that police will be registering
an FIR against Ms Madhavi Latha because no candidate has the right to lift
someone's veil to check her identity. If there is a suspicion, a candidate can
ask the polling officer to verify a voter's identity, he said.
The BJP
candidate, however, has told news agency ANI that a candidate has the right to
check voter ID cards. "I am a candidate. As per law, a candidate has the
right to check ID cards without facemasks. I am not a man, I am a woman and
with a lot of humility, I requested them. If somebody wants to make a big issue
out of it, it means they are scared," she said.
Mr
Owaisi has not commented on the incident yet, but shared the viral video on his
Twitter timeline.
The BJP
candidate has alleged discrepancies in voters' list. "The police personnel
seem very dull, they are not active. They are not checking anything. Senior
citizen voters are coming here, but their names have been deleted from the
list," she told ANI.
The
viral videos are playing out against the backdrop of a polarised contest in
Hyderabad, a Muslim-dominated seat and a family stronghold of Asaduddin Owaisi.
In the run-up to the election, Ms Madhavi Latha had said she was hopeful of the
support of Muslim voters too because the BJP has spoken about triple talaq and
jobs for Muslim youngsters. The viral videos and the row surrounding them are
likely to hit her outreach to minority voters.
Source: ndtv.com
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/madhavi-latha-asaduddin-owaisi-2024-lok-sabha-election-bjp-candidate-asks-muslim-women-to-show-face-for-id-check-sparks-row-5652298
--------
Iran
Turns Tehran Book Fair into a Hijab Battleground
Iran’s
strict enforcement of hijab has reached a new level of intensity, with reports
emerging of invasive surveillance and increased police presence at Tehran
International Book Fair to ensure hijab compliance.
The
recent 35th Tehran International Book Fair, taking place from 8 to 18 May, has
become a battleground for Iran’s intensified crackdown on unveiled women.
This
crackdown comes as part of Iran’s “Noor Plan” initiative introduced in April to
clampdown on unveiled women, implemented across the country at the directive of
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
The
presence of hijab enforcement officers and the use of drones equipped with
cameras to identify women not adhering to the dress code has sparked outrage
among attendees.
Quadcopters,
fitted with cameras, were deployed to identify women not adhering to hijab
regulations, eyewitnesses told Iranwire on Friday. These drones captured images
of the individuals and transmitted their locations, facilitating direct
confrontations by the hijab enforcers.
Reports
suggest that women who tried to enter the Book Fair without wearing hijabs were
refused entry, with security forces positioned at each entrance.
Fair
attendees' reports on the platform X further illustrate the atmosphere at the
fair, with one user describing the overwhelming presence of police officers,
and billboards promoting hijab compliance.
Another
user expressed her dismay with her experience of attending the fair reporting
heavy police presence, tents, vans, guards, and security personnel “to ensure
that any woman without hijab can be arrested like a terrorist.”
Another
user recounted being turned away from the entrance due to her "trousers being
too short" highlighting the stringent enforcement of dress codes.
Furthermore,
criticisms were directed at the content and atmosphere of the fair, with
complaints about high book prices, and the dominance of religious and
state-affiliated publications.
Many
Iranians mocked the juxtaposition of banners at the fair promoting “quotes”
from literary figures like Leo Tolstoy with messages advocating for chastity
and hijab. In last year’s bookfair, another Tolstoy quote was promoted, which
was identified as a fake one by researchers.
This
year’s Tolstoy banner quoted the Russian writer, stating:
“In the
West, women are given freedom, but they still see it as a means of pleasure.
The reason for calling the status of women slavery in the West is nothing but
men's desire to use women as a means of pleasure.”
This
also appears to be a fake quote, as searches did not turn up any Tolstoy
statement to this effect.
One X
user mocked the banner and stated that if Tolstoy knew that years after his
death he would appear on a banner at a Tehran book fair, “not for the promotion
of his literary works but to justify the abuse of women, he would die once
again in his grave”
Another
billboard quoted Wendy Shalit, an American conservative writer, ironically with
an unveiled image of the author stating:
“There
is a general rule nowadays, the more respect you want, the more modest you
should dress.”
Meanwhile,
in 2020 Shalit stated on X that she “does not support the Iranian government
and that she was “keenly aware of their mistreatment & abuse of women”
further adding that they are using her name “to spread lies” against Iranian
journalist women’s rights activist Masih Alinejad.
Additionally,
another billboard quoted Will Durant, agnostic American author and historian
stating:
“Women
realized that flirting is a source of taunt and humiliation and they taught
this to their daughters that chastity makes a woman strong.”
Moreover,
in a bizarre display, photos emerged of books being pierced and arranged into a
makeshift arch, presumably as a decorative element for the fair. However, the
unconventional art piece was met with criticism and ultimately relegated to a
corner.
Source: iranintl.com
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202405124970
--------
Killings
of Women Surge in Iran: 23 Killed by Male Relatives
At least
23 women have been killed in Iran by their husbands or male relatives since
late March this year according to a report on Saturday by Iran's 'reformist'
Etemad news outlet.
Last
year Etemad had reported that in a period of two and a half months, from late
March 2023 to the beginning of June 2023, at least 10 women were killed by
their male relatives as a result of domestic violence or so-called 'honor'
based violence.
This
means the number of such murders in Iran has more than doubled this year.
TaherehTaleghani
an Islamic expert told Etemad that she considered the lack of laws to protect
women in Iran as one of the reasons for these murders.
Taleghani
added that "a society that is suffering from various crises, problems, and
issues, unconsciously goes towards tension and violence. This tension and
violence extend into families."
Highlighting
the ongoing crises faced by women and girls in Iran, she underscored the
insecurity they experience both in the streets and at home. She emphasized:
"Violence at home leaves women feeling helpless, as neither the law nor
the men in their families respect their rights."
Details
of the murders and motives
Critics
have highlighted the Islamic legal system, along with Iran's deeply entrenched
patriarchal culture and traditions, as factors contributing to the rise of such
killings. Others in the past have attributed the cause of 'honor killings' to
fanatical beliefs.
Etemad
cited the various motives behind these murders as being dissatisfaction with
the way of cooking, marriage proposals being declined, refusal to have sex,
requests for divorce, family disputes, and honor-based violence.
Among
the women killed in, a 21-year-old girl was killed by her father on 29 March in
one of the border villages of Abadan city with an ‘honor' motive.
In
Ahvaz, a 27-year-old woman was stabbed to death by her brothers on 7 April,
also with ‘honor’ motive. The brothers of this young woman killed her in front
of her husband and injured him too as he tried to intervene.
On 4
May, a man in Mashhad killed his wife based on ‘honor' motives and injured the
wife's 16-year-old sister and brother with knife stabs. The victim's sister is
still in a coma.
On 1
May, a young woman named Shahin Govili died of severe injuries in Kausar
Hospital after her husband set her on fire.
On 3
May, an Afghan woman who was six months pregnant was killed by her husband in
Mashhad for being "disobedient" according to her husband's
confession.
In
Tabriz, one of the daughters of the family, fearing that her father would kill
her in addition to killing her mother, attempted suicide twice.
In one
of the murders in Tehran, the father of the family killed his own son along
with his wife.
Prevalence
of ‘honor-based’ killings
A number
of the murders reported were associated with honor-based motives. Historically
some provinces in Iran have had a higher number of such forms of violence
against women.
During
her interview with EtemadTaleghani pointed out the higher prevalence of
honor-based killings in certain provinces in comparison to other provinces and
attributed this to a lack of modernization in those regions.
In the
cases of honor-based killings, Taleghani stated that in Iran, one of the causes
of honor killings is attributed to child marriage, further adding that “honor
killings occur due to some inefficient laws or the lack of laws protecting
women”.
“The
female representatives in the parliament should also understand that some of
the country's laws are oppressive to women and should be amended," she
added.
According
to Article 630 of the Islamic Penal Code, if a man catches his wife in the act
of consensual adultery, he is allowed to kill both parties without facing
publishment. This law only applies to women. Additionally, the killing of a
child by the child's father or paternal grandfather is exempt from the Qesas
(retribution) sentence.
In this
regard, Taleghani argued that “we do not have a word called ‘honor’ in the
Quran" and that Iran's Islamic Penal Code is “ineffective and does not
work to solve today's problems".
According
to the human rights organization, Hengaw, "at least 50 cases of femicide
have been recorded in various cities of Iran since the beginning of 2024, with
10 of these cases, equivalent to 20%, being classified as honor" killings".
Moreover,
Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported 40 cases of honor killing,
in the Iranian calendar year that started in mid-March 2023.
Iranian
Kurdish Women’s Rights Organization (IKWRO) based in the UK asserts that it is
imperative to understand the distinct characteristics of ‘honor’ based abuse
and “not to conflate it with other forms of violence against women and girls,
such as domestic abuse” warning that this can “dangerously undermine the
ability to safeguard those at risk".
Source: iranintl.com
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202405123691
--------
Iranian
Police Assault Girl for Hijab Non-Compliance
A video
surfaced from Boroujerd, western Iran, depicting hijab enforcement police
violently assaulting a young girl in Fadak Park for wearing a short-sleeved
t-shirt.
The
footage, obtained by Iran International, shows the police's harsh enforcement
of mandatory hijab. According to an eyewitness, bystanders eventually
intervened and rescued the girl. It is unclear how old the child is, but in
Iran girls start to wear hijab as young as six or seven years old.
The
incident is part of a pattern of aggression associated with hijab enforcement
in Iran even against children. Just last year, another young girl was recorded
being struck in the face for not wearing a hijab. The video showed her bleeding
from the nose, sitting by the roadside in distress.
In
September 2022, the death in morality police custody of Mahsa Amini, arrested
for not wearing her hijab properly, triggered a nationwide uprising which has
since seen tens of thousands of women reject the mandatory hijab.
In
October, 16-year-old high school student Armita Geravand fell into a coma and
later died due to a head injury after an altercation with hijab enforcers in
the Tehran subway. Details of the incident remain obscured, but reports suggest
she was pushed by a female agent.
The
Iranian regime last month ramped up its enforcement of hijab laws under what it
claims is a "national and public demand," introducing a new
initiative called the Noor plan. This has led to an increase in hijab police
presence, especially in central Tehran, with more patrols, vans, and motorcycle
units in operation.
The
United Nations branded Iran's crackdown on hijab and oppression of women
'gender apartheid' and rights groups continue to fight for women's rights in
the country where women are being violently oppressed amid toughening laws.
Source: iranintl.com
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202405122217
---------
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/assam-arisha-classical-sattriya-dance/d/132309